Video: THE SIMPSONS Spoofs RAGTIME in 'Henry Ford' Parody Musical Number

A recent episode of The Simpsons featured a spoof of a song that Broadway fans may recognize! In a scene featuring Mr. Burns at a nuclear power plant, the cartoon program included a parody of "Henry Ford" from Ragtime. Though there are changed lyrics that reflect "Monty Burns" rather than the titular Ford, the keen Broadway fan's ear couldn't miss this familiar tune!

Check out the video!

Ragtime is a musical with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally. It is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow.

Set in the early 20th century, Ragtime tells the story of three groups in the United States: African Americans, represented by Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Harlem musician; upper-class suburbanites, represented by Mother, the matriarch of a white upper-class family in New Rochelle, New York; and Eastern European immigrants, represented by Tateh, a Jewish immigrant from Latvia. The show also incorporates historical figures such as Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit, Booker T. Washington, J. P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Stanford White, Harry Kendall Thaw, Admiral Peary, Matthew Henson, and Emma Goldman.

There have been several productions of Ragtime, including Broadway, London, and beyond. A recent concert production was held earlier this year, benefitting the Entertainment Community Fund (previously The Actors Fund) on held March 27, 2023, at the Minskoff Theatre. Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA also presented Ragtime as part of its 2023-2024 season in a production directed by Mathew Gardiner.