Lincoln Center Theater (Lear deBessonet, Kewsong Lee Artistic Director) announced today its 2026-2027 Season – a schedule of productions in the Vivian Beaumont, Mitzi E. Newhouse, and Claire Tow Theaters, – along with a variety of programming and special events. The upcoming season is the second under the leadership of Kewsong Lee Artistic Director Lear deBessonet, Managing Director Mike Schleifer, Executive Producer Bartlett Sher, Stacey and Eric Mindich Producer Nicole Kastrinos, Executive Director of Development and Planning Naomi Grabel, and LCT3 Artistic Director and Producer Maria Manuela Goyanes.

DeBessonet commented, “Our second season is rooted in a simple belief: people are hungry for meaningful shared experiences. We have curated a collection of shows that invite connection and conversation with the world around us. We want audiences to feel the hum of occasion and the promise of care from the moment they arrive at LCT. We hope these productions leave audiences with a deeper sense of truth, a renewed capacity for wonder, and a fuller connection to the heart of our shared humanity."

2025-2026 marked the first full season of Lear deBessonet’s tenure as the Kewsong Lee Artistic Director, and was a landmark year for Lincoln Center Theater. At the Vivian Beaumont Theater, the critically-acclaimed smash hit Ragtime has played to sold out houses since performances began on September 26, 2025, and has been extended twice by popular demand and will play its final performance on August 16, 2026. The production broke box office records and received the most Award nominations of the season, winning four 2026 Tony Awards®, including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Joshua Henry), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Caissie Levy), and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Kai Harada), as well as the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League and New York Drama Critics Circle Awards. At the Mitzi E. Newhouse, the U.S. premiere of Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson’s Kyoto broke the house box office record twice. Amahl and the Night Visitors, LCT’s first holiday-themed family offering, provided an enriching Opera experience for hundreds of children and their families. The Lazour’s Night Side Songs at the Claire Tow Theater joined the ranks of the top 10 best selling shows in the Tow history. The Comedy Series and A Woman Among Women proudly brought first-time attendees to LCT. In all, the four productions – Ragtime, Kyoto, Amahl and the Night Visitors, and Night Side Songs - garnered a total of 56 award nominations.

The new season on Broadway (2026-2027) at the Vivian Beaumont Theater brings the first-ever Broadway revival of Aaron Sorkin’s seminal work, A Few Good Men, starring Bradley Whitford and Tom Blyth (in his Broadway debut), with direction by Tony Award winner Michael Arden. In the spring, Artistic Director Lear deBessonet returns to the Beaumont with the first Broadway revival of The Sound of Music in nearly 30 years, starring Tony Award nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers as ‘Maria’ and choreographed by Tony winner Christopher Gattelli.

The new season at the Mitzi E. Newhouse commences this summer with the previously announced The Whoopi Monologues, directed by Whitney White and starring Dominique Fishback, Kecia Lewis, Danielle Pinnock, Kerry Washington, and Kara Young. The season continues this fall with August Wilson’s Seven Guitars, directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, who won his first-ever Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in the 1996 Broadway premiere of the same play. Following is the New York premiere of Playing Burton – a play by Mark Jenkins about the legendary Welsh-born actor Richard Burton, starring Welsh-born actor Matthew Rhys. The final play of the season at the Newhouse is the world premiere of Born in the Dirt, reuniting playwright Kimberly Belflower and Tony Award winning director Danya Taymor in their first collaboration since the sensation-causing, and Tony nominated, John Proctor is the Villain on Broadway.

LCT3 at the Claire Tow Theater’s season, curated by artistic director Maria Manuela Goyanes, includes creation stories and all the important importants, the new play by Mfoniso Udofia (recently presented as part of the 2026 Reading Series at Lincoln Center Theater), directed by Tamilla Woodard; Pretend It’s Pretend, a new play by Emma Watkins, with direction by Annie Tippe; and the return of The Comedy Series in the spring of 2027 with artists to be announced.

