Oprah Winfrey Poses Backstage with the Cast of RAGTIME

Lincoln Center Theater’s Broadway revival of Ragtime just welcomed a very special guest to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre! Earlier this week, the one and only Oprah Winfrey saw the Tony-winning revival and visited the cast backstage. Check out photos below!

Oprah has yet to star in a Broadway show, however she produced both the original production and 2016 revival of The Color Purple. 

Originally scheduled as a 14-week engagement that began last September, Ragtime will now offer a new, final block of tickets (August 2 through August 16), available now online and at the Lincoln Center Theater box office.

Ragtime currently stars 2026 Tony Award winner Joshua Henry, 2026 Tony Award winner Caissie Levy, Brandon Uranowitz, Colin Donnell, Nichelle Lewis, Ben Levi Ross, Shaina Taub, Anna Grace Barlow, John Clay III, Rodd Cyrus, Nick Barrington, and Ellie May Sennett.

They are joined by Nicholas Barrón, Lauren Blackman, Allison Blackwell, Briana Carlson-Goodman, Ben Cherry, Jordan Chin, Eean Sherrod Cochran, Billy Cohen, Kerry Conte, Rheaume Crenshaw, Aerina DeBoer, Ellie Fishman, Jason Forbach, Ta’Nika Gibson, Jackson Parker Gill, David Jennings, Alijah Joseph, Marina Kondo, Brandon LaVar, Morgan Marcell, Jenny Mollet, Tom Nelis, Kent Overshown, Kayla Pecchioni, John Rapson, Matthew Scott, Deandre Sevon, Alyssa Shorte, Caleb Stallings, Jacob Keith Watson, and Alan Wiggins. Destinee Rea will join the company in the ensemble beginning in June.

Directed by Kewsong Lee Artistic Director Lear deBessonet, Lincoln Center Theater’s limited engagement of Ragtime set a new box office record at the Vivian Beaumont Theater and recently won four Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Joshua Henry), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Caissie Levy), and Best Sound Design of a Musical (Kai Harada); five Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical (Joshua Henry) Outstanding Lead Performer in a Musical (Caissie Levy), Outstanding Featured Performer in a Musical (Ben Levi Ross), Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Lear deBessonet); five Outer Critics Circle Awards including Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Lead Performer in a Broadway Musical (Joshua Henry), Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Musical (Ben Levi Ross), Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Lear deBessonet), Outstanding Video/Projection Design (59 Studio); as well as three Drama League Awards including Outstanding Revival of a Musical, Outstanding Direction of a Musical (Lear deBessonet), and Distinguished Performance (Joshua Henry). Caissie Levy also received Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater Award at the 2026 ceremony.

Featuring a Tony Award-winning score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, Tony Award-winning book by Terrence McNally, and Tony Award-winning orchestrations by William David Brohn, Ragtime weaves fictional narratives with real historical figures and events, creating a rich tapestry that blurs the line between personal struggle and national identity, making history feel both intimate and epic.

The creative team for Ragtime includes Ellenore Scott (choreography), David Korins (scenic design), Linda Cho (costume design), Adam Honoré & Donald Holder (lighting design), 2026 Tony Award winner Kai Harada (sound design), 59 Studio (projection design), Tom Watson (hair & wig design), Ann James (sensitivity specialist), and The Telsey Office, Craig Burns, CSA (casting).