Show guide
Ragtime
Ragtime is a sweeping musical drama that weaves together three American families at the turn of the twentieth century, set against a backdrop of immigration, industry, and social change. It opened on Broadway in 1998 and remains one of the most ambitious book musicals of its era.
- Broadway premiere
- 1998
- Music by
- Stephen Flaherty
- Genre
- Drama
- Setting
- 1900s
Ragtime: quick answers
What is Ragtime about?
- Ragtime follows three families in early 1900s America: a wealthy white family in New Rochelle, Harlem pianist Coalhouse Walker Jr. and his love Sarah, and Jewish immigrant Tateh, whose lives collide as Coalhouse's fight for justice turns violent.
When did Ragtime open on Broadway?
- Ragtime opened on Broadway on January 18, 1998, at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts and ran for 834 performances, closing on January 16, 2000. A Lincoln Center revival opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theater on October 16, 2025, and ran until August 16, 2026.
What kind of musical is Ragtime?
- Ragtime is an epic, dramatic book musical with an original score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens and a book by Terrence McNally. It adapts E. L. Doctorow's 1975 novel and won Tony Awards for its book and score.
Where and when is Ragtime set?
- Ragtime is set in and around New York in the early 1900s, chiefly in suburban New Rochelle and Harlem, with Tateh's immigrant story running alongside.
Has Ragtime played in London's West End?
- Ragtime played the West End at the Piccadilly Theatre from March to June 2003. London saw it again in a 2012 revival at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.
Is there a Ragtime movie?
- The musical and Milos Forman's 1981 film Ragtime both adapt Doctorow's novel; the film starred Howard Rollins as Coalhouse, Mary Steenburgen, Mandy Patinkin, and James Cagney in his final film. There is no film of the musical.
The story of Ragtime
Based on E.L. Doctorow's novel, Ragtime follows an upper class white family in New Rochelle, a Harlem musician and his sweetheart, and a Jewish immigrant and his young daughter as their lives intersect in New York around 1900 to 1910. The show uses these three intertwined threads to examine race, class, and the promise and limits of the American dream during a period of rapid modernization.
Historical figures move through the story alongside the fictional characters, giving the piece a documentary feel even as it stays rooted in intimate, personal stakes. The result is a musical that is as much about a changing nation as it is about the people trying to find their place within it.
The music and the makers
Ragtime's score, composed by Stephen Flaherty with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, blends ragtime piano, gospel, marches, and soaring theatrical ballads to reflect the many voices of the story. The music shifts character by character and community by community, so the sound of the show is genuinely varied rather than a single uniform style.
Flaherty and Ahrens built a score that leans on big, emotional set pieces alongside quieter character moments, giving the drama both scale and intimacy. It is widely regarded as one of the richest scores of the modern Broadway era.
Ragtime on Broadway
Ragtime premiered on Broadway in 1998 and quickly became known for its ambition, its large ensemble cast, and its willingness to tackle weighty historical themes through popular musical theatre. It has since become a favorite for revivals and regional productions because of its powerful score and its resonance with ongoing conversations about race and opportunity in America.
Audiences are drawn to Ragtime for the way it balances spectacle with sincerity, offering big theatrical moments without losing sight of the human stories at its center. It remains a touchstone for musicals that try to say something substantial about the country's history.
Ragtime: frequently asked questions
When did Ragtime open on Broadway?
Ragtime opened on Broadway in 1998.
Who composed Ragtime?
The music is by Stephen Flaherty, with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.
What is Ragtime based on?
It is based on E.L. Doctorow's novel of the same name and is set in the early 1900s.
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