Stephen Schwartz, the Oscar-winning composer and lyricist best known for Broadway hits including Wicked, Godspell and Pippin, has publicly announced he will withdraw from any involvement with the Kennedy Center following its controversial takeover and renaming under former President Donald Trump. Schwartz, 77, told Newsday in a statement that the institution “no longer represents the apolitical place for free artistic expression it was founded to be” and said “there’s no way I would set foot in it now.” His comments came as he dissociated himself from hosting the Washington National Opera Gala, an event listed on the Kennedy Center’s calendar for May 16, 2026, which he said he assumed was no longer happening after hearing nothing about it since February 2025.
Schwartz’s announcement adds to a growing wave of artists, performers and groups declining to participate in events at the renamed “Trump-Kennedy Center,” a decision made late last year by a Trump-appointed board of trustees that has sparked widespread backlash. Numerous cancellations have followed the renaming—by critics alleging the change violates federal law governing the center—and include artists such as jazz ensemble The Cookers and dance company Doug Varone and Dancers, among others.
In response to the reports of Schwartz’s withdrawal, Kennedy Center leadership has disputed that he was ever formally booked under the current administration, with the center’s vice president of public relations stating he was neither discussed nor contracted by the current leadership. Meanwhile, tickets originally listing Schwartz as host remained available on the Kennedy Center’s website until his name was later removed.
Schwartz’s stance reflects deepening tensions between many in the arts community and the Kennedy Center’s leadership amid concerns about politicization of the storied Washington institution, originally established as an apolitical venue dedicated to artistic freedom.