Maria Manuela Goyanes, LCT3: Artistic Director, commented, “This coming season, LCT3 is honored to premiere new works by two remarkable playwrights—Mfoniso Udofia and Emma Watkins. Though wildly different in style and sensibility, both plays are driven by uncommon inventiveness and heart, inspiring us to see the world around us in new ways. These artists, along with those who will join us in The Comedy Series and The Reading Series, represent the breadth of theatrical imagination that LCT3 champions. I look forward to seeing you in the Tow!”

Visit LCT.org for updates on tickets for the 2026-2027 season.

The upcoming season brings “The Composer Series,” a new series which will feature iconic music writers selecting newer artists in their field to showcase to audiences on the Beaumont stage. The seasoned composers curating the offerings are Sara Bareilles, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Benj Pasek & Justin Paul. These three individual concerts will include a performance of songs by Bareilles, Miranda, and Pasek & Paul on their respective nights, along with excerpts from the work of the newer composers throughout the year. At the Claire Tow Theater will be the return of “The Reading Series” – created to help foster and celebrate playwrights’ voices who are new to LCT. A group of LCT alumni playwrights - Jackie Sibblies Drury, Amy Herzog, Samuel D. Hunter, Martyna Majok, Dominique Morisseau - will curate one-night-only play readings from playwrights new to LCT. These free public readings will be presented over the course of the year.

The Vivian Beaumont Theater season is generously supported by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation. Support for LCT3 is provided by the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, and members of the LCT3 Council. Endowment support for LCT3 is provided by Daryl Roth, James-Keith Brown and Eric Diefenbach, and The Judith Champion Playwrights' Vision Fund and Mel Litoff. Season support is provided by American Airlines.

As the Official Payments Partner of the 2026 – 2027 Lincoln Center Theater season at the Vivian Beaumont, American Express is providing Card Members with access to tickets for A Few Good Men and The Sound of Music through Amex Presale Tickets® (While supplies last. Terms apply). This is one of the many entertainment benefits American Express Card Members can access across select arts, theater, sports and music events through Amex ExperiencesTM.

Additional information including ticket prices, on-sale dates, and cast and creative teams, will be announced at a later date.

Casting for the entire season is by The Telsey Office.

A FEW GOOD MEN

Performances Begin: October 8, 2026

Opening Night: October 29, 2026

13 weeks only

Before “The West Wing” and The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin left an indelible mark on American storytelling with the breakout 1989 hit play A Few Good Men. This fall, the explosive courtroom drama returns to Broadway in a bold new production—sharp, thrilling, and relevant as ever.

Military lawyer Daniel Kaffee is known for his wit, charm, and uncanny talent for closing cases before they ever get to trial. When assigned to defend two young Marines accused of murder, his typical strategy is upended by Lt. Commander JoAnne Galloway, a sharp attorney determined to prove the men’s innocence. But the evidence soon leads them to a cover-up, putting them on a collision course with the entire chain of command.

Starring Emmy Award® winner Bradley Whitford (“The West Wing”) and Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) – in his Broadway debut – and directed by six-time Tony Award winner Michael Arden (Maybe Happy Ending), A Few Good Men shows the cost of following your conscience in a system built on secrecy and obedience—and asks us to choose the truth anyway. Gripping, high-stakes, and ultimately hopeful, it reminds us that a country’s ideals are only as strong as our willingness to stand behind them.

Lincoln Center Theater Membership Presale for A Few Good Men begins Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at 10am at the Lincoln Center Theater box office (150 W. 65th Street), by phone (212-239-6200), or online at LCT.org.

Amex Presale Tickets® for A Few Good Men will be available starting Wednesday, July 15, 2026 at 10am at LCT.org.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 10am at the Lincoln Center Theater box office (150 W. 65th Street), by phone (212-239-6200), or online at LCT.org.

