Ragtime Becomes First Revival in 28 Years to Win Both Lead Musical Acting Categories
Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy become the first musical revival stars in 28 years to sweep both lead acting categories
(Photo: Matthew Murphy)
What to Know
- Ragtime became the first Broadway musical revival since Cabaret in 1998 to win both Tony Awards for Leading Actor and Leading Actress in a Musical, with Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy taking the honors
- Joshua Henry earned his first Tony Award for playing Coalhouse Walker Jr., while Caissie Levy received her first Tony win and nomination for her performance as Mother in Lincoln Center Theater’s revival
- The wins complete a full-circle Tony Awards moment for Ragtime, whose original Broadway stars lost the same lead musical acting categories to Cabaret nearly three decades ago
Lincoln Center Theater’s Ragtime is the first musical revival since Roundabout Theatre Company’s 1998 remounting of Cabaret to win both lead musical acting categories. Its stars, Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy, took home Tony Awards for their leading performances, marking the first time in 28 years that a musical revival has claimed both prizes.
This win creates a full-circle moment for Ragtime. Original Broadway stars Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie and Peter Friedman lost in the leading musical performance categories to Cabaret leads Alan Cumming and Natasha Richardson in 1998. This marks Levy’s first Tony Award and first nomination, earning recognition for her portrayal of Mother in the musical adaptation of E. L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel. Henry earned his fourth Tony Award nomination and first Tony win for his performance as Coalhouse Walker Jr.
Ragtime was nominated for a total of 11 Tony Awards in 2026 and won five.
Below, watch Henry, Levy and 2026 Tony nominees Brandon Uranowitz and Nichelle Lewis discuss Ragtime with Broadway.com Editor-in-Chief Paul Wontorek.
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