Nearly three decades after Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens composed the score and lyrics for Ragtime, the musical’s themes are striking a new chord with Broadway audiences.
Now in its third Broadway production, staged at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, the show has earned 11 Tony Award nominations, including best musical revival. For Ahrens, the renewed enthusiasm feels different this time. “Three is the charm,” she said.
“When we originally did it on Broadway in 1998, people saw it as a period piece,” Flaherty said. “Now, they’re responding to it as a contemporary story.”
Adapted from E.L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel, with a book by the late Terrence McNally, Ragtime portrays three families whose lives intersect in New York at the start of the 20th century. The musical weaves together the stories of Black Americans in Harlem, Jewish immigrants on the Lower East Side, and upper‑class white families in Westchester County. Fictional characters appear alongside historical figures, including Emma Goldman, Booker T. Washington, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford, and Harry Houdini.
The production’s sweeping emotional range, from tragedy to optimism, coupled with powerful performances has prompted frequent mid‑show standing ovations. Audiences are returning multiple times, often bringing family members to share the experience. “People tell me, ‘I’m coming back with my parents,’ ‘I’m coming back with my grandchildren,’” said Brandon Uranowitz, who appeared in a pre‑Broadway version as a child. Now nominated for best lead actor in a musical, he plays Tateh, a Jewish immigrant from Latvia. “It’s speaking to this generational reckoning with America and our national identity.”
The original 1998 production lost best new musical to The Lion King, but won Tony Awards for original score, book, orchestrations, and earned Audra McDonald her first Tony. A 2009 revival received six nominations but lost best revival to La Cage aux Folles.
This year, Ragtime is considered a leading contender for best musical revival, competing against Cats: The Jellicle Ball and The Rocky Horror Show. Its nominations include all three lead actors and featured performers Nichelle Lewis and Ben Levi Ross.
Joshua Henry, nominated for best lead actor, stars as Coalhouse Walker Jr., a celebrated Black pianist in Harlem. Caissie Levy, also nominated, plays Mother, the matriarch of a wealthy white family in suburban New York.