The Vivian Beaumont Theater season is generously supported by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Performances Begin: March 23, 2027

Opening Night: April 15, 2027

17 weeks only

For the first time in nearly three decades, The Sound of Music returns to Broadway, directed by three-time Tony Award nominee Lear deBessonet, Lincoln Center Theater’s Kewsong Lee Artistic Director (Ragtime, 2026 Tony winner for Best Revival of a Musical; Into the Woods), and choreographed by Tony winner Christopher Gattelli (Schmigadoon!). This revival finds new power in the intimate story of a family learning to love again set against one of the most consequential moments of the twentieth century, as the Nazi regime rises to power and authoritarianism encroaches on daily life.

Featuring Rodgers & Hammerstein’s unforgettable score, including “Do-Re-Mi,” “My Favorite Things,” “Edelweiss,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” and an iconic book written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, and starring Tony nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers (Boop) as ‘Maria,’ The Sound of Music returns at a moment when humanity, compassion, and conviction feel vital and necessary.

The Vivian Beaumont Theater season is generously supported by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation.

Lincoln Center Theater is grateful to the Stacey and Eric Mindich Fund for Musical Theater at LCT for the leading support of this production. Leading support is also provided by Julie Turaj.

Additional support for The Sound of Music is provided by Stephanie Shuman, the Miranda Family Fund, The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, and The SHS Foundation.

The Sound of Music is also made possible by the Phyllis Mailman Musical Theater Fund.

THE WHOOPI MONOLOGUES

Performances Begin: July 7, 2026

Opening Night: July 13, 2026

8 weeks only

As previously announced, Lincoln Center Theater is proud to present a reimagining of Whoopi Goldberg’s iconic show. Written by Whoopi Goldberg and directed by two-time Tony Award nominee Whitney White, The Whoopi Monologues will star Emmy Award Nominee Dominique Fishback, Emmy and Tony Award winner Kecia Lewis, NAACP Image Award Winner Danielle Pinnock, Emmy Award-winning producer and Golden Globe-nominated actress Kerry Washington, and two-time Tony Award winner Kara Young, with Kai Heath,Denise Manning, and Pavar Snipe rounding out the cast as understudies.

In 1984, then unknown monologist Whoopi Goldberg premiered her provocative, thought-provoking one-woman show on Broadway, torching the rulebook of traditional solo performance in one of the most electrifying debuts of the era. Now, the trailblazing work returns, reimagined for a new generation led by a remarkable ensemble of 5 women bringing Goldberg’s unforgettable characters back to the stage. Funny, vivid, and deeply human, these nuanced portraits feel as fresh and irresistible today as they were over 40 years ago.

The Whoopi Monologues is produced in partnership with Whoop, Inc./Tom Leonardis and Simpson Street Productions.

SEVEN GUITARS

Performances Begin: November 5, 2026

Opening Night: November 23, 2026

9 weeks only

Directed by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, August Wilson’s Seven Guitars comes to Lincoln Center Theater in a powerful new revival of one of Wilson’s most lyrical and intimate plays

Set in 1940s Pittsburgh, Wilson’s haunting drama follows blues musician Floyd “Schoolboy” Barton, a man determined to win back the woman he loves and build a future beyond the limitations of Black life in America. As his friends gather and stories about Barton flow, what emerges is a richly layered portrait of masculinity and ambition, artistry, community and the collective weight of dreams deferred.

Santiago-Hudson’s celebrated history with Wilson’s American Century Cycle, including the Tony Award-winning revival of Jitney and his most recent Tony nominated role as Bynum Walker in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, brings decades of insight to this electrifying work.

Support for Seven Guitars is provided by the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation

BORN IN THE DIRT

Performances Begin: April 14, 2027

Opening Night: May 6, 2027

10 weeks only

From the Tony Award nominated writer and director of John Proctor is the Villain comes another stunningly fresh, vividly drawn portrait of the American South. KimberlyBelflower’s Born in the Dirt premieres at Lincoln Center Theater, directed by Tony winner Danya Taymor.

