Wicked Composer Stephen Schwartz has pulled out of an event at the Kennedy Center, citing Donald Trump’s takeover of the venue as the reason.
Schwartz, one of Broadway’s most influential composers, has announced that he will no longer participate in a planned program at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.
In an emailed statement to News daySchwartz explained that he could not “set foot” in the Kennedy Center under Trump’s leadership.
He believes the venue’s association with President Donald Trump compromises the institution’s original mission.
He pointed out that the venue was founded to be an apolitical home for artists of all backgrounds and ideologies, but that its recent changes have turned appearances there into ideological statements.
Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi said Weekly Entertainment As of Friday, “Stephen Schwartz has never been discussed or confirmed and never had a contract with the current management of the Trump Kennedy Center” to headline the event.
However, prior to this statement, the outlet had reviewed a Kennedy Center web page promoting a program called Washington National Opera Gala: Featuring Stephen Schwartz, scheduled for May 16.
Shortly after the outlet requested comment, the list was updated to remove Schwartz’s name.
The Kennedy Center board’s decision to attach Trump’s name to the venue sparked backlash in the arts community.
Just a week ago, musician Chuck Redd canceled his Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center, a tradition that had lasted for two decades.
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website, and then a few hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” the drummer and vibraphonist behind the annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam said in a statement to the Associated Press.
