Stephen Schwartz, the celebrated composer of Wicked, announced he will no longer perform at the Kennedy Center after its board voted to incorporate President Donald Trump’s name into the institution’s title.
In a public statement, Schwartz argued that performing at the venue “has now become an ideological statement” and declared, “As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there.”
His decision was swiftly disputed by the center’s president, Richard Grenell, who called reports that Schwartz had pulled out of a May gala “totally bogus” on X, asserting the composer had never been formally scheduled to attend.
Schwartz, an Oscar and Grammy winner, is the latest in a string of prominent artists to boycott the Kennedy Center in protest of the politically charged renaming.
By James Kisoo
