Oscar-winning Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz may never step inside the Kennedy Center despite his prior commitments due to Donald Trump’s rebrand. He announced he won’t be attending the Washington National Opera gala that was scheduled for May.
He said, “It no longer represents the apolitical place for free artistic expression it was founded to be.” Schwartz added there’s no way he will enter the Kennedy Center since Trump has plastered his name on it. He has been a huge part of the Kennedy Center for over five decades since he helped launch it.
Now Schwartz has stepped down from ever hosting at the venue. He was invited to host the gala before the name was changed, and after Trump took over the board, he did not get any updates about the gala.
Another reason to love Wicked. Stephen Schwartz canceled his Kennedy Center appearance rather than perform under tRump’s stench.
That’s what integrity looks like.
Take notes.
— ☆ Steve Levine ☆ (@SteveLevine1) January 2, 2026
The 77-year-old three-time Oscar-winning composer is now among several artists who have backed out of performing at Trump’s Kennedy Center. Although Trump’s board finalized the rebrand on Dec. 18, the decision had reportedly been made months earlier.
Despite lacking the legal authority to change the name, the administration acted to add Trump’s name to the historic John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts. The administration changed the name without congressional approval.
Other artists have been dropping out of performances at the center since February. Issa Rae canceled her March performance after Trump became chair of the bipartisan board. Other artists, including Renée Fleming and Ben Folds, also resigned from their advisory positions.
Trump can slap his name on the building, but he can’t force artists to show up and clap.
The Trump-branded Kennedy Center is bleeding artists.
The Cookers, a veteran all-star jazz septet, just pulled their NYE shows. Chuck Redd’s annual Christmas Eve jazz concert is gone too.… pic.twitter.com/Tq9lXUAtXT
— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline) December 30, 2025
Drummer Chuck Redd went ahead and canceled the Christmas Eve Jazz Jam. As a response to the cancellation, Richard Grenell threatened to sue Redd with a $1 million lawsuit. All the cancellations have added to financial losses for the center. Even the television ratings have dropped, while people aren’t interested in buying tickets to the shows.
People have been reacting to the rebrand on social media. One X user posted, “Nobody wants to go there. The joy and specialness that was the Kennedy Center is just no longer there. How can one man ruin so much?” Another one added, “Until he is gone and the Kennedy Center vandalism is undone, no artists of consequence will perform there.”
