Nichelle Lewis joins cast of
Annual Gala Presentation
Ragtime
Gala performance on Wednesday, October 30
opens two-week run through November 10, 2024
Tickets from $45 (fees included) on sale now
October 10, 2024 (NEW YORK, NY) – NEW YORK CITY CENTER announced today that Nichelle Lewis will join the cast of the Annual Gala Presentation of Ragtime as Sarah. Joaquina Kalukango is no longer able to perform due to scheduling conflicts. Directed by Tony nominee Lear deBessonet with music direction by James Moore and choreography by Ellenore Scott, Ragtime runs from October 30 to November 10, 2024. The production features scenic design by David Rockwell, costume design by Linda Cho, lighting design by Adam Honoré, and sound design by Kai Harada.
Winner of four Tony Awards in 1998, Ragtime follows three fictional families in pursuit of the American Dream at the turn of the 20th century: Black pianist Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Joshua Henry) and his sweetheart Sarah (Nichelle Lewis); a wealthy white family led by Mother (Caissie Levy); and Latvian immigrant Tateh (Brandon Uranowitz) along with his Little Girl (Tabitha Lawing). This sweeping, powerful musical adaptation of the E.L. Doctorow novel features music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally.
Ragtime opens October 30 with a benefit performance followed by a gala dinner at the Ziegfeld Ballroom honoring original Ragtime Broadway cast member and City Center alum Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Denise Littlefield Sobel, philanthropist and generous longtime supporter of City Center. Presented in a two-week run through November 10, funds raised from all performances help ensure the future of City Center’s founding mission: to provide all New Yorkers affordable access to world-class performing arts.
Casting for Ragtime is by The Telsey Office/Craig Burns, CSA.
Headshots and artwork available here on Dropbox.
Tickets and General Information
Tickets from $45 (fees included) can be purchased online at NYCityCenter.org, by calling 212.581.1212, or in person at the City Center Box Office. New York City Center is located at 131 W 55th St between Sixth and Seventh avenues. Gala packages for the October 30 benefit start at $2,500. For more details, contact SpecialEvents@NYCityCenter.org or call 212.763.1205.
Expanding City Center’s mission to make the arts accessible to everyone, the run of Ragtime includes a post-show Community Night (Nov 8, 7:30pm) with guests from Amsterdam News, the Tenement Museum, and the Urban League; a performance offering ASL Interpretation (Nov 7 at 7:30pm); and a Lynne & Richard Pasculano Student Matinee for Grades 6 – 12 (Nov 7). For additional information visit NYCityCenter.org. City Center Access Club is available to those 40 years of age and under and offers a limited number of $28 tickets (fees included) to City Center productions. For more information and to sign up, visit NYCityCenter.org/Access.
Casting subject to change.
Annual Gala Presentation
Ragtime
Oct 30 – Nov 10, 2024
WEEK ONE:
Wed 6pm Gala Performance, Thu & Fri 7:30pm, Sat 2 & 7:30pm, Sun 2 & 7pm
WEEK TWO:
Wed – Fri 7:30pm, Sat 2 & 7:30pm, Sun 2 & 7pm
Book by Terrence McNally
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Based on the novel Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
Scenic Designer David Rockwell
Costume Designer Linda Cho
Lighting Designer Adam Honoré
Sound Designer Kai Harada
Hair & Wig Designer Tom Watson
Choreographer Ellenore Scott
Music Director James Moore
Director Lear deBessonet
Featuring John Clay III, Rodd Cyrus, Colin Donnell, Joshua Henry, Matthew Lamb, Tabitha Lawing, Caissie Levy, Nichelle Lewis, Ben Levi Ross, Stephanie Styles, Shaina Taub, Brandon Uranowitz
With Nicholas Barrón, Briana Carlson-Goodman, Billy Cohen, Rheaume Crenshaw, Aerina DeBoer, Nick Gaswirth, Ta’Nika Gibson, Olivia Hernandez, Jana Djenné Jackson, David Jennings, Marina Kondo, Jeff Kready, Kai Latorre, Tiffany Mann, Morgan Marcell, Kane Emmanuel Miller, Tom Nelis, Ramone Nelson, Kent Overshown, John Rapson, Destinee Rea, Deandre Sevon, Kathy Voytko, Jacob Keith Watson, Alan Wiggins, Sharrod Williams, Henry Witcher
Ragtime is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
Major support for New York City Center is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation.
Support for the Ann Reinking Encores! Choreography Fellowship is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Peter Talbert in honor of Ann Reinking.
Community Nights are made possible by the Jerome L. Greene Foundation Fund in the New York Community Trust.
NEW YORK CITY CENTER (Michael S. Rosenberg, President & CEO) has played a defining role in the cultural life of the city for more than 80 years. The distinctive Neo-Moorish building was founded by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia in 1943 as Manhattan’s first performing arts center with the mission of making the best in theater, dance, and music accessible to all audiences. This commitment continues today through celebrated dance and musical theater series like the Fall for Dance Festival, Artists at the Center, the Tony-honored Encores! series, and the annual season by Principal Dance Company Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. City Center welcomes audiences to experience internationally acclaimed artists including Kyle Abraham, Matthew Bourne, Ayodele Casel, Manhattan Theatre Club, Nederlands Dans Theater, and Twyla Tharp, on the same stage where legends made their mark. Dedicated to a culture built on the values of curiosity, collaboration, accessibility, and inclusivity, City Center’s dynamic programming, art exhibitions, and studio events are complemented by a full slate of education and community engagement programs that bring the performing arts to thousands of New York City students, teachers, and families every year. NYCityCenter.org
