Rachel York will Star as Mother in Paper Mill Ragtime from June 8 - July 17
By: BWW News Desk May. 20, 2005
Patterson withdrew from Ragtime due to a family emergency, while York recently completed her well-reviewed run in Dessa Rose at Lincoln Center.
Based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime won the 1998 Tony Award for Best Musical, and features a book by Terence McNally, as well as lyrics and music by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (who also wrote Dessa Rose's score). Directed by Stafford Arima, the Paper Mill production will be modeled on the award-winning London version that Arima helmed. Liza Gennaro will choreograph, and David Loud will handle the music direction. The creative team for Ragtime includes set and costume designer Robert Jones, lighting designer Mark Stanley, sound designers Randy Hansen and Peter Hylenski, and hair and wig designer Bettie O. Rogers. The production stage manager is Richard C. Rauscher.
In addition to York, Ragtime will star Neal Benari as Tateh, Quentin Earl Darrington as Coalhouse Walker, Jr., David Hess as Father, Kenita Miller as Sarah, and Shonn Wiley as Younger Brother. The ensemble includes Alona Bach, Julie Bell, Allison Blackwell, Debra Cardona, Derrick Cobey, Jeff Cyronek, Garrett Eucker, Tom Gamblin, Adia Ginneh, JamAl Green, Kevin Hale, Emily Herring, Alison Mahoney, Kasey Marino, Kyle McLaughlin, Justin Lee Miller, Joe Reid, Greg Roderick, Kathryn Raskin, Daniel Lee Robbins, Kelly Janine Rucker, Matthew Scott, Byron J. St. Cyr, Greg Stone, Meredith Suttles, Scott Sussman and Betsy Wolfe.
Ragtime is a timeless tale of innocence lost and freedom won. The musical tells the story of Coalhouse Walker Jr., a fiery black piano man who demands retribution when his Model T is destroyed by a mob of white troublemakers. Walker's love interest is a young girl named Sarah who has been taken in by a WASP family ruled by "Father," a patriarchal figure who dominates his household and submissive wife with his overbearing presence. Tateh is a Jewish immigrant who unwittingly finds himself involved in the birth of the motion picture industry after inventing a flip book for his daughter. Ragtime takes us into the lives of these characters in a tale of turn-of-the-century America that also features such historical figures as Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington, J.P. Morgan and Henry Ford. The musical is patriotic and unyielding, celebrating America¹s greatness, persistence, vitality and hardships.
Ragtime begins performances on Wednesday, June 8th, 2005, with its opening night on Sunday, June 12th at 7:30 PM; it will run through Sunday, July 17th. The performance schedule is Wednesdays at 8:00 PM, Thursdays at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM, Fridays at 8:00 PM, Saturdays at 2:30 PM and 8:00 PM and Sundays at 2:00PM & 7:30PM.
Tickets, which range from $31 - $68, are on sale now. Student rush tickets are $16 and available day of performance in person with current ID. For tickets, call 973 376 4343 or order online at www.papermill.org.
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