Acclaimed Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz has pulled out of a scheduled performance at the Kennedy Center following its controversial renaming in honour of former President Donald Trump.
The 77-year-old Oscar and Grammy winner was set to appear at a May gala with the Washington National Opera. However, Schwartz has confirmed he will no longer participate, stating the renaming of the centre has made it a political institution — something he refuses to support.
“The Kennedy Center was founded to be an apolitical home for artists of all nationalities and all ideologies,” Schwartz said in a statement.
“It is no longer apolitical, and appearing there has become an ideological statement. As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there.”
The Kennedy Center, originally named after President John F. Kennedy, is the national cultural centre of the United States. But in December 2025, the centre’s board voted unanimously to rename it the Trump-Kennedy Center — a decision that has sparked ongoing backlash.
Controversy Surrounds “Unanimous” Vote
While the board claimed the vote was unanimous, Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty challenged that narrative, saying she was muted during the call and unable to register her opposition to the renaming.
The decision to rebrand the Kennedy Center as the Trump-Kennedy Center was seen by critics as an overt political move — particularly given Trump’s fraught relationship with the arts community and his history of labelling certain performers as “too woke”.
Schwartz Unaware He Was Still Involved
Speaking to the BBC, Schwartz revealed that after being invited to take part in the event at the end of 2024, he received little follow-up communication and assumed the gala was no longer proceeding. He only became aware of his inclusion after being contacted by a journalist, prompting him to withdraw.
Meanwhile, Kennedy Center president and outspoken Trump ally Richard Grenell denied that Schwartz was ever formally confirmed for the event, calling the reports “totally bogus” and claiming no direct contact had been made.
“He was never signed and I’ve never had a single conversation on him since arriving,” Grenell wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “He himself said last February he hadn’t heard anything on it.”
Artists Boycott Amid Declining Ticket Sales
Schwartz joins a growing list of artists withdrawing from the Kennedy Center since the rebranding, including the Hamilton musical, actor Issa Rae, jazz band The Cookers, and long-time holiday performer Chuck Redd, who cancelled his Christmas show for the first time since 2006.
The backlash coincides with plummeting ticket sales. According to The Washington Post, the centre has seen its worst performance sales since the pandemic. From 3 September to 19 October 2025, 43 per cent of seats went unsold, compared to only 7 per cent during the same period the previous year.
The controversy and dwindling audience numbers suggest the Kennedy Center’s new identity is being met with widespread resistance — both from the public and the artistic community it was built to support.
