Sri Lanka, Jan. 4 -- The composer of the musical Wicked has said he will not appear at the Kennedy Center after its board voted to include US President Donald Trump's name in the name of the venue.

Stephen Schwartz said in a statement that appearing at the centre "has now become an ideological statement", adding: "As long as that remains the case, I will not appear there."

But Richard Grenell, the center's president, wrote on X that the reports of him pulling out of a gala in May were "totally bogus" and that he had never been signed to attend.

The Oscar and Grammy-award winning composer is the latest artist to say they will no longer appear at the national cultural institution over the recent changes.

Schwartz told the BBC that at th...