About the Show

A turn-of-the-century tale of race, class, and hope, starring Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy.

Set at the dawn of the 20th century, Ragtime intertwines the lives of three families in pursuit of the American Dream. Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Black pianist, and his beloved Sarah navigate a society rife with racial tensions. Tateh, a Jewish immigrant from Latvia, seeks a better life for his daughter amidst the challenges of assimilation.

Meanwhile, a white upper-class family grapples with their own evolving ideals. Their stories converge, painting a vivid portrait of a nation on the cusp of change.

This production stars Joshua Henry as Coalhouse Walker Jr., Caissie Levy as Mother, and Brandon Uranowitz as Tateh. Lear deBessonet directs, bringing her vision to Lincoln Center Theater following her acclaimed work with Encores! The musical features a Tony Award-winning score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, with a book by Terrence McNally, based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow.

Critic Reviews (16)

"The considerable beauty of this inspiriting show — full of complicated emotions about our diaspora nation — is streaked with melancholy."
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"The simplicity of the production provides breathing room in a megamusical that often exhilarates, but also drains because of its tendency to always think bigger."
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"What he delivers in Ragtime is, quite simply, some of the most magnificent singing I have ever heard on Broadway"
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"The production is so powerfully sung and deeply felt that it overwhelms. Maybe these characters have false dreams, and maybe the show’s idea of hope is impossibly naïve, but it lingers."
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"This sterling production, with its flawless cast and admirable trenchancy amid an extraordinarily complex plot, augurs well for her tenure."
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“ 'Ragtime' is generous to all of its characters...But there is still something touching about its conviction that they will have a better life. I mean, Americans look to musicals for hope, don’t we?"
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"In productions large or small — or, here, imperfectly in-between, though still glorious — everything is the service of the show that creates with words, music and movement a grand American tapestry — tears and all."
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"Fortunately, the show sounds gloriously lush throughout...So much so that it hardly needs much embellishment at all."
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