Joshua Henry, who is currently starring as Coalhouse Walker Jr.in the Broadway revival of Ragtime, is making his Met Gala debut this evening—and performed on the carpet as festivities kicked off. Wearing a red suit, Henry was photographed singing supported by a large group of background dancers.
He performed a cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
Henry on the Met Gala steps.
Tomorrow, Tony nominations are set to be announced, and Henry and Ragtime are favored to be included. “Ragtime holds the promise and the wound of America next to each other,” the show’s director Lear deBessonet told Town & Country. “Because it follows so many characters wrestling with their American dreams, it invites each of us to find our own way in. Finding a place to come together and connect on a human, emotional level feels precious and necessary.”
“I’m in a flow of exactly what I’m supposed to be doing right now. I love that audiences are being moved [by Ragtime]; they’re able to feel it in a visceral way,” Henry told Harper’s Bazaar. “It’s also a strange sensation to know that there are artists who don’t have a voice and are struggling to tell stories. There’s a lot of confusion. There’s a lot of mistrust. It’s a mixed bag, what I feel, being able to live this amazing dream.”
He added, “Some people say, ‘You’re not changing the world. You’re singing, dancing, and acting.’ But the ability to help people feel and empathize changes how they see their neighbor, how they see the person on the left or on the right.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.