The Kennedy Center’s Opera House was bustling with activity on Friday night as a full house gathered for a much-anticipated performance, dispelling worries about dwindling ticket sales amid recent leadership changes and plans to rename the theater in honor of First Lady Melania Trump.

The premiere of Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” played to a packed audience, a notable achievement given previous concerns about decreasing attendance and uncertainty surrounding the Washington National Opera’s future at the esteemed venue.

In a statement distributed by the Kennedy Center to the Daily Mail, Andy Pharoah, President of the Washington National Opera’s Board of Trustees, reassured patrons: “The company has no intention of leaving the Kennedy Center, and we are proud to remain a vital component of America’s cultural hub as we celebrate our 70th season.”

The Kennedy Center, a prominent fixture in Washington, D.C.’s cultural landscape, has recently become a focal point of political discourse. The changes in its leadership and strategic direction have sparked diverse reactions among the city’s arts community.

During his second term, the President has aimed to reshape Washington’s leading arts institution according to his vision, a move first signaled by his decision to dismiss the entire board in his initial month in office.

Subsequently, President Trump assumed the role of board chairman and appointed Ric Grenell, Special Presidential Envoy, as the acting president and executive director of the Kennedy Center.

The first couple, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, both attended a showing of ‘Les Misérables’ at the iconic venue in early June.

These changes have coincided with an increased emphasis on presenting classical performances, some of which have experienced high demand and sold-out audiences.

The Kennedy Center is presently home to the WNO as well as the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), which also performed to a sold-out crowd for their season opener at the end of September.

Despite narratives of declining ticket sales and questions about WNO’s relationship with the Kennedy Center, the packed debut of ‘Figaro’ challenged these concerns.

Some have even called for boycotts of the venue in the Trump era from both performers and audiences. 

However, Washingtonians of all stripes, decked out in everything from glittering gowns and full tuxedos to cashmere quarter zip sweaters and Lululemon trousers, came together to support the talented creatives on stage, as well as the dozens of staff who help run the capital’s premier arts and entertainment venue.

Although Friday’s debut did not feature a red carpet, President Donald and First Lady Melania Trump have walked on the Center’s previous red carpets, as have other key cabinet members and A-list guests.

The president and first lady, as well as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Cheryl Hines, were among the notable attendees at the premiere of Les Misérables in June.

The musical’s entire five-week run was sold out, generating ‘135% of planned revenue’ and welcoming ‘over 85,000 patrons’ per a Kennedy Center press release shared this past summer.

The NSO’s gala opening was attended by media personality and celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary, as well as Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, who chaired the gala dinner.

Prior to Congress’s August Recess, an amendment was made to a funding legislation that contains line items to fund the Kennedy Center, proposing to rename the opera house after First Lady Melania Trump, who serves as the Honorary Chair of the Center’s Board of Trustees.

The move was spurred by Republican Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho, who is Chairman of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee.

‘Naming a theater after her is an excellent way to recognize her appreciation for the arts,’ said Rep. Simpson at the time.

‘As Chairman of the House Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee – which oversees federal funding for capital repairs and operations and maintenance at the Kennedy Center – I am proud to honor her support and commitment in promoting the arts and humanities.’

Congressman Greg Casar, a progressive Democrat from Texas, criticized the proposed theater renaming, arguing it reflects Republican priorities that he views as misplaced in the context of national cultural discussions.

The move has also been ridiculed by members of the Kennedy family.

Maria Shriver, the daughter of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, said the idea of renaming the iconic cultural center makes her ‘blood boil.’

‘This is insane. It makes my blood boil. It’s so ridiculous, so petty, so small minded. Truly, what is this about? It’s always about something. “Let’s get rid of the Rose Garden. Let’s rename the Kennedy Center.” What’s next?,’ she wrote on social media.

Shriver, the former first lady of California, is the niece of President John F. Kennedy, for whom the center is named.

Other Kennedy family members had a similar reaction.

Jack Schlossberg, the former president’s lone grandson, raged about the matter on Instagram, writing: ‘Plain reading of the statute makes clear – You cant do that.’

Schlossberg has recently announced his own entry into electoral politics, sharing that he is running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which is being vacated by retiring longtime Democrat Jerry Nadler.