""We are seeking, basically, our data, the leases to the buildings where we work and the return of our endowment," says Francesca Zambello, artistic director of the WNO. The good news, Zambello tells Washingtonian, is that after some initial hurdles, legal negotiations are "going well" to ensure transfer of the physical assets, plus leases for a scenery warehouse near Baltimore and a 50,000-square-foot studio plus costume storage space in Takoma Park. "That will become our main home," Zambello says. "That's all working out.""
"While long associated with the Kennedy Center's red-carpeted halls, WNO has also been an institution in Takoma Park for decades. Voices of rehearsing singers echo through halls of what otherwise looks like a pale brick office building on Willow Street. Employees and visiting artists are regulars at the neighborhood's coffee shops and restaurants. "We love Takoma Park," Zambello says, adding that she regrets not buying in the neighborhood when she stepped into the artistic director's role in 2012."
Washington National Opera is ending its affiliation with the Kennedy Center and negotiating custody of major assets, including a $30 million endowment, Takoma Park studios, a scenery warehouse near Baltimore, a large collection of sets, and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. Francesca Zambello says the company seeks its data, building leases, and return of the endowment, and reports that legal negotiations are progressing to transfer physical assets and leases. The Takoma Park studio and costume storage will become the company's main home. Extracting the endowment will require extensive legal work because of the 2011 affiliation agreement that transferred assets and liabilities to the Kennedy Center.
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