Today is November 5, 2024, Election Day for the United States of America. As with every Presidential Election, we Americans are flipping the page, preparing to write a new chapter of this country’s history.

The musical Ragtime examines a certain chapter of American history through a handful of characters from three groups in the New York City area at the turn of the century: Mother, Father, and the rest of their white, rich family of New Rochelle; Coalhouse Walker, Jr., Sarah, and the Black residents of Harlem; and Tateh, his daughter, and newly arrived immigrants in the Lower East Side.

With the two-week revival for New York City Center’s gala presentation, the continued relevance of Ragtime has us asking “How much has America actually changed in the last 125 years?” with a renewed sense of urgency. We talk with Tony nominee Joshua Henry (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.), Nichelle Lewis (Sarah), Tiffany Mann (Ensemble), and podcast alum Destinee Rea (Ensemble) at their press preview about the power of listening to that ragtime.