Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz has vowed not to appear at the Kennedy Center after its renaming and takeover by President Donald Trump.
In a statement, Schwartz, who notes he was part of the opening event at the Kennedy Center, said the institution is “no longer apolitical” and that he will not appear there, “as long as that remains the case.” The composer told The New York Times that he had been asked to host a gala event for the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center in May.
“I was part of the event that opened the Kennedy Center in 1971, the Bernstein Mass. The Kennedy Center was founded to be an apolitical home for free expression for artists of all nationalities and ideologies. It is no longer apolitical, and appearing there now has become a kind of ideological statement. As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there,” Schwartz said in a statement.
Schwartz, who also penned new songs for the Wicked films, as well as the stage shows Pippin and Godspell, did note that he had last spoken to the opera about hosting the gala about a year ago. Last February, Trump named himself as chair of the cultural institution and fired some board members, with others resigning. In December, the board, appointed by Trump, voted to change the name to the Trump Kennedy Center. His name was added to the front of the building shortly thereafter.
While the Times reported that Schwartz’s name has been advertised in connection with the event and was the host per the National Opera, Richard Grenell, the president of the Kennedy Center, disputed that he was still the intended host. In a post on X, he called the reports “bogus” and said that Schwartz “was never signed and I’ve never had a single conversation on him since arriving.”
