Rags at Goodspeed

[AGussBway]

Posted: 10/12/17 at 11:25pm

I've been a lurker on these boards for years, but felt compelled to finally share.... Rags has always been one of my favorites, so I went out to see this production tonight and was blown away! I'm surprised no one is talking about it. Much of the good remains, but there's a brand new plot, some new characters...Anyone know what they're trying to do with this? It seems like it must be Broadway bound? Anyone else going?

[BroadwayKid64]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 12:17am

I actually asked about this a while ago when they did an industry reading in NY. The music is incredible. Anyone have an audio?

[BroadwayKid64]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 12:21am

The pics look great. Does it look that good in real life?

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-First-Look-at-Samantha-Massell-and-More-in-Goodspeeds-RAGS-20171012

[MovieFreak19642]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 1:01am

I actually have plans to go this weekend. I've been a subscriber at Goodspeed for a while and most of my friends who have seen the production have raved that it's the best thing they've produced in years--very timely, poignant and with a breathtaking score. I'm really looking forward to it. 

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 2:14am

"Anyone know what they're trying to do with this? It seems like it must be Broadway bound?"

The authors have been revising this musical non-stop since it previewed in Boston. It has seldom been done twice in the same iteration. There was the rewritten version in Chicago, then the cut down version for The American Jewish Theatre in NYC, with a cast of nine and young David narrating the story. Yet another version was presented at Florida's Coconut Grove Playhouse before moving to Paper Mill Playhouse.  With each production, the authors hoped they had finally nailed it, which brings us to Goodspeed. I'm enthused to hear these positive reports as I've always had a soft spot for Rags. The glorious score has never been the problem and, hopefully, this time they wrestled the unwieldy book into focus. You can bet they're hopeful, as always, of this version having a further life.

[markypoo]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 9:42am

Wilmingtom:

Would you kindly elaborate as to just what you mean by the rewritten version in Chicago?

I happened to see it - as well as the original Broadway production - have full audios of both, and don't recall much of a difference between the two; if any at all.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 9:44am

I would love to this! The score is gorgeous. Probably not something that would come to Broadway as a commercial production but maybe Roundabout? MTC?

[bwaylistener]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 9:54am

I'm so glad you posted this. Definitely going to try to catch it now! Thanks!

[AGussBway]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 10:23am

Though not perfect, the story/book definitely feels focused. And as a fan of the original, I can assure that other fans of the show/score will be really, really surprised with what's been done here. David does not narrate, nor is there any sort of narration device. 

[raddersons]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 12:24pm

Keep in mind I did see one of the first performances of it, so more is bound to change (including adding a new song this week written by Stephen Schwartz). I'm hoping the set gets a little nicer, the performances get stronger, and some revisions really get it there! But where it stands right now... I was pretty bored!

Aesthetically, I thought it looked pretty cheap in person -- Prince of Broadway cheap. I'm unfamiliar with the typical quality of work at Goodspeed, so maybe this is par for the course. Oddly enough, I think the design worked very well for the staging, especially with the turntable. But the actual pieces themselves looked... not great. 

I was really looking forward to this show but it didn't reach where I was hoping. I was entirely unfamiliar with the story and only knew the song "Rags". I walked out feeling... as if there are better Jewish immigrant stories out there. I felt as if I'd seen this before. Ragtime takes the same aesthetic and similar themes, but fleshes plot out with two additional lenses. Indecent throws in some queer identity and holocaust tragedy. For me, it wasn't enough to stand alone.

Not sure if this is new material or not, but there was a white rich chorus that showed up a lot during the first act that kept saying they're going to "take their country back" from immigrants. Seemed like an interesting angle to take (especially in the Trump era)... but then it didn't really go anywhere. 

[DWilliams3]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 1:15pm

Respectfully, I could not disagree more with your take. Still needs work at the beginning but this is going to surprise people - particularly anyone who has ever seen a prior version of the show.  

bway bound imo. 

 

  

 

 

   

  

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 1:31pm

I'm curious who you think the audience is for this on Broadway?

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 3:01pm

Markypoo, the Chicago production I refer to was at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse. And to call it "rewritten" is probably too far reaching. As I recall the changes mostly had to do with cuts and perhaps the juxtaposition of a couple songs but by no means was it a major rewrite. It was long ago and, having seen every version since, I can't swear to anything. Surely you're better positioned, having the tapes, to comment with more authority than I.

[raddersons]

Posted: 10/13/17 at 5:51pm

DWilliams3 said: "Respectfully, I could not disagree more with your take. Still needs work at the beginning but this is going to surprise people - particularlyanyone who has everseen a priorversion of the show.

bway bound imo."

I'm also not Jewish even though I grew up in a predominately Jewish neighborhood, so while I can understand Jewish immigrant stories and feel for them, it's not my story, so I'm not going to have quite as strong a connection.

I'm also typically a total Nancy on these forums as well, and have pretty high expectations so... I hope this doesn't stop anyone from seeing it!

[JayG 2]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 7:06am

Wilmington, the Paper Mill did Rags? When? 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 8:07am

Papermill did Rags in 1999.

