Artists are claiming that the Kennedy Center is late in paying them. Several artist representatives have stated that months have gone without a check. Several have noted that staffers who handled their bookings are no longer working for the Kennedy Center so they are unable to get a response regarding their late payments.
Broadway saw its second-highest annual attendance last season. There were 14.77 million theatergoers, second only to the 2018-19 season. Audiences from the suburbs were down to 13 percent of the total attendance, but 42 percent were from other states and 20 percent were international tourists. The overall gross revenue set a new record, at $1.89 billion, thanks to higher ticket prices.
A study by Monash University reports that daily musical engagement can reduce the risk of dementia. Of the nearly 11,000 Australians over age 70 studied, those that always listened to music had a 39 percent lower risk of dementia, and playing an instrument was associated with at 35 percent lower risk.
A survey by LANDR reports that 87 percent of artists use AI. The survey of 1,200 music makers across the world found that the artists used AI in at least part of their process. AI song generators were a key use, with over half of beginners, and a quarter of professionals, using them.
The Trump-appointed board has voted to rename the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to the Trump-Kennedy Center. Signs on the building were changed within hours of the vote, despite a formal name change likely needing congressional approval.
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Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion. The purchase would include film and TV studios, its videogame studios, and HBO. The deal would take 12 to 18 months to complete, and is subject to regulatory approval. At the same time, Paramount made its seventh bid to purchase Warner itself, but that bid was rejected by the Warner board as being inferior and carrying risks of foreign financing.
Wicked: For Good set new opening week records. The movie earned $150 million domestically and $226 million globally, making it the biggest opening for a Broadway musical adaption. It is also second only to A Minecraft Movie for 2025 movie openings.
According to a report by Deloitte, consumer subscription video fees are up $22 a month this year. On average, households are spending $70 a month on subscriptions, up from $48 last year. Companies have been raising rates as investors pressure them to increase profits. Disney is leading the pack, with rates rising from $6.99 a month when it launched in 2019 to a current $18.99 a month.
Disney has signed a three-year, $1 billion licensing deal with OpenAI. The platform will be allowed to use Disney characters and properties to generate videos, some of which will be available for streaming on Disney+.
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The San Antonio Symphony has cancelled its Holiday Pops and New Years Eve concerts after being booted out of its concert hall. The Symphony had previously reached an agreement in October 2024 to make San Antonio Scottish Rite its permanent home, but after recent talks broke down, the venue gave the Symphony a November 28 deadline to vacate the building.
Sarasota Opera artistic director and principal conductor Victor De Renzi is stepping down after 44 years at the helm. He is the longest-serving artistic director of any opera in the world, and has conducted nearly 900 performances. He will be succeeded by general director Richard Russell, who will assume the artistic director duties.
Youth Orchestra Los Angeles will continue after an outpouring of support. The Los Angeles Phil has announced major cuts to the program, which has offered free music instruction since 2007. Parents and the community rallied in support of the program, and donors stepped in to provide funding to restore the cuts.
The Pittsburgh Symphony had a $2.3 million surplus last season. Ticket sales rose 17 percent, to the highest since the pandemic.
The Atlanta Opera has relaunched their 96-Hour Opera Festival as the New Opera Works (NOW) Festival. The Festival, originally launched in 2022, pairs composers and librettists to develop short operas, with prizes including cash and commissions. The 2026 festival will take place over three days in June and will include the world premiere of Water Memory (Jala Smirti) by 2024 competition winners Kitty Brazelton and Vaibu Mohan.