New York City Center has promoted Jenny Gersten to the new position of VP & Artistic Director, Musical Theater. Previously, she served as VP & Producer.
In this newly created position, Gersten will serve as artistic director of the Tony-honored Encores! series and Annual Gala Productions, programming and producing all musical theater performances at City Center.
Gersten will lead the Encores! artistic team—Music Director Mary-Mitchell Campbell and Producing Creative Director Clint Ramos—following Artistic Director Lear deBessonet’s previously announced departure at the end of the season. She will also work with Stanford Makishi (VP & Artistic Director, Dance) and Tia Powell-Harris (VP, Education & Community Engagement) in running the organization’s dance, education and community programs.
Gersten, who joined City Center in 2020, said in a statement, “I’m a New Yorker first and a musical theater fan second. Making musicals happen at City Center is the greatest privilege—to be of service not just to musical theater lovers, but also to our many communities. What I enjoy most is giving audiences what they want and presenting them with something they didn’t know they wanted. We have brought a diversity of artists to Encores! and the Annual Gala Productions in the last few seasons, and I look forward to building on these efforts with Clint and Mary-Mitchell and collaborating with Stanford and Tia on the crossover between musical theater, dance and our education and community engagement programming. City Center holds a special place for me and so many artists, and I feel so fortunate to be continuing this journey with the talented staff and dedicated audience.”
DeBessonet said, “Jenny is a brilliant leader and deeply beloved for good reason. During my time as Artistic Director of Encores!, she, along with Clint and Mary-Mitchell, have been the most extraordinary partners I could have asked for and I am ecstatic for the next beautiful chapter of Encores! under their care.”
Gersten began her career as associate producer and subsequently as artistic director of Williamstown Theatre Festival. Gersten served as associate producer at the Public Theater, executive director of Friends of the High Line and producer at PAC NYC during design and planning. Recent credits include Just for Us (Broadway), Beetlejuice (Broadway), Sweeney Todd (off-Broadway), Gavin Creel’s Walk On Through (with MCC) and the Broadway transfers of City Center productions of Parade and Once Upon a Mattress.