All Maddy Grace has ever wanted was to get out of her tiny Southern hometown. But when her life in L.A. falls apart, she finds herself reluctantly working at the town’s most famous attraction – a whimsical “hospital” that produces hand-sewn dolls for collectors all over the world. But when Maddy Grace sets out to make a documentary about the women behind the dolls, she’ll find there’s more to their story – and to her own – than she ever imagined.

With the same masterful blend of wit, insight, and empathy that made John Proctor a runaway hit, Born in the Dirt is a wickedly funny, vibrantly human new play about the meaning of art, community, and the complicated business of making something that lasts.

Born in the Dirt is supported by the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation and The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.

PLAYING BURTON

Dates to be announced

Following a sold-out, critically acclaimed 2025 Welsh National Theatre production across Wales and London, Emmy® winner Matthew Rhys (“The Americans,” “Widow’s Bay,” “The Beast in Me”) makes his Lincoln Center Theater debut with a “stunning” (Times of London) portrayal of an acting legend.

When Michael Sheen co-founded Welsh National Theatre last year and invited Rhys to collaborate, it was the perfect opportunity to finally bring Burton to life on stage in his home country of Wales. He said: "I have to admit, there's never been an alignment of planets stronger than this one." And the planets align once again to bring this outstanding production to the Lincoln Center.

On the night of his death, iconic stage and screen star Richard Burton offers his final performance: a passionate, poetic reflection on his own legacy. With tenderness, wry humor, and Shakespearean grandeur, Burton recalls a life shaped by love, tragedy, scandal – including his two explosive marriages to Elizabeth Taylor – and his own undeniable gifts.

“Matthew Rhys invests Burton with such speed of thought and such complexity,” raves The Times of London, “that this tribute becomes a kind of one-man Hamlet.” Directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher (LCT’s My Fair Lady, The King & I), Mark Jenkins’s Playing Burton is a captivating study of one incomparable actor – and a thrilling showcase for another.

Support for Playing Burton is provided by the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation and Northern Trust.

CREATION STORIES AND ALL THE IMPORTANT IMPORTANTS

Performances Begin: September 15, 2026

Opening Night: October 1, 2026

6 weeks only

On Sale Today at LCT.org

Women give life. And life asks so much in return.

Nigerian playwright Mfoniso Udofia (“13 Reasons Why,” “A League of Their Own,” “Lessons in Chemistry”) makes her LCT3 debut with the world premiere of creation stories and all the important importants, an intimate, mythic new play from one of the boldest new voices in contemporary theater, with direction by Tamilla Woodard.

Centering on a midlife Black woman pulled between her many selves—child, future daughter, artist, possible mother—the play pulses with longing as its heroine races against the clock and the limits of her own body. Moving across time and space, from ancestor to AI, from dream cycle to IVF cycle, through music and ritual, Udofia weaves her own surprising folktale on the cost of creation and the impossible work of becoming.

creation stories and all the important importants is supported by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.

PRETEND IT’S PRETEND

Performances Begin: January 28, 2027

Opening Night: February 11, 2027

6 weeks only

Jen teaches third grade and runs on coffee and bad sleep. Arthur designs playgrounds and carries an old grief he cannot shake, while his teenage daughter Clara is writing songs she isn't yet brave enough to sing. Emma Watkins’ Pretend It’s Pretend is a tender, funny, searching new play about the teachers who memorize every name, the fathers who mistake protection for love, and the students who are asked to carry more than they should. Pretend It’s Pretend is directed by Annie Tippe.

Pretend It's Pretend is supported by The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust.

THE COMPOSER SERIES

Dates to be announced.

Featuring Sara Bareilles, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Pasek & Paul

In this new series, some of the most influential songwriters of our time take the stage to champion the next generation of musical theater artists. In three one-night-only events at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, Sara Bareilles, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Pasek & Paul join forces with exciting emerging composers to share songs, stories, and the creative spark that connects one generation of artists to the next.

