Reviewed
by Judy Richter
Producing "Ragtime," the musical based on E.L. Doctorow's novel, is a daunting task because it requires a huge cast of singer-actors and precise staging, but Broadway By the Bay, a community company, meets the challenge beautifully. With staging by artistic director Brooke Knight, musical direction by Mark Hanson and choreography by Berle Davis, "Ragtime" is yet another triumph for this company.
The
timing seems fortuitous, given the nation's shame and horror at what happened
in New Orleans as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The plight of the mostly black,
mostly poor people who were stranded in the ravaged city exposed a dirty
national secret: Class and race differences persist despite our
best-intentioned efforts.
Although
it is set in New Rochelle, N.Y., in 1906, nearly a century ago,
"Ragtime" resonates with class and race differences as it focuses on
three families: a well-off white family in New Rochelle, a black family from
Harlem and an immigrant Jewish family from Europe. It also includes some
well-known people of the time. The way that the musical's author, Terrence
McNally,
composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens weave their stories together has
resulted in one of the greatest American musicals of the late 20th century.
"Prologue: Ragtime," which introduces the whites, blacks and immigrants is truly
one of the most memorable scenes ever, and BBB does it full justice.
The
story starts with the New Rochelle family, which includes Father (Gregory A.
Tittle), Mother
(Susan Himes Powers), Mother's Younger Brother (Nicholas Kealy), Grandfather (John Musgrave) and the Little Boy, Edgar (Andrew
Sanford).
They're wealthy enough that Father can afford to go on a year-long expedition
to the North Pole with Adm. Robert E. Perry. While he's gone, Mother finds an
abandoned, black, newborn boy in her garden and takes him into her home along
with his mother, Sarah (Dawn L. Troupe). Eventually the baby's father, Coalhouse Walker
Jr. (Kieleil DeLeon), a ragtime pianist, is joyfully reunited with them. Coalhouse has
big dreams for himself, Sarah and their son, but an encounter with a group of
redneck firemen led by Willie Conklin (Matthew Ferretti) results in a tragic end for him
and Sarah.
In
the meantime, an immigrant artist, Tateh (Tim Reynolds), arrives in New York City with
his daughter, the L ittle Girl (Carly Cozad). His wife is dead and he has no
money, yet he's full of hope for a better life in America. He faces hardships
worse than he encountered in his homeland, but eventually his persistence and
talent pay off.
As
for the white family, they represent a spectrum of attitudes. Grandfather asks
Coalhouse if he knows "any coon songs," while Father, though civil,
refuses to shake Coalhouse's hand. Mother's Younger Brother is a firebrand who
finds what he's looking for in the speeches of Emma Goldman (Linda Piccone), who advocates better
conditions for factory workers. Mother sees Sara and the baby as people who
need her help even though she has had little contact with black people before.
She's the one who changes the most, starting as a woman totally dependent on
her husband and ending as a woman who thinks and acts for herself.
Except
for Ferretti, whose Willie Conklin could be more menacing, all of these actors
develop their characters well, and most of them are excellent singers,
especially Powers, Tittle, DeLeon, Reynolds and Kealy. Troupe as Sarah has a
good voice, but her phrasing (where she breathes) could be better. Also
noteworthy in the cast are James Creer as Booker T. Washington, Stephen Perez as Harry Houdini and Carrie
Madsen Olson as
Evelyn Nesbit. However, the orchestra sometimes overpowers the singers, and the
trumpets need to blend better and play their staccato notes more cleanly.
Davis'
choreography is outstanding, especially for the Harlem ensemble. The sets are
from Theatreworks,
the costumes from TheatreWorks and Foothill Music Theatre. Lighting is by Michael
Ramsaur, sound
by Sound on Stage.
"Ragtime"
is truly a great show, and this is a terrific production.
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