Audra McDonald Reflects on the American Dream at Broadway's 'Ragtime' Revival Opening Night: 'We Seem to Have Screwed It Up' Antonio FermeOctober 18, 2025 at 4:15 AM 0 Bruce Glikas/WireImage Broadway's elite turned out on Thursday for the opening night of Lincoln Center Theater's "Ragtime" revival, ...
- - Audra McDonald Reflects on the American Dream at Broadway's 'Ragtime' Revival Opening Night: 'We Seem to Have Screwed It Up'
Antonio FermeOctober 18, 2025 at 4:15 AM
0
Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Broadway's elite turned out on Thursday for the opening night of Lincoln Center Theater's "Ragtime" revival, a production that artistic director Lear deBessonet thinks will resonate with audiences today even more powerfully than when it first premiered over 25 years ago.
"It is so profound to watch an audience connect with this material," deBessonet told Variety on the red carpet at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. "It holds all of the beauty of the dreams of this country, and it also holds our wounds. It holds the things that we're still working through to be a more perfect union — and I think all of that is felt very poignantly today."
More from Variety
'Frozen 3': Kristen Bell Has Seen Script, Says Cast Begins Production 'Soon'
'Ragtime' Review: Broadway Revival Is a Timely, Glorious Panorama of Changing Times in America
Outfest Returns After Two-Year Hiatus With New Screening Series, Including 'Broken Hearts Club' 25th Anniversary Celebration
Adapted from E.L. Doctorow's 1975 novel of the same name, "Ragtime" interweaves the stories of a white family from New Rochelle, a Black pianist from Harlem, and a Jewish father-daughter duo fleeing Latvia at the dawn of the 20th century. The original production premiered in Toronto and Los Angeles before opening on Broadway in 1998.
The starry guest list included Rachel Zegler, Hillary Clinton, Ben Platt and Noah Galvin, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Celia Keenan-Bloger, Danielle Brooks, Matthew Rhys, Michael Urie, Phillipa Soo and Michael Kors.
Six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald reflected on how her generation has shaped (and perhaps strained) the American Dream.
"I'm sorry to the younger generation," McDonald lamented. "We seem to have screwed it up, but I have faith that they will fix it."
The question of whether the American Dream is still attainable echoed through the night, including at the show's afterparty at the Metropolitan Opera House.
"I absolutely believe the American Dream can be achieved," said Joshua Henry, who stars in "Ragtime" as Coalhouse Walker Jr. "I think about my Jamaican parents who came to America wanting a better life for their family. I'm a recipient of their hard work ethic, and I'm able to do what I do now."
For Rodd Cyrus, who portrays Harry Houdini, the inclusion of the real-life illusionist (he appears alongside other historical figures like Booker T. Washington and Henry Ford) underscores the immigrant experience and the lasting imprint of ambition.
"He came from nothing," Cyrus said. "He was an immigrant also, and now 100 years later, Dua Lipa's putting out a song called 'Houdini.' He made a legacy."
Cyrus added with a laugh, "I think he would love Dua Lipa's music. He probably listened to ragtime — because ragtime was the music that came out during the time he was coming to prominence. It was probably a mix between ragtime and some deep organ music."
DeBessonet previously staged a run of "Ragtime" at New York City Center uo coincide with the week of the 2024 presidential election. The timing proved apt for a show that both celebrates and critiques the great American experiment set forth by the Founding Fathers."There's a line in the play: 'the dream of what this country can be,'" deBessonet said. "It's not saying that it already is that, but it can be that."
In addition to Henry and Cyrus, the principal cast members of the latest production includes Caissie Levy, Brandon Uranowitz, Colin Donnell, Nichelle Lewis, Ben Levi Ross, Shaina Taub, Anna Grace Barlow, John Clay III, Nick Barrington and Tabitha Lawing.
The musical runs through Jan. 4, 2026 at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater.
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Oscar Predictions: A Top-Heavy Awards Season With Too Many Favorites and Not Enough Space in the Race
The Best Pop Culture Halloween Costumes for 2025: From 'One Battle After Another' to 'Life of a Showgirl'
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Source: "AOL Entertainment"
Source: VoXi MAG
Full Article on Source: VoXi MAG
#LALifestyle #USCelebrities