Lincoln Center Theater charts path forward with new artistic director and a nod to the past

NEW YORK — Lear deBessonet will guide Lincoln Center Theater as its new artistic director, signaling a plan to blend deeply American storytelling with a forward-looking program for the three-theater complex on the Lincoln Center campus. The choice, she says, is about finishing something that has long lived in the company’s orbit. After directing an off-Broadway concert version of Ragtime that critics praised despite a spare staging, she decided the project deserved a full, flourishing life on Broadway. Previews begin this fall, with opening night set for Oct. 16.

Ragtime’s Broadway revival will feature 33 actors and a 28-piece orchestra, underscoring the musical’s panoramic view of early 20th-century America. Tony-nominated director deBessonet has assembled a cast led by Joshua Henry, whose portrayal anchors the show's three converging strands: a Jewish immigrant family, a well-to-do white family and a Black piano player as they navigate a New York City torn between aspiration and upheaval. Because Ragtime has multiple protagonists, the production invites audiences to connect with histories that mirror their own lives, families and experiences.

The fall slate reflects deBessonet’s broader ambitions for Lincoln Center Theater within its three-theater campus, a venue known for both new plays and lavish revivals. In addition to Ragtime, the season will feature Kyoto, a political thriller drawn from a London hit that reframes climate accords as a tense international drama; a revival of The Whoopi Monologues with Kerry Washington and Kara Young; a family holiday opera; and a comedy series staged in the center’s rooftop off-Broadway venue. The aim, she says, is to present work that feels timely, humane and accessible to a diverse city and visiting audiences alike.

DeBessonet has framed her mission in personal terms, describing the theater as a space where people from all backgrounds can come together to feel restored to humanity. "The work we make here I want it to be something that anyone of any background — whether they are visiting New York City or were born here — could come in and feel restored to humanity, feel connected to other people," she says. Joshua Henry has observed that the mood around Lincoln Center Theater is buoyant and ready for change, with longtime staff embracing a new energy that the leadership signals.

Henry’s comments reflect a broader optimism around the company’s reinvigorated sense of purpose. The production’s scale — 33 performers and a 28-piece orchestra — also signals a willingness to invest in large-scale, family-friendly storytelling that can spark conversation about how a society defines unity and inclusion. The Ragtime revival is part of a larger trend in which major theater institutions are revisiting canonical works through a modern lens, using contemporary design and a more expansive approach to storytelling.

The environment around cultural institutions has grown more turbulent in recent years. The notes accompanying the announcement acknowledge political pressures and funding questions that shape what kinds of works can be funded and celebrated. They point to debates around public funding for arts and media institutions and to criticisms of programming at cultural organizations that critics label as too controversial. In that context, Lincoln Center Theater emphasizes its role as a place for multiple viewpoints and for work that rewards sustained attention and discussion.

DeBessonet comes to Lincoln Center Theater after directing productions such as Into the Woods and Once Upon a Mattress as part of the Encores! program at New York City Center. With Ragtime, she will add a third Broadway musical to her directing portfolio, underscoring a career that blends classic material with a contemporary sensibility. The Ragtime revival, she says, is one that invites audiences to engage with history, memory and national identity in a way that resonates with the moment.

By pairing Ragtime with a vibrant slate that includes political thriller, comedy, opera and new work, Lincoln Center Theater aims to continue its tradition of restoring humanity for communities across the city while inviting new audiences to discover the power of musical theater and dramatic storytelling.