Stephen Schwartz Kennedy Center Cancellation: "No Way I Would Set Foot in It" Under Trump Rebrand

Would you step foot in a national memorial rebranded by a sitting president? For legendary Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, the answer is a definitive no. On January 2, 2026, Schwartz announced he is backing out of a planned event at the Kennedy Center following Donald Trump's controversial move to add his own name to the historic venue.

The Politics Behind the Stephen Schwartz Kennedy Center Cancellation

Schwartz told Newsday in an email that the center "no longer represents the apolitical place for free artistic expression it was founded to be." He was originally slated to host the Washington National Opera Gala on May 16. The backlash stems from the Trump administration's decision to erect text bearing the president's name alongside John F. Kennedy's on the exterior of the memorial. This move has already triggered a lawsuit from Representative Joyce Beatty, who argues that law prohibits the center from serving as a memorial for anyone other than JFK.

In a conflicting statement, Kennedy Center official Roma Daravi claimed that Schwartz was "never discussed nor confirmed" for the event under the current leadership. However, Entertainment Weekly (EW) reported that the center’s own website had previously listed a page for the "Washington National Opera Gala: Featuring Stephen Schwartz" before it was abruptly scrubbed after journalists reached out for comment.

A Growing Wave of Artistic Defiance

Schwartz isn't the first to walk away. Musician Chuck Redd recently canceled his Christmas Eve jazz concert—a tradition of 20 years—citing the name change as his primary reason. The jazz group The Cookers also withdrew from a New Year's Eve performance. Even Kerry Kennedy, niece of the late president, has publicly vowed to remove Trump's name once his second term concludes, highlighting the deep divide between the administration and the artistic community.