Stephen Schwartz Pulls ‘Wicked’ Score from Kennedy Center After Name Change Sparks Ideological Rift

‘Wicked’ Silenced: Schwartz Walks

Stephen Schwartz, the Tony-winning composer behind Wicked, Godspell and Pippin, stunned Washington’s arts world Monday night by yanking his entire catalogue from the Kennedy Center—effective immediately. The move came hours after the Center’s board quietly dropped “Kennedy” from its name, rebranding the riverside complex the “National Center for the Performing Arts.”

The Rebrand That Rocked the River

Insiders say the board’s 11-to-4 vote was framed as a bid for “institutional neutrality,” but the accompanying press release—praising “a post-political era in American culture”—landed like a grenade. Within minutes, #KennedyCenter began trending alongside accusations that the venue was erasing the legacy of a Democratic icon to appease conservative donors.

“Art is not neutral,” Schwartz told NPR’s All Things Considered. “If the building no longer carries President Kennedy’s name, I no longer carry my music inside it.”

From Gala to Ghost Light

The timing could not be worse for the Center. Friday’s gala—meant to showcase the National Symphony Orchestra’s season-long Wicked in Concert series—was set to feature Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth reprising their original roles. Ticketholders received cancellation emails at 2:07 a.m. Tuesday; refunds will take six to eight weeks, the Center says.

Boardroom Blowback

Chairman Daphne Caldwell, a former telecom exec appointed last spring, defended the rebrand in a tense Zoom call with donors: “We are not erasing history; we are transcending it.” But a leaked recording captures board member Joyce Abell shouting, “We just turned a $270 million season into a pumpkin.”

• Corporate sponsors Marriott and Boeing are reviewing commitments.
• The NSO musicians’ union has filed an unfair-labor practice, claiming breach of contract.
• DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is “exploring legal options” to restore the Kennedy name, citing a 1972 congressional charter.

Artists Choose Sides

By dusk Tuesday, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Audra McDonald and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater had posted cobalt-blue squares on Instagram with the hashtag #NameItKennedy. Meanwhile, a smaller cohort—country star John Rich and comedian Rob Schneider—praised the Center for “ditching political branding.”

The fight feels personal in Washington. Ushers tearfully compared notes in the grand foyer; one 34-year employee clutched a 1971 program autographed by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. “She told me art was the last honest place in America,” he said, refusing to give his name. “Guess we’re not anymore.”

What Happens Next

The Center’s lawyers argue the charter allows name changes with board approval, but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed to attach an amendment to the upcoming appropriations bill stripping the venue of its $40 million federal subsidy if “Kennedy” is not restored. With Congress back in session next week, the fight is shifting from marquees to marble corridors.

As for Schwartz, he spent Wednesday morning rehearsing a stripped-down version of “Defying Gravity” at a Methodist church in Arlington. No chandeliers, no river view—just a piano and a conviction. “If they won’t say his name,” he shrugged, “we’ll sing it.”