Broadway composer Stephen Schwartz has lashed out at North Carolina after the state passed a law that allows for the discrimination of the LGBTQ community for "faith-based" reasons.

 

He said that the show Wicked will not be allowed to take stage in North Carolina. Schwartz added that he will also withhold permissions for Godspell and Pippin.

 

"I feel that it is very important that any state that passes such a law suffer economic and cultural consequences, partly because it is deserved and partly to discourage other states from following suit," explained Schwartz.

 

He added that he hopes others will follow his example.

 

“If you are in agreement, you may want to join me in refusing to license our properties to, or permit productions of our work by, theaters and organizations in North Carolina until this heinous legislation is repealed,” he said.

 

Mitchel Sommers, executive director for the Community Theatre of Greensboro (CTG), feared the boycott could lead to “a theatrical disaster.”

 

“CTG’s bread and butter is its shows, which all must get royalty permission from their owners in order to be produced,” Sommers said. “If Stephen Schwartz’s ban on NC theaters producing his work is mirrored by his other Broadway colleagues, which is inevitable, what are we going to put on?”

 

Jamie Lawson, the artistic director for the Theatre Alliance in Winston-Salem, said that Schwartz' decision would hurt the wrong people.

 

“If your suggested boycott occurs, it will likely put our nonprofit theater company of 32 years… out of business,” he wrote on Facebook. “From a 45-year-old gay man who grew up in a rural town and turned to theater in the darkest hour, I would hate to see the whole state go dark because of a few bigoted individuals who care nothing about a theatrical boycott, anyway. You wouldn’t be hurting them; you would be hurting us… your supporters.”

 

Political bigots only seem to "soften" their position when their state's pocketbooks are hit and hit hard. A boycott by theater, film and corporations will help send the message, though hints from Wahington that millions in federal transfers may be in jeopardy is more likely to have the intended effect.