The Kennedy Center’s loss. Montgomery County’s gain.

After the Trump administration took charge of the John F. Kennedy Center, changing its name and programming, many local theatergoers decided to boycott the famed national arts venue — and take their business to stages across Montgomery County and beyond.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, for example, which performs regularly at Strathmore in North Bethesda, has seen a 16% increase in classical concert ticket sales at the Montgomery County venue over the past year. That compares to a 9% increase at its Baltimore venue, Mark Hanson, president and CEO of the BSO, told The Banner.

That speedy growth prompted the BSO to add more concerts to its Strathmore schedule.

“Our hope is that whether it is on a temporary basis or a permanent basis, music lovers find that welcoming embrace at our concerts,” Hanson said.

In recent months, the Olney Theatre Center has seen about $50,000 in donations from patrons who said they chose to spend their money in Olney rather than at the Kennedy Center, WTOP reported.

Other local venues, including the Round House Theatre in Bethesda, have seen attendance increase.

Round House Executive Director Ed Zakreski couldn’t directly attribute any growth to the Kennedy Center’s current state of affairs. But he noted that some patrons “have shared their personal perspectives about recent developments at the Kennedy Center, and many have expressed a broader commitment to supporting nonprofit arts organizations in today’s world.”

Round House‘s two most recent productions — “The Inheritance,” which ran from August to November, and “Rules for Living,” which closed at the beginning of January — ranked among the three highest-grossing productions in the theater’s 54-year history, Zakreski said.

Unwelcome changes

These shifts among theater- and concertgoers have followed Trump’s decision early last year to appoint himself chairman of the Kennedy Center and replace board members with allies who voted to rename the national performing arts center The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

A year into Trump’s second administration, the Kennedy Center’s leadership has made it clear that it does not value performances that celebrate diversity and inclusion. Famous advisers, previously scheduled performers and longtime residency holders have resigned, canceled or changed venues, many directly or indirectly citing the president’s takeover as their reason for backing out.

Attendance at the Kennedy Center has plummeted.

Membership subscriptions fell 82% for theater performances and 57% for dance last year, according to June 2025 reports by The Washington Post and The New York Times. The outlets also reported that Washington National Opera and the National Symphony Orchestra saw subscription decreases. Overall, projections showed Kennedy Center subscription revenue dropping from $4.4 million in 2025 to $2.7 million in 2026.

The fallout continues. Last week Washington National Opera announced its move from the Kennedy Center to several new venues around the greater D.C. area, including St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in Bethesda. WNO said it received donations from more than 500 patrons in the three days after announcing that it would be leaving the national performing arts center after 45 years.

“This spring, we will present three American works that explore themes at the heart of what makes our country great,” WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello said in a statement, citing shows that celebrate “the triumph of education over ignorance” (“Treemonisha”), warn about “a righteous mob that murders innocent women and tears families apart” (“The Crucible”) and make a “plea for racial tolerance” (“West Side Story”).

“I hope our productions can serve as a springboard for dialogue and perhaps even a source of healing,” Zambello added.

Among the most famous names to flee the Kennedy Center: “Insecure” star and creator (and Potomac native) Issa Rae, who refunded tickets for her “An Evening With Issa Rae” event; opera singer Renée Fleming, who served as an artistic director for the Kennedy Center; TV giant Shonda Rhimes, who was treasurer of the board; singer Ben Folds, former adviser to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center; and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who canceled a run of the musical originally planned for the Kennedy Center’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.