In a Ragtime revival brimming with goosebump-inducing performers, Ben Levi Ross’ transformative portrayal of Mother’s Younger Brother was a standout. His sheepish, “aw shucks” affect in the first act begat a gut-wrenching second act payoff as the pivotal character careened around the tight zags of the historical drama-musical, ultimately landing a far cry from where he started. One of the show’s most striking character evolutions, the display of theatrical prowess netted Ross a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

Raised in Santa Monica, California, Ross grew up doing community theater and “obsessed with Sondheim,” until he set off for Carnegie Mellon University’s theater program—which consisted largely of crew work in its first year, he says. That following summer, he participated in a theater apprenticeship program at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts only to find himself once again in the throes of laborious stagecraft. After ten days, he absconded in the night to New York City in pursuit of the stage. In a few months, he was understudying the titular lead in Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen, before taking on the role on its national tour later that year. He dropped out of CMU, and has lived in New York City ever since. “I had never quit anything in my life before [Williamstown],” says Ross, who views the transgression as his “number one example of listening to your gut.” 

After a short stint in the New York City Center Encores! production of Ragtime in late 2024, Ross brought his performance as Mother’s Younger Brother to Broadway at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater. “This whole year has been incredibly affirming to me,” Ross grins. When we chatted this summer, he was nearing the end of his time in the show, which marked Ross’ first time originating a character in a Broadway revival. “It was a year of a lot of firsts, and it made me feel like I was exactly where I was supposed to be.”

His voice lights up recounting his night at the Tony Awards, when the Ragtime cast performed the intricate “Prologue.” “It reminded me of being a little kid, making something with your friend at a sleepover and being like, ‘mom, you have to watch our show now.’ It’s cool to perform a show you’re really proud of in front of the community of people that loved it.” 

Ross is not one to relish in endings (“I’m an incredibly painfully nostalgic person—when I was turning 15, I was crying because I didn’t want to not be 14 anymore,” he says), but views the future with optimism. “It’s such a corny actor thing to say, but there will never be a time where I feel like I’ve reached a proper ending of what the role is and will be. It’s just where I let go of it.” Going forward, Ross is working on making music as Boychik (a moniker under which he released his gorgeous self-titled indie-pop album in 2022), and is eager to thrive in the afterglow of his acclaimed performance: “I’m really finishing this job feeling like I have the wind in my sails.” 

This story appears in the pages of VMAN 57: now available for purchase!

Photography Isaac Anthony

Fashion Arut Arustamyan

Grooming Ben Jones (The Only Agency) using Oribe & MERIT

Editor Kev Ponce

Fashion Market Editor Gabby Buchan

Executive Producer Kevin Warner (WAK Creative)

Production Manager Nick Lambrakis

Production Coordinator Drew Bosset

Lighting Technician Andrew Beadsworth

Digital Technician Katelyn Markham O’Halloran

Styling Assistant Galina Vyrva, Sienna Young, Copelyn Bengel

Grooming Assistant Marin Mullen

Production Assistant Juliet Lloyd

Director of Editorial Film Mynxii White

Location Minetta Lane Theatre