Summary of this article
Joshua Henry made his debut at the Met Gala.
He's widely touted to receive a Tony nomination tomorrow for Ragtime.
His Met Gala performance melded a Whitney Houston cover with a brilliant visual spectacle.
Joshua Henry got the Met Gala 2026 off to a lush, stunning start.
Clad in a scarlet Bode suit, Joshua Henry delivered a showstopping rendition of Whitney Houston's “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” backed by a powerful 12-person choir, eight dancers, and a four-piece live band. He began the song in the Greek and Roman sculpture galleries before making his way into the lunar paradise that is presently the Met Gala’s Great Hall—and then onto the carpet, framed by great curtains of colorful wisteria. The intricate orchestration was seamless and electrifying.
With choreography by Ellenore Scott, who also served as an overall creative consultant for the performance, and music production by Joseph Abate, the dazzling moment instantly set an energetic tone for the event. Henry is currently starring as Coalhouse Walker Jr.in the Broadway revival of Ragtime.
Tomorrow, Tony nominations are set to be announced, and Henry and Ragtime are tipped to be in the running. Director Lear deBessonet described the show as holding “the promise and the wound of America next to each other.” Henry told Harper's Bazaar, “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.”
