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Lincoln Center Theater has announced 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. 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 will bring the first-ever Broadway revival of Aaron Sorkin’s work, A Few Good Men, starring Bradley Whitford and Tom Blyth, 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 and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli.
The new season at the Mitzi E. Newhouse will commence 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 American 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 world premiere of Born in the Dirt, reuniting playwright Kimberly Belflower and Tony winning director Danya Taymor in their first collaboration since the sensation-causing, and Tony Award 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!”
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.
Season support is provided by American Airlines. 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.
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 (Blyth) 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), 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 Christopher Gattelli. 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, 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 Taraj. 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 work, 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-nominated writer and director of John Proctor is the Villain comes another stunningly fresh, vividly drawn portrait of the American South. Kimberly Belflower’s Born in Dirt premieres at Lincoln Center Theater, directed by 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 an acclaimed staging at the Welsh National Theatre, 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.
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.
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 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.
