Ragtime: Tiny Desk Concert

Why It Matters

The performance shows how Broadway can use digital platforms to amplify historic narratives about American identity, attracting new audiences and reinforcing the arts’ role in social discourse.

Key Takeaways

• Ragtime cast delivers intimate Tiny Desk performance of musical’s signature songs.
• Show explores early‑20th‑century American dreams, love, and racial justice.
• Cast highlights collaboration with 28‑piece orchestra and creative director.
• Performers urge listeners to share the story and its social message.
• NPR Music sponsorship noted; concert underscores theater‑to‑digital audience expansion.

Summary

The video captures the Broadway cast of “Ragtime” performing a stripped‑down set at NPR’s Tiny Desk, introducing the show’s narrative of families chasing the American Dream at the turn of the 20th century.

The performers emphasize the musical’s dual focus on hope and oppression, citing love, immigration, and racial justice as core motifs. They note the support of a 28‑piece orchestra and the guidance of director Lear DeBess, underscoring the production’s musical richness even in an intimate setting.

Memorable lines such as “Make them hear you” and “Our justice was denied” illustrate the cast’s call to action, urging listeners to carry the story beyond the stage. The dialogue also references the original novel by E.L. Doctorow and the score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens.

By translating a large‑scale Broadway piece to a digital‑first format, the Tiny Desk appearance expands Ragtime’s reach to younger, streaming‑savvy audiences and reinforces the relevance of its social commentary in today’s cultural conversation.

Original Description

Mitra I. Arthur | May 6, 2026

Ragtime is a tale of history repeating itself. The musical centers on figures from three communities — Black Americans, immigrants and upper class whites — in New York at the dawn of the 20th century and what the American dream means to them as they intersect and, at times, clash. Company members from the Tony-nominated, Lincoln Center Theater revival stop by the Tiny Desk to share a bit of that American dream.

The musical by Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty addresses the fraught topics of racial injustice, workers’ rights, immigration, women’s autonomy, technological innovation, celebrity worship and capitalism. Moreover, Ragtime explores the complexities of love, family, and community and what we owe each other. For a musical set in the early 1900s, these themes still ring loudly.

The journey into this show begins with “New Music,” a song that marks the monumental change that the show’s cast of characters face. Caissie Levy and Brandon Uranowitz’s performance of “Our Children” is a charming, parental reflection on the innocence of youth. Joshua Henry’s warm and enveloping voice perfectly compliments Nichelle Lewis’ sweet tone as their characters Coalhouse and Sarah imagine a bright future with their son in “Wheels of a Dream.” In “Journey On,” Colin Donnell, Uranowitz and Levy present very different relationships to America: one departing with a privileged passion for exploration, one settled in a cage of comfort, and one arriving with hope for better. As he performs “Make Them Hear You,” the show’s call to action, Henry implores: “Go out and tell our story.” That story is not just of the specific story of these characters or this musical, but of what they represent and what we can learn from them.

SET LIST

“New Music”

“Our Children”

“Wheels of a Dream”

“Journey On”

“Make Them Hear You”

MUSICIANS

Joshua Henry: vocals

Caissie Levy: vocals

Brandon Uranowitz: vocals

Colin Donnell: vocals

Nichelle Lewis: vocals

Ben Levi Ross: vocals

Danny Percefull: piano

Eric B. Davis: guitar

Chala Yancy: violin

Epongue Ekille: violin

Tia Allen: viola

Laura Bontrager: cello

TINY DESK TEAM

Producer: Mitra I. Arthur

Director/Editor: Kara Frame

Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell

Host/Series Producer: Bobby Carter

Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Elizabeth Gillis, Grace Raver

Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro

Production Assistant: Alina Edwards

Tiny Desk Team: Maia Stern, Ashley Pointer

Series Editor: Lars Gotrich

Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed

Executive Director: Sonali Mehta

Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton

#tinydesk #nprmusic #ragtime #broadway

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