Pepperdine Fine Arts Division Presents RAGTIME

The Pepperdine University Fine Arts Division Theatre and Music Departments present the musical Ragtime at 7:30 p.m. on November 15-16 and November 21-22, with matinee performances on Sunday, November 17 and Saturday, November 23 at 2 p.m., at the Malibu campus' Smothers Theatre.

Tickets, priced at $20 for the public, $10 for full-time Pepperdine students, and $16 for Pepperdine faculty and staff, are available now by calling (310) 506-4522 or online at arts.pepperdine.edu. For more information, please visit arts.pepperdine.edu/events/2019-2020-season/pepperdine-musical-ragtime.htm.

Set in the volatile melting pot of turn-of-the-century New York, three individuals-a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant, and a daring young Harlem musician-are united by their courage, compassion, and belief in the promise of the future. Together, they confront history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and what it means to live in America.

Adjunct Professor of Theatre Dance Kelly Todd directs the all-student cast, which features Noah Archibald, Syd DeMaria, Leyla Dillig, Lauren Drake, Julian Duncan, Josh Fredenburg, Jack Gerding, Joseph Hebel, Brit Hope, Brooke Moltrum, Adrian Patiño, George Preston, and Nathaniel Thompson.

"Ragtime is an epic musical drama rooted in historical fiction. Set in the early 1900s, it weaves together the stories of three parents and their children facing racial discrimination, sexism, and the persecution of immigrants-three issues still highly relevant today. It is a beautiful story of love, identity and forgiveness that asks us to examine our own moral compass. The music is stunning and this is the largest cast we have ever had on a Pepperdine stage. We are very excited to bring Ragtime to our community," Todd said.

This production deals with racial tension in the early 20th century and contains racial epithets and profanity.

Gold, Platinum, and Diamond members of the Center for the Arts Guild are invited to a special backstage tour before the November 21 performance.

The Seaver College Fine Arts Division offers students excellent training in the disciplines of studio art, art history, music, and theatre arts. A group of renowned faculty, who are revered in their fields as practicing scholars, artists and teachers, prepare students for careers in the arts and continued graduate study. With approximately 300 students in the division, the unique programs are designed to prepare and inspire students to develop critical thinking, nurture creativity, and create the highest level of art and scholarship.