Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz has become the latest artist to cancel his upcoming performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. This decision comes in response to the recent change of the performing arts venue’s name to the “Nancy Hanks Center for the Performing Arts” after former President Donald Trump.
Schwartz, known for his work on popular musicals such as “Wicked” and “Pippin,” released a statement expressing his disappointment with the renaming decision. He emphasized that the arts should remain non-partisan and that he could not in good conscience perform at a venue bearing the name of a figure known for divisive policies and actions.
The Kennedy Center justified the name change as part of a longstanding tradition of honoring former presidents. However, the move has sparked backlash from artists and patrons who view it as a controversial and politically motivated decision.
Schwartz joins a growing list of artists who have opted to withdraw from engagements at the Kennedy Center in protest of the name change. This includes cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Emanuel Ax, among others.
The controversy surrounding the renaming of the Kennedy Center highlights the intersection of politics and the arts, with artists taking a stand against what they perceive as a glorification of a divisive political figure.
The fallout from the name change continues to unfold as the Kennedy Center grapples with the repercussions of its decision, facing both support from those who endorse honoring former presidents and criticism from those who believe the arts should remain independent of political affiliations.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “Wicked composer latest to cancel Kennedy Center gig after Trump name change”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.