The Kennedy Middle is disputing reports that Depraved composer Stephen Schwartz has withdrawn as host of the Washington Nationwide Opera Gala, saying he was by no means booked for the Could sixteenth occasion — though tickets itemizing Schwartz’s identify have been accessible on the Kennedy Middle’s web site by Friday afternoon.
In an electronic mail to Newsday, Schwartz stated the Kennedy Middle “not represents the apolitical place free of charge inventive expression it was based to be,” including, There’s no manner I’d set foot in it now.”
“Final 12 months, manner earlier than the change of Board and identify of the Kennedy Middle, I used to be invited by (director) Francesca Zambello to be a part of a Washington Nationwide Opera occasion on Could 16, 2026,” Schwartz stated in his electronic mail to Newsday. “However I’ve heard nothing about it since February 2025, so I’ve assumed it’s not occurring. I can’t think about Francesca persevering with beneath the present circumstances. Whether it is occurring, after all I cannot be a part of it.”
Associated Video
For its half, the Kennedy Middle disputes that Schwartz was ever booked for the occasion by present management. “Stephen Schwartz was by no means mentioned nor confirmed and by no means had a contract beneath present Trump Kennedy Middle management,” Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Middle’s vice chairman of public relations, stated in a press release to Rolling Stone. “Schwartz stated himself that he ‘heard nothing about it since February 2025…assumed it’s not occurring.’ It’s utterly false to report in any other case.”
Kennedy Middle president Ric Grenell went additional in dismissing the reviews, calling them “bogus” in a social media post. “He was by no means signed, and I’ve by no means had a single dialog about him since arriving,” Grenell wrote. “He himself stated final February he hadn’t heard something it.”
It unclear then why tickets for the Washington Nationwide Opera Gala — itemizing Schwartz as host — have been accessible on the Kennedy Middle’s web site till round 3:00 p.m. native time on Friday. His identify has since been eliminated. Consequence has reached out to the Kennedy Middle for clarification.
Whether or not or not Schwartz was ever booked on the Kennedy Middle — and due to this fact did or didn’t really cancel a scheduled look — loads of different artists have executed so: Rhiannon Giddens, Ben Folds, Renée Fleming, a touring manufacturing of Hamilton, Christmas act Chuck Redd, and New 12 months’s eve performers The Cookers are among the many quite a few acts who’ve canceled appearances on the Kennedy Middle in mild of Trump’s takeover.
