Overview
- The Wicked composer said the venue is no longer an apolitical home for free expression and that he would not set foot in it, withdrawing from a May 16 Washington National Opera Gala he was invited to join before the leadership change.
- Kennedy Center officials disputed that Schwartz was confirmed, with public relations vice president Roma Daravi saying he never had a contract and president Richard Grenell calling reports of his involvement bogus.
- Multiple outlets documented that the center’s website listed a gala "featuring Stephen Schwartz" with tickets available before references to him were later altered or removed following press inquiries.
- Artist cancellations continue to mount, including Chuck Redd’s Christmas Eve Jazz Jam, The Cookers’ New Year’s Eve shows, and Doug Varone and Dancers’ April dates, and Grenell threatened $1 million in damages against Redd over his cancellation.
- The renaming is being challenged in federal court by Rep. Joyce Beatty, who argues only Congress can change the memorial’s name, as signage and online branding already reflect the Trump-Kennedy Center and reports cite audience and revenue strain.