Today, Lincoln Center Theater announced that incoming Artistic Director Lear deBessonet’s inaugural season will open with a new production of her acclaimed New York City Center Gala revival of RAGTIME, starring Tony® nominee Joshua Henry (deBessonet’s Into the Woods, Carousel), Olivier® and Grammy® nominee Caissie Levy (Hair, Frozen), and Tony Award-winner Brandon Uranowitz (Leopoldstadt, LCT’s Falsettos).
RAGTIME will begin previews on Friday, September 26, and open on Thursday, October 16 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street) and will play a limited engagement of 14 weeks only through Sunday, January 4, 2026. Tickets to RAGTIME will be available to members beginning Tuesday, May 13 at 10am ET. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, May 28 at 12pm ET.
As previously announced, the 41st season at Lincoln Center Theater will be under the leadership of a new executive team, consisting of Artistic Director Lear deBessonet, Managing Director Mike Schleifer, Executive Producer Bartlett Sher, Producer Nicole Kastrinos, Executive Director of Development & Planning Naomi Grabel, and LCT3 Artistic Director & Producer Maria Manuela Goyanes.
RAGTIME is a sweeping musical adaption of E.L. Doctorow’s novel that follows three fictional families in pursuit of the American Dream at the dawn of the 20th Century: Black pianist Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (Joshua Henry) and his beloved Sarah, Jewish immigrant Tateh (Brandon Uranowitz) and his little girl, and a wealthy white family led by matriarch Mother (Caissie Levy). All grasping for the same dream, if only they can hold onto it.
Featuring a lush score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, a stirring book by Terrence McNally, and original orchestrations by William David Brohn, all of whom won Tony Awards for their work, RAGTIME weaves fictional narratives with real historical figures and events, creating a rich tapestry that blurs the line between personal struggle and national identity, making history feel both intimate and epic.
LCT Artistic Director Lear deBessonet (Tony-nominated for her celebrated 2022 revival of Into the Woods) directs a new production, envisioned for the grand Vivian Beaumont stage. “RAGTIME feels like the perfect way to begin my tenure as Artistic Director of this very sacred place,” said deBessonet. “As we celebrate the legacy of LCT and the level of art that has been achieved over the last four decades, it is important for us to continue to be inspired by the sublime possibilities of theater through stories that demand to be told. Such a story is RAGTIME.”
RAGTIME is produced by Lincoln Center Theater in association with Tom Kirdahy, Kevin Ryan, and Robert Greenblatt. Complete cast and creative team for RAGTIME will be announced soon.