‘Wicked’ composer walks away from Kennedy Center: Here’s why
Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz has withdrawn from a Kennedy Center event citing Donald Trump’s takeover of the venue as the reason.
Schwartz, one of Broadway’s most influential composers, has announced that he will no longer participate in a planned Kennedy Center program in Washington, D.C.
In an email statement to Newsday, Schwartz explained that he could not ‘set foot in’ the Kennedy Center under Trump’s leadership.
He believes the venue’s association with President Donald Trump compromises the institution’s original mission.
He emphasized that the venue was founded to be an apolitical home for artists of all backgrounds and ideologies, but that its recent changes have turned appearances there into ideological statements.
Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi told Entertainment Weekly on Friday that “Stephen Schwartz was never discussed nor confirmed and never had a contract with the current Trump Kennedy Center leadership” to headline the event.
Yet prior to that statement, the outlet had reviewed a Kennedy Center webpage promoting a program titled Washington National Opera Gala: Featuring Stephen Schwartz, scheduled for May 16.
Shortly after the outlet requested comment, the listing was updated to remove Schwartz’s name.
The Kennedy Center board’s decision to attach Trump’s name to the venue has sparked backlash across the arts community.
Just a week back, musician Chuck Redd canceled his long‑running Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center, a tradition that had spanned two decades.
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” said the drummer and vibraphonist behind the annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam in a statement to the Associated Press.
