She Mothered: Caissie Levy Wins Her First Tony Award for Ragtime

Broadway veteran Caissie Levy won the 2026 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her performance as Mother in Lincoln Center Theater’s revival of Ragtime. The win was announced at the 79th Annual Tonys ceremony at Radio City Music Hall on June 7.

This marks Levy's first Tony nomination and first win. Her other Broadway credits include her debut as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, Elphaba in Wicked, Sheila in Hair, Molly Jensen in Ghost The Musical, Fantine in Les Misérables, Elsa in Frozen, Rose Stopnick Gellman in Caroline, or Change and Eva in Leopoldstadt.

In her acceptance speech, Levy shared a loving message with her family: "Playing Mother has been one of the greatest gifts of my artistic life and being mother to my kids has been the greatest joy of my life. Izaiah and Talulah I love you. Although I'm not there to tuck you in every tonight, you have to know that a part of my heart stays home with you."

Featuring a book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Ragtime is a sweeping musical adaption of E.L. Doctorow’s novel that follows three fictional families in pursuit of the American Dream at the dawn of the 20th century: Black pianist Coalhouse Walker Jr. and his beloved Sarah, Jewish immigrant Tateh and his little girl, and a wealthy white family led by matriarch Mother. All grasping for the same dream, if only they can hold onto it.

Below, check out Tony winner Levy's conversation with Tamsen Fadal on The Broadway Show.

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