 

http://www.playbill.com/article/strouse-schwartz-stein-revisal-of-rags-begins-nj-paper-mill-run-nov-3-com-85190

[markypoo]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 10:00am

I also seem to recall the N.Y. Post touting a Houston (?) production as a potential Broadway-bound a few years ago; financed by the same guy who sent out both the Parade and Whistle Down the Wind tours. 

Did it ever see the light of day?

[AGussBway]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 10:44am

Houston? I can't seem to find any info on that one online...?

[markypoo]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 11:01am

Well; wherever and whenever, Michael you-know-who was talking it up, and saying how Rags was due for a renaissance.

[AGussBway]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 11:22am

Thanks for clarifying, Markypoo. 

Also, Raddersons, while I see your point of view, I actually didn't feel that it was such a Jewish story... I saw it as an immigrant story, which I connected given my own heritage and, of course, everything that's going on right now. 

[BroadwayKid64]

Posted: 10/14/17 at 6:48pm

Does anyone have a song list?? Or an audio??

[MovieFreak19642]

Posted: 10/15/17 at 11:51pm

I saw the show today...song list below:

ACT ONE

If We Never Meet Again

Greenhorns

Brand New World

The Vow (which I think is a new song?)

Fabric Of America

Bella’s Song

Meet an Italian

Shabbos / Latin Mass 

Children of the Wind (Prelude) / If We Never Meet Again (Reprise)

Take Our City Back

Little Lady

For My Mary

Blame it on a Summer Night

Take Our Country Back

The Vow (Reprise)

Rags

ACT TWO

On the Fourth Day Of July

Yankee Boy

Uptown

Bread & Freedom

Easy For You / Wanting (but Easy For You was nowhere in sight)

Bella’s Song (Reprise)

Bread & Freedom (Reprise)

Rags (Reprise)

Three Sunny Rooms

Kaddish

Bella’s Song (Reprise) / If We Never Meet Again (Reprise)

Bread & Freedom (Reprise) 

Children Of the Wind

Finale

 

 

Very tired right now, but will write a full report tomorrow. 

[MovieFreak19642]

Posted: 10/16/17 at 5:22pm

So as promised, here are some thoughts after seeing the show (Sunday Eve) this weekend...

1. This is really a new show. I'm not horribly familiar with the original, but from everything I've read/heard, this RAGS a 180...and I think for the better. The story focuses on Rebecca and her desire to make a better world for his son and ends up in a tenement apartment with a family that makes dresses all day. The notes in the program say that the "revisal" was inspired by the Tenement Museum, which was super interesting to me. Samantha Massell is fantastic as Rebecca. I could listen to her sing all day...and the rest of the small cast (only 15) is strong. Not a weak one in the bunch. 

2. So the new book is pretty good. I think they have some room to make cuts/adjustments...Act 1 runs about 1:20 and Act 2 about 55...definitely didn't feel like it at times and the audience I was in was glued to their seats. There is an idea of a Waspy quintet (which I don't think exists in any other version) that is particularly interesting and timely. They disappear during Act 2 which should be addressed since they are such a presence in Act 1. Overall, the new book is much funnier than I thought it would be, but some things are definitely not worth the time they spend on them. 

3. Some specific changes that I thought were interesting...Blame It On a Summer Night is now a duet between Rebecca and Sal (essentially Saul in the original). Rebecca sings Rags at the end of Act 1 after she and Bella are beat up on their way uptown. Three Sunny Rooms is now a number that features Rachel and Avram AND Bella and Ben--it's a very charming little scene/song.

4. And as you might have seen from the song list, many of the songs from the original have been cut or have been radically rewritten as new songs. David Loud did some really impressive arrangements as well. 

5. Design wise, they have a turntable that houses the entire tenement and many scenes/sequences are continuous throughout the two rooms (we never see another room that apparently exists). Pretty well executed. Honestly it seemed like the design team did a lot with the little that they had...lots of effective use of projection, particularly in the finale. 

7. So getting Rebecca to sing Rags at the end of the first act felt a little out of character to me...we spend an hour plus watching this force of nature survive and the prejudice she experiences is very little then suddenly she gets slapped by some Irish guys and goes on a rant and concludes that she's "just one more Jew in her Rags"...it's good that they're trying to have the main character sing the title song, but there needs to be more conflict to lead up to it...

Overall, I really liked it. There's a lot of good that is happening. Like I said, I still think they need to trim 5-10 minutes out of Act 1 (at least) and shave some of Act 2--and I would throw in more actual conflict, which would probably help with the "boredom" comment someone mentioned previously. That said, the audience leapt to their feet at the beginning of the curtain call...

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/17/17 at 12:42am

Sounds like something for Roundabout. Maybe at the Pels? 

[JBradshaw]

Posted: 10/17/17 at 1:08am

Also the walnut street theatre in Philadelphia did the show in 2000 - I really liked the production.  

Also there was also a aids day production in 2006 w Carolee Carmello and Eden Espinosa. 

http://www.playbill.com/article/carolee-carmello-to-star-in-rags-concert-edelman-also-joins-cast-com-135968