A few hours after “Ragtime” won five Drama League awards, Ben Levi Ross was back in his Lincoln Center dressing room, urging himself to keep his eyes open as the production—now with 11 Tony nominations—prepares for the Tonys. The 28-year-old actor is coming of
A few hours after “Ragtime” claimed five Drama League awards last Friday, Ben Levi Ross was back in his dressing room at the Lincoln Center Theater—already thinking about what to do with the next moment.
“I just keep saying to myself, ‘Even though you’re tired, take everything in, take every second in, keep your eyes open, look around,’” Ross said. “Because this is rare, and this does not happen all the time.”
For Ross, the reason it feels rare isn’t only the attention surrounding the show. It’s also his own being nominated—and eligible—for a Tony award. In recent weeks, he won Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for his featured performance in the musical.
May has been especially busy for the “Ragtime” cast, who continue to take the stage for eight performances each week. The afternoon before the Drama League Awards—events that jointly honor the Broadway and off-Broadway communities in New York—Ross attended a Tonys “meet the nominees” luncheon with several costars. including show leads Joshua Henry. Caissie Levy and Brandon Uranowitz. The production received 11 Tony nominations overall.
Long after the rave critical reviews and the celebratory nature of opening night last fall, “Ragtime” is still drawing enthusiastic sold-out audiences eight times a week. For Ross, the Tony nominations feel like a reminder of where the show began.
“It gives you a moment to remember what it was like when we were first starting out — the magic that I felt in the rehearsal room. ” said Ross. who also starred in the off-Broadway production of “Ragtime” at New York City Center in late 2024. “It’s really rare that you get to be in a show with this many performances that are being recognized — not only by their fellow actors. but recognized by the community at large in this way.”.
Ross plays Mother’s Younger Brother. a wealthy young man who becomes radicalized over the course of the show and finds new direction for his life through political activism. Set in the early 1900s, the musical originally debuted on Broadway in 1998. Now. just shy of 30 years later. Ross says the revival carries urgency through its depiction of racism. classism. politics and the immigrant experience in America.
“The success of this revival of ‘Ragtime’ should tell producers that you can have a successful show that is nuanced. that is deep. complex. that faces the ugly truths in our society — and that when all of those things come together correctly. it can be a commercial hit. ” Ross said. “Those things don’t have to live on the fringes of the theater.”.
The cast is ramping up rehearsals for their performance at this year’s Tonys ceremony. which features live excerpts from the best musical nominees. Ross said that as a teenager he was “obsessed” with the original Broadway company’s Tonys performance of the show’s prologue. which he described as “musical theater at its highest form.” When asked whether they’ll present their own rendition this year. he stayed guarded.
“Because we’ve had five performance nominations, you can be pretty certain that all five of us will be highlighted in some way with our performance,” Ross added.
For Ross. this also isn’t his first time inside “Ragtime.” While he was a freshman in the drama program at Carnegie Mellon. he was cast in a quick cameo role for the school’s mainstage production. He said he wasn’t really aware of the bulk of the show at the time because he was doing schoolwork backstage the entire time. When he later went into City Center, he called it “pretty fresh.”.
He left school before graduation and made his Broadway debut as a company understudy for “Dear Evan Hansen. ” before starring in the titular role for the show’s national tour and later the Broadway production. In 2024. Ross originated one of the lead roles in off-Broadway musical “The Connector. ” which earned him his first Drama Desk nomination.
Heading into the remainder of his scheduled run with “Ragtime. ” Ross is focused on keeping the performance truthful and fresh while maintaining the emotional depth the show requires from each actor onstage. He’s also trying not to let the rush of awards season steal what the work demands on a daily basis.
“Sometimes, you just have to put your head down and do the work just to get through the week, and other times you can feel it a little bit more deeply,” he said. “Sometimes you get a reminder that this is not gonna last forever, so you better open your frigging eyes.”
Ben Levi Ross Ragtime Tony nominations Drama League Awards Drama Desk Awards Outer Critics Circle Awards Lincoln Center Theater Joshua Henry Caissie Levy Brandon Uranowitz Mother’s Younger Brother