Each evening will feature performances of works by these celebrated artists alongside new music from rising voices in the field, creating a rare opportunity to experience established and emerging talent in conversation. Through performance and discussion, audiences will gain an intimate glimpse into the craft of songwriting, the mentorship and generosity that sustain the art form, and the future of American musical theater.

The Composer Series is presented by special arrangement with Creative Partners Productions.

THE COMEDY SERIES

Dates to be announced

Step into an evening where stand-up meets storytelling. Today’s most dynamic comedic voices take the stage—not just to make you laugh, but to draw you into something deeper. This is comedy in motion: personal, and alive with discovery. Each night is a chance for these artists to test boundaries, shape new materials, and explore the space between humor and truth. No two performances will be the same because the creative process isn’t a straight line, and neither is this show. It’s comedy that’s evolving before your eyes. Join us for a bold new series where stand-up grows up—and out

THE READING SERIES

Dates to be announced

Curated by Jackie Sibblies Drury, Amy Herzog, Samuel D. Hunter, Martyna Majok, and Dominique Morisseau at the Claire Tow Theater.

In this intimate series, five of our most celebrated playwrights, who have been produced by Lincoln Center Theater, join forces with exciting voices new to LCT to share the stage—and the spotlight. Each one-night-only event features a staged reading of a bold new work, alongside an open conversation between playwrights.

The Reading Series is supported by The Judith Champion Playwright’s Vision Fund for LCT3 and Mel Litoff. LCT’s Play and Musical Theater Development Program is supported by Daryl Roth.

LCT’S EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

As part of the 2026–2027 season, LCT's Education and Community Engagement Department will invite New Yorkers of all ages to discover the imaginative, healing, and community-building possibilities of theater through free and broadly accessible programming in our public spaces, as well as in schools and communities across our city. Building on a year that transformed the Vivian Beaumont lobby into a vibrant gathering place through a pilot program called “LincUps,” LCT will continue opening its doors to experiences that invite participation as much as attendance: mornings of conversation and connection over coffee, opportunities for audiences to raise their voices in song alongside artists from our stages, joyful intergenerational events for young people and their families, collective actions that respond to the needs of our communities, and celebrations created in partnership with organizations across New York City. In these moments, hundreds of New Yorkers have come together not simply to see theater, but to make meaning with one another.

Beyond the campus, LCT's education programs will continue to provide in-school teaching artist residencies at 41 schools and student matinees for nearly 5,000 New York City public middle and high school students and teachers each year, while community engagement initiatives will extend into neighborhoods across all five boroughs through partnerships with libraries and community organizations. Through new collaborations at Lincoln Center and throughout the city, LCT will continue to imagine what a theater can be: not only a place to witness stories, but a place where New Yorkers gather to create connection, belonging, and possibility.

Leading support for LCT's Education and Community Engagement programs is provided by Judith and Will Hiltz and Jane Lisman Katz.

MEMBERSHIP

For more than four decades, Lincoln Center Theater Members have been at the heart of the LCT community. The support and loyalty from Members has defined the institution as generations of theatergoers discovered something meaningful in our theaters time and time again. A careful look has been taken as to how LCT serves audiences and how the relationship can strengthen. Over the last year under new administration, the LCT team has listened carefully to feedback from Members and ticket buyers who attend with varying frequency. Thus, an evolution of Membership will now take effect.

First: Membership is now re-opened to the public for the first time in over three years. Next, this new Membership structure allows for three distinct tiers for audiences to engage with LCT at levels that fit their choosing: an all-access-type Membership that affords access to offerings on all stages; one for the Broadway offerings exclusively; and a very affordable option that allows for presale access before the general public.

LCT hopes to expand the benefits for Members as this evolution progresses, solidifying Lincoln Center Theater Membership as a premium, welcoming program for all of New York City to experience excellence on stage.

For more information on the new LCT Membership structure, visit LCT.org.

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