New York Theatre Workshop Sets IN HONOR OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT and WILD ROSE for 2026/27 Season

New York Theatre Workshop has confirmed the first two productions for its 2026/27 Season. The NYTW 2026/27 season will begin in Fall 2026 with the return of In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat, created and performed by Roger Guenveur Smith (“All Rise”), following a sold-out run at NYTW earlier this year as part of Under the Radar. The season will continue in Fall/Winter 2026 with the US premiere of the new musical Wild Rose by BAFTA winner Nicole Taylor (One Day), directed by Tony and Olivier Award winner John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Once) and choreographed by Olivier Award winner Steven Hoggett (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) & Vicki Manderson (The Outrun), with music supervision by Tony Award winner Sarah Travis (Sweeney Todd). Additional productions for the 2026/27 season will be announced at a later date.

FALL 2026

IN HONOR OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT

Created and Performed by Roger Guenveur Smith
With Live Sound by Marc Anthony Thompson

Obie Award-winning actor, playwright, and director Roger Guenveur Smith presents an intimate one-man show honoring his friend and collaborator Jean-Michel Basquiat. Weaving personal stories and historical anecdotes with his improvisational performance style, Guenveur Smith explores the legacy of one of the most defining artists of the 20th century and his enduring impact.

Jean-Michel Basquiat and Roger Guenveur Smith met in Los Angeles, where Jean-Michel was painting in a Venice studio and Smith was rapping as “Hollywatts” on the fertile 1980s club scene. Smith’s politically charged soliloquies found their way onto Basquiat’s canvas, and Smith eventually created “Smiley,” the Basquiat-inspired artist/arsonist for Spike Lee’s classic Do the Right Thing.

In Honor of Jean-Michel Basquiat features live sound design by Marc Anthony Thompson and is presented by special arrangement with Steven Adams.

FALL/WINTER 2026

WILD ROSE

A NEW MUSICAL
By Nicole Taylor
Directed by John Tiffany
Choreographed by Steven Hoggett & Vicki Manderson
Music Supervision by Sarah Travis

SING YOUR OWN SONG. There is only one thing in Rose-Lynn’s life that has ever made sense: country music.

Fresh out of jail for some past mistakes, free-spirited Rose-Lynn is bursting with raw talent & charisma, and ready to escape Glasgow, Scotland to chase her dream of being a country music singer. But her mother Marion has had enough, insisting that she settle down, ditch the fantasy, and focus on raising her two young kids. Rose-Lynn reluctantly agrees to take a cleaning job and finds an unlikely champion in her new boss Susannah, bringing her dream closer than ever. Now Rose-Lynn must decide if risking everything will really pave the road to Nashville.

From Nicole Taylor, BAFTA-winning writer of the original film and global sensation One Day, and renowned director John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Once), Wild Rose is an uplifting and heartwarming new musical about motherhood, dreams and finding your three chords and the truth.

This US premiere production will feature songs from country music legends including Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, Chris Stapleton, Caitlyn Smith, The Chicks, and Patty Griffin and more, alongside the film’s award-winning original song “Glasgow (No Place Like Home)”.

The world premiere of Wild Rose debuted at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Scotland in 2025. The musical is based on the 2018 film of the same title, written by Nicole Taylor, directed by Tom Harper and produced by Faye Ward for Fable Pictures, who also serves as an Executive Producer for the stage adaptation.

Additional productions, along with performance schedules, casting and full creative teams, will be announced at a later date.