Video: Brandon Uranowitz Talks RAGTIME on CBS Saturday Morning
Uranowitz discusses the show's ongoing relevance, and his own connection with it.
Watch Brandon Uranowitz, who currently stars as Tateh in the Broadway revival of Ragtime at Lincoln Center, discuss the show's ongoing relevance and his own personal connection to it on CBS Saturday Morning.
Uranowitz shared how he was part of the original production of Ragtime's pre-Broadway journey, having played The Little Boy in the show's Toronto run. He explained that even with bleaching his hair regularly, he did not quite look the part of "this young, WASPy child," and did not get to continue with the production once it moved to Broadway.
"That was very devastating, and, like, I harbored a lot of shame around it," Uranowitz said. "The story is about three very specific groups of people, and I was just not really aligned with the character that I was playing with, by virtue of my own identity. ... I didn't realize that, like, that wound was still, like, wide open, until I got to revisit the show and step into this material as a self-actualized person, as an adult, in a role that feels way more aligned with who I am."
He also discussed the show's ongoing relevance to current social and political situations.
"The devastating thing about the show is that it takes place at the turn of the 20th century, and so many of the themes are still happening today," he said. "Holding up the mirror to society and realizing that we've changed, we've moved forward, but we still have so much work to do as a country, it's devastating, and it also fills me with a deep sense of purpose, and I feel very grateful for it."
You can watch the full interview here!
