A Young Lea Michele and the Cast of Ragtime Define a Bygone Era at the 1998 Tonys

“And there was distant music, simple and somehow sublime,” the cast of Ragtime sings in the show’s opening number. Simple and sublime, sure, but there’s nothing distant about the thundering vocals of the original Ragtime cast (led by Tony winner Audra McDonald and Tony nominees Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie and Peter Friedman) as they took the Radio City stage to perform at the 1998 Tony Awards. The musical took home four Tonys that night (though it lost Best Musical to The Lion King) and this season's revival is nominated for seven Tonys, including Best Revival. As you watch the show’s sparring ethnic groups maneuver around one another, keep an eye out for adorable 11 year-old Lea Michele as Tateh’s daughter! Listen to the rhythm, the rhyme, the Ragtime!