Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz Website

Renowned composer Stephen Schwartz is the latest high-profile figure to back out of scheduled performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which was renamed controversially to include the name of President Donald Trump. But the issue surrounding the center has only grown worse.

Broadway star Schwartz, whose credits include Godspell and Wicked, announced that he would be stepping down as presenter of the Washington National Opera (WNO) gala at the facility in May, citing objection to the renaming as his reason.

Schwartz, known for Broadway hits including Wicked and Godspell, confirmed he will no longer host the Washington National Opera (WNO) gala at the center in May, citing opposition to the renaming. In a statement to Newsday, he said: 'It no longer represents the apolitical place for free artistic expression it was founded to be. There's no way I would set foot in it now.'

After a flurry of artist and company boycotts and resignations following the addition of Trump's name to the Kennedy Center façade on 19 December 2025, Schwartz's cancellation came as no surprise.

Center's President Frames Backlash as Political

Schwartz's withdrawal led to a confusion when Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell said in an X post that Schwartz had not been officially selected to host the event. 'He was never signed and I've never had a single conversation on him since arriving,' the post read.

However, Schwartz's participation and planning for the concert were verified by the WNO. The opera company's artistic director, Francesca Zambello, told The Washington Post: 'The WNO had an email agreement with him regarding his participation and planning for the event. We respect his personal decision.'

Grenell had previously responded to the growing number of cancellations, claiming that they are politically motivated. On a separate X post on 30 December 2025, he claimed the withdrawing artists had been booked under what he described as a far-left leadership that prioritised political activism over inclusivity. He added: 'Boycotting the Arts to show you support the Arts is a form of derangement syndrome.'

Growing List of Cancelled Shows

Schwartz has joined an increasing number of artists who have decided not to perform at the Kennedy Center.

Chuck Redd, a jazz drummer, cancelled his usual Christmas Eve performance, and The Cookers, a jazz supergroup, cancelled two shows scheduled for New Year's Eve. Kristy Lee, a folk performer, also decided to skip her 14 January appearance on the Millennium Stage in favour of a Facebook Live performance.

Other notable cancellations include the following:

  • Jazz trumpeter Wayne Tucker
  • Brentano Quartet with violist Hsin-Yun Huang
  • Folk duo Magpie
  • New York-based dance company Doug Varone and Dancers.

Some voiced worry that the Kennedy Center had become too politically involved and had lost its reputation as an unbiased cultural institution. Some artists have gone so far as to demand that the institution be boycotted in the hopes that it would once again become a place that values diversity in art and freedom of expression.

Trump's Takeover and the Kennedy Center Controversy

Cancellations began when Trump appointed Richard Grenell as executive director of the Kennedy Center and established a new board of directors in early 2025. The board's choice to add Trump's name to the center's façade alongside John F. Kennedy's has been met with both partisan and legal objections. Democratic lawmakers, including Ohio Representative Joyce Beatty, have sued to have the name changed back.

Meanwhile, there have been reports of falling ticket sales and audience participation due to the increasing number of boycotts. Hamilton performances, a show by comedian Issa Rae, and a Grammy-winning singer Rhiannon Giddens concert were among the many 2026 scheduled activities that were either rescheduled or cancelled.

The cultural building was formally established as a memorial to John F. Kennedy in 1964 by a federal legislation that forbids any change to its name without the consent of Congress.

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