Joshua Henry, Caissie Levy, Brandon Uranowitz on Keeping Hope Alive With Ragtime

The leads of the Broadway revival stopped by the Playbill podcast.

March 31, 2026 By Playbill Staff

In 1998, composer/lyricists Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty and book writer Terrence McNally brought a big, American musical to Broadway based on Ragtime, the acclaimed novel by EL Doctorow. It was a success; the production was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and won four of them. The show ran for multiple years, launched many careers, and brought new, beautiful music to the world.

That world has waited many years for a revival of this beloved musical, which tells the commingling stories of Coalhouse Walker, Jr and his wife Sarah; Mother and Father and their family in the upper class in Westchester; and Tateh and his daughter, immigrants embracing a new and complex home in New York at the turn of the 20th century. Lincoln Center and its new artistic director, Lear deBessonet, have brought us the long-awaited revival at the Vivian Beaumont Theater, and it’s made a sizable splash on Broadway, playing to sold-out houses thanks to its beauty and many timely themes that are all too familiar today.

In this episode below, host Alex Birsh (Playbill's C.O.O. and SVP) talks to a theatre friend who’s seen the show and suggests it to those who ask, "What should I see on Broadway?" Birsh then brings on the three leading players in the show: Joshua Henry (Coalhouse), Caissie Levy (Mother), and Brandon Uranowitz (Tateh) to discuss what it feels like to perform Ragtime in today's tense political climate.

“The two most common questions anyone at Playbill gets from friends or family are: 'What's on Broadway? And what should I see?'" says Birsh of the inspiration behind the podcast. "The Playbill Podcast is here to help. Whether you’re a Broadway veteran or just starting to explore, we'll bring you the magic of Broadway, one show at a time.”

Along with Birsh and stars from each spotlighted show, episodes feature conversations with Playbill's resident theatre experts, aka the staffers that spend all their days writing and working on theatre and most nights seeing shows. The Playbill Podcast connects listeners with the savvy and fun theatre fans you've been looking for, whether it's to help you find your next ticket to buy or just give you a place to geek out about your favorite show.

For more information, visit Playbill.com/Playbill-Podcast.