The 15th Season of TDF Autism Friendly Performances to Kick Off with the Tony-winning Revival of Ragtime
New York, NY – June 9, 2026 – TDF, the not-for-profit service organization dedicated to sharing the power of the performing arts with everyone, is pleased to announce the initial offerings for its 15th season of Autism Friendly Performances (AFP). The season—the largest to date with ten productions—will kick off with the first-ever AFP of Lincoln Center Theater’s acclaimed, Tony-winning revival of Ragtime on Sunday, July 26, 2026 at 1 p.m. at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. Additional shows include the first-ever AFP of The Great Gatsby on Sunday, September 27, 2026 at 1 p.m. at The Broadway Theatre, as well as returning favorites Hadestown on Sunday, August 23, 2026 at 1 p.m. at the Walter Kerr Theatre, Maybe Happy Ending on Sunday, October 25, 2026 at 1 p.m. at the Belasco Theatre, the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes® on Sunday, November 8, 2026 at 9:30 a.m. at Radio City Music Hall, and The Lion King on Sunday, January 31, 2027 at 1 p.m. at the Minskoff Theatre.
With these six productions confirmed through January 2027 and four more to come next spring, TDF’s 15th season of AFP will significantly expand the program’s reach.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce the first six shows of our milestone 15th season of Autism Friendly Performances, starting with this year’s gorgeous and timely Tony-winning revival of Ragtime at Lincoln Center Theater,” said Deeksha Gaur, TDF’s Executive Director. “With these six shows—nearly one per month through January 2027—and more to be announced soon, our AFP program continues to grow, creating more opportunities for families and individuals impacted by autism to experience theatre in a no-judgment, no-apology environment. We remain deeply grateful to our industry partners who have helped this program sustain and bloom over the past 15 years.”
For Ragtime production photos, click here.
AFP tickets typically go on sale six weeks before a performance. Tickets to Ragtime will go on sale Wednesday, June 17. TDF.org is the only site for all AFP ticket purchases. To learn more about AFP or sign up for the email list, visit tdf.org/autism.
TDF Autism Friendly Performances launched in 2011 with a performance of Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway. Since then, there have been AFP of Broadway’s & Juliet, Aladdin, Buena Vista Social Club, Cats, the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes®, Come From Away, Elf: The Musical, Hamilton, Hadestown, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hell’s Kitchen, How to Dance in Ohio, JOB, Just In Time, Kinky Boots, Mary Poppins, Matilda The Musical, Maybe Happy Ending, MJ The Musical, My Fair Lady, New York City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, Our Town, SIX, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The King and I, The Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked.
The program operates under the umbrella of TDF Accessibility Programs. To create an autism-friendly setting, the shows are performed in a welcoming, supportive environment for individuals with autism, sensory and communication disorders, or learning disabilities. Slight adjustments are made to the productions where possible, including the reduction of jarring sounds and strobe lights focused into the audience. In the theatre lobby, there are break areas staffed by specialists in case audience members need to leave their seats during the performance. Downloadable resources, including a Visual Narrative with pictures of the theatre and the production, are available in advance on the TDF website. For AFP, TDF purchases every seat in the theatre and makes the tickets available at discount prices exclusively to families, groups, schools, etc. whose members include individuals on the autism spectrum.
About TDF Accessibility Programs
TDF Accessibility Programs make theatregoing possible for people with physical disabilities as well as individuals with autism. The full range of services includes Autism Friendly Performances of Broadway productions; accessible seating for those with mobility issues; and open captioned, American sign language-interpreted, and audio described performances of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows for theatregoers who are d/Deaf or have hearing loss, are blind or have low vision. TDF also provides consultancy services to support shows in presenting sensory-adapted performances and offers an educational enrichment program for students who are d/Deaf or blind, have hearing loss or low vision. TDF partnered with The Broadway League to develop the website TheatreAccess.NYC, the official site for accessibility information for Broadway shows.
About TDF
Founded in 1968, TDF (Theatre Development Fund) is a not-for-profit service organization dedicated to sharing the power of the performing arts with everyone. TDF’s mission is to engage a broad and diverse audience by removing the financial, physical, and invisible barriers to participation in the performing arts. TDF’s initiatives include the TKTS by TDF Discount Booths; TDF Memberships; the TDF Costume Collection; and TDF Accessibility, Education, and Community Programs. Those Programs include open captioned, audio described, and ASL-interpreted performances; Autism Friendly Performances; the Veterans Theatregoing Program; school programs serving more than 11,000 NYC public school students annually; and partnerships with over 150 NYC community organizations serving 18,000 people in the tristate area. TDF welcomes NYC’s vibrant communities to the theatre because experiencing the performing arts improves mental health and social connections. Learn more about TDF at tdf.org.
Facebook/Instagram: @tdfnyc
TDF wishes to acknowledge the following donors for their generous support of TDF Autism Friendly Performances:
Anonymous, Darlene and Stuart Altschuler, Theodore H. Barth Foundation, Sharon Chertok, The FAR Fund, Howard Gilman Foundation, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, Jane and In Seon Hwang, Morgan Stanley Soundview Complex, The New York Community Trust, NEXT for AUTISM, Paul Hastings, RBC Foundation USA, Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation, Seventh District Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Sony Corporation of America, Standard Industries, The Start It! Foundation, The Taft Foundation, Ronald and Catherine Weiss in honor of Joseph Flom
This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the New York City Council’s Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities, and Addictions. This program is made possible, in part, by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
* * *