By Kayla DeKraker
Broadway star Caissie Levy made a deeply personal decision to step away from a new musical in order to prioritize her young family — a choice that resonated with theater fans and working parents alike.
“I felt absolutely heartbroken and torn into a million different directions,” she told Parents of her decision to step away from “Mother” in the Broadway revival of “Ragtime” at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater. “It was very clear that I could not disappear [from home] for three months, which is what opening a new show entails.”
Levy announced her decision to fans last year on Instagram. She admitted she worried about people’s reaction, so she put her phone away for a while. When she returned to social media, she was surprised to see all the support.
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“I actually had to put my phone away for a day, because the kindness that people showed me and our family was so overwhelming. It didn’t occur to me that people would be so supportive, or that they would resonate so much with what I was saying and why I was doing it,” Levy said.
She added, “The main thing people reached out to me about was how liberated they felt that I put my family ahead of my career… That felt amazing to know that it maybe took that burden off of somebody else, too.”
Fans are still showering the actress with support.
“How wonderful!! And how great to be celebrated for the right decision!!” one person commented on Parents’ Instagram post about Levy. Another added, “Caissie, you will never regret your decision!”
This isn’t the first time Levy has shared the importance of prioritizing family. In an October Instagram post, she shared a photo of her two children and thanked her husband for supporting her career and their family.
In the caption of the post, she said, “The best husband/partner/human brought our babies to watch Ragtime this afternoon. It was so special. Their favorites were Coalhouse & Sarah (honestly, same) and they couldn’t understand why people were so ‘mean’ to Sarah (honestly, same).”
Levy’s story shows how hard it can be for working parents to balance career and family. Even for someone in the spotlight, the struggle is real. Her decision highlights the importance of choosing what matters most and reminds others that family is more important than anything.
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