Wicked Composer Cancels Kennedy Center Performance Over Trump's Name Change

A Renowned Artist Suspends Participation for Ideological Reasons

Stephen Schwartz, the composer of the musical Wicked, has announced that he will not perform at the Kennedy Center following a vote by the institution's board to include the name of President Donald Trump in its designation. He stated that his presence there "has now become an ideological statement," adding, "As long as this remains the case, I will not appear."

In response to this situation, Richard Grenell, president of the Kennedy Center, claimed on platform X that reports of Schwartz withdrawing from a May gala are "completely false" and that the artist was never confirmed for the event. Schwartz, a winner of both Oscar and Grammy awards, is the latest artist to cancel an appearance at this cultural institution in reaction to recent changes.

The composer explained that at the end of 2024, he was invited by the artistic director of the Washington National Opera to participate in an event in May. Although he accepted the invitation, he had not heard back since February and assumed the event would not take place. Additionally, he was recently contacted by a reporter who asked if he would participate in the gala listed on the Kennedy Center's website, where his name had initially appeared but was later removed.

"The Kennedy Center was founded to be a non-political home for free artistic expression, for artists of all nationalities and ideologies," Schwartz emphasized. "It is no longer non-political, and appearing there has become an ideological statement."

Richard Grenell condemned these cancellations as a "form of distress syndrome." Two musical groups, The Cookers and Doug Varone and Dancers, have also recently canceled their appearances without mentioning Trump or the Kennedy Center, stating that the decision was made "very quickly."

The center was renamed in December after a board vote, in which Trump appointed one of his allies. The new signage appeared on the outside of the building the next day. This change stirred controversy, with many politicians and legal scholars arguing that since the center is named after a law from 1964, Congress should be involved in any alteration of its name.