The composer of the musical Wicked has stated he will not appear at the Kennedy Center after its board voted to include US President Donald Trump's name in the name of the venue. Stephen Schwartz said in a statement that appearing at the center 'has now become an ideological statement', adding: 'As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there.' However, Richard Grenell, the center's president, wrote on X that reports of him pulling out of a gala in May were 'totally bogus' and that he had never been signed to attend.
The Oscar and Grammy-award winning composer is the latest artist to say they will no longer appear at the national cultural institution over the recent changes. Schwartz told the BBC that at the end of 2024 he was asked by the artistic director of the Washington National Opera to participate in the May event with them, which he initially agreed to. However, he reported receiving little communication since last February and assumed it was no longer taking place after being contacted by a reporter about his participation in the now-announced gala.
Despite being initially listed on the center's website for the gala, his name was removed shortly after the reports surfaced. Schwartz remarked, 'The Kennedy Center was founded to be an apolitical home for free artistic expression for artists of all nationalities and ideologies. It is no longer apolitical, and appearing there has now become an ideological statement. As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there.'
In response, Grenell dismissed Schwartz's claims, labeling them as misinformation and emphasizing that Schwartz had never been part of any confirmed lineup since his arrival.
Additionally, two other musical acts also cancelled their appearances at the center, contributing to an increasing trend of artists distancing themselves from the venue due to its renaming after Trump. Grenell has criticized these cancellations as expressions of 'derangement syndrome' fueled by political motives, and even threatened legal action for damages against artists withdrawing from performances. The Kennedy Center, which Trump had filled with loyalists, officially renamed itself the Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, a move which has attracted a significant amount of backlash.
The Oscar and Grammy-award winning composer is the latest artist to say they will no longer appear at the national cultural institution over the recent changes. Schwartz told the BBC that at the end of 2024 he was asked by the artistic director of the Washington National Opera to participate in the May event with them, which he initially agreed to. However, he reported receiving little communication since last February and assumed it was no longer taking place after being contacted by a reporter about his participation in the now-announced gala.
Despite being initially listed on the center's website for the gala, his name was removed shortly after the reports surfaced. Schwartz remarked, 'The Kennedy Center was founded to be an apolitical home for free artistic expression for artists of all nationalities and ideologies. It is no longer apolitical, and appearing there has now become an ideological statement. As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there.'
In response, Grenell dismissed Schwartz's claims, labeling them as misinformation and emphasizing that Schwartz had never been part of any confirmed lineup since his arrival.
Additionally, two other musical acts also cancelled their appearances at the center, contributing to an increasing trend of artists distancing themselves from the venue due to its renaming after Trump. Grenell has criticized these cancellations as expressions of 'derangement syndrome' fueled by political motives, and even threatened legal action for damages against artists withdrawing from performances. The Kennedy Center, which Trump had filled with loyalists, officially renamed itself the Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, a move which has attracted a significant amount of backlash.
