Wicked composer latest to cancel Kennedy Center gig after...

What’s Happening

Here’s the thing: Stephen Schwartz says he will not appear at the arts venue as it “has now become an ideological statement”.

Wicked composer latest to cancel Kennedy Center gig after Trump name change 15 hours ago Save Noor Nanji Culture correspondent Save The composer of the musical Wicked has dropped he will not appear at the Kennedy Center after its board voted to include US President Donald Trumps name in the name of the venue. Stephen Schwartz dropped in a statement that appearing at the centre “has now become an ideological statement”, adding: “As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there. (let that sink in)

” But Richard Grenell, the centers president, wrote on X that the reports of him pulling out of a gala in May were “totally bogus” and that he had never been signed to attend.

The Details

The Oscar and Grammy-award winning composer is the latest artist to say they will no longer appear at the national cultural institution over the recent changes. Schwartz told the BBC that at the end of 2024 he was asked director of the Washington National Opera to participate in the May event with them.

He dropped that he had agreed, but that he had received little communication since last February and assumed it was no longer taking place. The composer broke down that, on Thursday, he was contacted by a reporter saying that the gala was just dropped on the Kennedy Center schedule and asking if he would be participating.

Why This Matters

He had been listed on the centres site as appearing in the gala, but this was removed from the site on Friday afternoon, according to CNN . “The Kennedy Center was founded to be an apolitical home for free artistic expression for artists of all nationalities and ideologies,” Schwartz, 77, dropped. “It is no longer apolitical, and appearing there has now become an ideological statement.

The entertainment world moves fast, and this is a prime example.

Key Takeaways

• As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there.
• ” But Mr Grennell hit back: “The Stephen Schwartz reports are totally bogus.
• Shame on the woke high school reporters repeating it.
• “He was never signed and Ive never had a single conversation on him since arriving.

The Bottom Line

Shame on the woke high school reporters repeating it. “He was never signed and Ive never had a single conversation on him since arriving.

Is this a W or an L? You decide.