A significant cultural protest is unfolding at Washington’s premier performing arts venue as renowned composer Stephen Schwartz publicly withdraws from participation following the Kennedy Center’s controversial decision to incorporate former President Donald Trump’s name into its official title. The Oscar and Grammy-winning creator of the musical ‘Wicked’ declared his position through an official statement, emphasizing that performing at the institution now constitutes an ideological stance he cannot endorse.
The controversy emerged when the center’s board, predominantly composed of Trump appointees, voted to redesignate the venue as ‘The Donald J Trump and the John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.’ This administrative change prompted immediate backlash from the artistic community, with Schwartz becoming the latest prominent figure to distance himself from the institution.
Schwartz revealed to BBC that while he had initially agreed to participate in a May gala event upon invitation from the Washington National Opera’s artistic director in late 2024, communication had ceased since February 2025. He learned about the event’s scheduling through media inquiries rather than official channels, discovering his name had been listed without his confirmed participation.
Center President Richard Grenell contested Schwartz’s account on social media platform X, denouncing reports as ‘totally bogus’ and asserting that no formal agreement existed with the composer. Grenell criticized what he termed ‘woke high school reporters’ for propagating what he characterized as misinformation.
The composer’s withdrawal follows similar actions by other performing artists. The Cookers jazz ensemble canceled their scheduled New Year’s Eve performances, while Doug Varone and Dancers revoked their April shows explicitly citing the name change as their reason. Earlier, percussionist Chuck Redd terminated his annual Christmas Eve performance tradition dating back to 2006.
Grenell responded to the cancellations by labeling them ‘a form of derangement syndrome’ and threatened legal action seeking substantial financial damages against withdrawing artists, including a specific $1 million claim against one performer.
The renaming decision has sparked constitutional debates, with legal scholars and US lawmakers noting that the center’s original 1964 naming occurred through congressional legislation, potentially requiring legislative approval for any official name change. Members of the Kennedy family have voiced strong opposition, with Joe Kennedy III—former Congressman and presidential grandnephew—comparing the action to attempting to rename the Lincoln Memorial, emphasizing its status as a federally designated memorial to his assassinated relative.