Ragtime: A Small Production That Hits Major Chords

Count me among those who consider Ragtime to be deserving of the same elite esteem given to such musicals as Show Boat, Oklahoma! and West Side Story. Overshadowed by the visually impressive The Lion King and the sexually charged revival of Cabaret during the 1997-98 season, Ragtime's relatively short original Broadway run of only two years is no indication of the extraordinary level of quality to be found in its book (Terrence McNally), music (Stephen Flaherty) and lyrics (Lynn Ahrens).

Unlike many musicals of its caliber Ragtime is not an innovative piece. It made no landmark advancements in subject matter, use of music or dance. It is simply a prime example of the high quality of writing that can uniquely exist in musical theatre when spoken words, sung words and music work in tandem.

Based on E.L. Doctorow's 1975 novel, Ragtime's story takes place in a time when the American people find they must begin to live up to the words written in their constitution. At the turn of the 20th Century the first generation of free American-born blacks was well into adulthood and still struggling to obtain the rights that only existed for them on paper. Meanwhile an enormous flood of immigrants from Europe came in through Ellis Island responding to promises of good jobs and opportunities for a better life, only to find themselves treated as industrial cogs for factory work under inhuman working conditions. McNally's book, taking after its source, nimbly mixes real life public figures such as Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington and Emma Goldman with the major plot involving three fictional families (an affluent white Protestant suburban family, an emerging black musician trying to reunite with the mother of his infant child and a newly arrived Jewish immigrant father with a young daughter) as the authors demonstrate the effects that history-makers had on the nameless millions who were learning they could not live cloistered from the other cultures sharing their country.

Flaherty's music contains quite a bit of ragtime, of course, but if you listen closely you'll hear the subtle differences in how the music is interpreted by each ethnic group. This is especially apparent in the show's opening sequence, arguably the best you'll find in all of musical theatre, where three groups of Americans, old and new, face each other and consider their uneasy futures together. Ahren's lyrics are rich with alliterations, colorful imagery and solid story-telling. Together they fill Ragtime with an assortment of anthems, marches and musical scenes respresentative of the era when American music began to take hold.

The Broadway production of Ragtime was certainly not a spectacle, but it did contain many large and elaborate sets which provided a tapestry of the different visions of America depicted. Most integral to the plot was a Model T Ford, an important symbol of American success and acceptance. This production, not exactly minimalist but certainly smaller, was first mounted by director Stafford Arima on London's West End. Now with an American cast, the impact of the exceptional material as performed by this fine ensemble is so vibrant and fulfilling that small theatre companies with modest budgets may be tempted to present even more threadbare productions of the show, confident they can be successful.

Robert Jones' set is primarily 14 glass panels beneath a stationary bridge, with occasional appearances by a scrim and a small number of set pieces, including chairs to represent the aforementioned car. It's lighting designer Mark Stanley's stunning work, creating moods and locations with this simple canvas, that is a major factor in the production's success. Although the specifics of an intricate set are gone, the stage never seems lacking for visuals. Jones also supplies fine and attractive period costume designs, complemented by Bettie O. Rogers' wigs.

Some cuts and revisions by the authors have trimmed the show down to a sleek two hours and forty five minutes (including the intermission). This is a musical loaded with symbolism and Arima fills the stage with iconic visions creating an uneasy nostalgia when you consider the musical's ever-present possibility of violence. Liza Gennero supplies lively period choreography that includes clever use of minimal props.

Rachel York is simply luminous in the role of Mother, the New Rochelle wife left in the unfamiliar position of making hard decisions while her husband is off exploring the North Pole with Admiral Peary. Choosing to follow her heart instead of the rules of her society when she finds an abandoned black child in her garden, York displays a rising maturity and poise as the story moves onward, and a singing voice that rises from sweetly demure to glorious.

As Coalhouse Walker, Jr., the well-spoken black piano player whose eloquence and refusal to surrender his own rights makes him especially hated among white bigots, Quentin Earl Darrington is a burly man with a powerful presence and a voice to match. Kenita R. Miller, as his lover Sarah, has a light vocal touch with her first song, the tragically-laced lullaby, "Your Daddy's Son", but when the two team together for the anthem of American optimism, "Wheels of a Dream", it is a truly thrilling moment.

Neal Benari's role of the immigrant Jew, Tateh, who eventually becomes a big-shot in the growing motion picture industry, supplies many of the musical's lighter moments and is played with a loving warmth and charisma. David Hess is sympathetic in the rather thankless role of Father, a man who sees his elitist way of life slipping away from him, as is Shonn Wiley as Younger Brother, a passionate young man whose who stumbles into becoming an anarchist while looking for a direction in life.

The supporting players and chorus members make up an excellent ensemble, especially under music director David Loud and his nineteen piece orchestra.

With Independence Day coming near, Ragtime is a terrific reminder of the multiculturalism that makes this country unique and wonderful. Coincidentally, it is the same multiculturalism that contributed to the development of the Broadway musical, making it a uniquely American art form.