Overview
- Stephen Schwartz said he will not appear at the venue or host the Washington National Opera Gala, stating the center no longer represents an apolitical home for free artistic expression.
- Kennedy Center officials deny he was confirmed, but a website listing had promoted a gala “featuring Stephen Schwartz” before references to him were altered or removed.
- The reconstituted board voted in December to add President Trump’s name and updated branding and signage, drawing a federal challenge over the board’s authority under the center’s founding statute.
- A widening roster of cancellations includes the producers of Hamilton, Issa Rae, jazz group The Cookers, Doug Varone and Dancers, Chuck Redd, Wayne Tucker, and Kristy Lee.
- Leadership has threatened legal action over withdrawals, demanding $1 million from Chuck Redd, as reports cite falling ticket sales and the Kennedy Center Honors’ lowest TV viewership on record.