Billy Porter to lead 'La Cage aux Folles' at New York City Center; full season announced

The storied venue presents four concert productions of rarely revived musicals per year, including a fall gala presentation and three shows in its Encores! series.

The Off-Broadway venue New York City Center has set its 2025-26 season of musical theatre programming, featuring four limited-run stagings of classic shows seldom seen in NYC.

NYCC's annual gala presentation, running from October 29 to November 9, is of Bat Boy: The Musical, starring Tony Award nominee Taylor Trensch in the title role and directed by two-time Tony Award winner Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Just in Time, Beetlejuice). The cult-favorite show follows a half-human, half-bat teenager who is found in a cave and seeks to be accepted in his small town. The show, which premiered off Broadway in 2001, features a score by Laurence O’Keefe, original orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, and a book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming.

Additional cast members include original Off-Broadway cast member Kerry Butler as Meredith Parker, Tony nominee Andrew Durand as Rick Taylor, Mary Faber as Lorraine, Alan H Green as Bud, Evan Harrington as Ned, John-Michael Lyles as Ron Taylor, Tony winner Alex Newell as The God Pan, Olivia Puckett as Ruthie Taylor, Tony nominee Christopher Sieber as Dr. Parker, Rema Webb as Maggie, Tony winner Marissa Jaret Winokur as Mrs. Taylor, Gabi Carrubba as Shelley Parker, Tom McGowan as Sheriff Reynolds, Jacob Ming-Trent as Reverend Hightower, Marissa Rosen as Daisy, and Colin Trudell as Charley.

The next three productions in NYCC's season are part of its annual Encores! series of rarely revived musicals. First up, from February 4-15, 2026, is High Spirits, directed by Tony Award winner Jessica Stone with Encores! music director Mary-Mitchell Campbell. Real-life spouses Phillipa Soo and Steven Pasquale lead the musical adaptation of Noël Coward’s play Blithe Spirit, following the eccentric Madame Arcati (Tony Award winner Andrea Martin) as she causes trouble for a man named Charles (Pasquale) when she summons the ghost of his ex-wife, Elvira (Tony winner Katrina Lenk), to his current wife Ruth's (Soo) chagrin.

Additional cast members include Rachel Dratch as Edith, Campbell Scott as Dr. Bradman, and Jennifer Sánchez as Mrs. Bradman, along with Brandon Block, Delphi Borich, Marcus Byers Jr., DeMarius R. Copes, Deanna Cudjoe, Lili Froehelich, Katie Griffith, Benjamin Howes, Caroline Kane, Ross Lekites, Devon McCleskey, Michael Pesko, Jeremiah Valentino Porter, Sean Stack, Halli Toland, Kamille Upshaw, and Kristin Yancy.

The score is by Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray, and the Tony-nominated musical first ran on Broadway in 1964. High Spirits features scenic design by David Zinn, costume design by Jennifer Moeller, lighting design by Bradley King, sound design by Megumi Katayama, and a concert adaptation by Billy Rosenfield.

Next up is The Wild Party, originally announced for 2025 and now playing from March 18-29, 2026. Michael John LaChiusa (score) and George C. Wolfe's (book) adaptation of Joseph Moncure March’s poem about a gin-soaked 1920s bash that spins out of control. Lili-Anne Brown directs a cast that includes Tony nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers as Queenie, Tony winner Adrienne Warren as Kate, Claybourne Elder as Jackie, Evan Tyrone Martin as Eddie Mackrel, Joseph A. Byrd as Phil D’Armano, original Broadway cast member Tonya Pinkins as Dolores Montoya, Jelani Alladin as Black, Wesley J. Barnes as Oscar D’Armano, Tony nominee Jordan Donica as Burrs, KJ Hippensteel as Gold, Andrew Kober as Goldberg, Lesli Margherita as Mae, Betsy Morgan as Sally, Meghan Murphy as Miss Madelaine True, and Maya Rowe as Nadine. The cast also includes Curtis Bannister as the standby for Burrs and Black and Kyrie Courter as the standby for Queenie and Kate.

The Wild Party features scenic design by Arnel Sancianco, costume design by Linda Cho, sound design by Alex Neumann, lighting design by Justin Townsend, and hair and wig design by Tom Watson.

The final musical of the Encores! season is La Cage Aux Folles, starring Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Billy Porter as Albin and Emmy winner Wayne Brady as Georges, leading an all-Black cast that also includes Alaman Diadhiou as Jean-Michel, Lance Coadie Williams as Renaud, James Jackson Jr. as Jacob, Michael McElroy as Francois, and Sharon Washington as Marie.

Directed by Robert O’Hara with guest music director Joseph Joubert, the show follows a gay couple who run a drag club and must hide their true identity when their son's conservative, prospective father-in-law comes to visit. La Cage Aux Folles is based on the same-named play by Jean Poiret. The musical features a book by Harvey Fierstein and a score by Jerry Herman that includes the famous song "I Am What I Am."

The creative team also includes choreographer Edgar Godineaux, tap choreographer Dormeshia, scenic designer David Zinn, costume designer Clint Ramos, lighting designer Adam Honoré, and sound designer Megumi Katayama.

All of NYCC's musical theatre productions are concert stagings, meaning that they are presented with minimal sets and costumes, instead putting the orchestra front and center with the often-starry casts.

Additional cast and creative team members for all productions have yet to be named. This article will be updated with the latest announcements.

Photo credit: Billy Porter. (Photo courtesy of production)

Last updated: February 10, 2026