Encore! Cast Performing Arts to Present RAGTIME at the Dr. Phillips Center, 7/9-10
RAGTIME is set at the dawn of a new century when everything is changing...and anything is possible. In the volatile melting pot of turn-of-the-century New York, three distinctly American tales are woven together - that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring, young Harlem musician - 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.
The Tony-winning score is just as diverse as the melting pot of America itself, drawing upon many musical styles from the ragtime rhythms of Harlem and Tin Pan Alley to the klezmer of the Lower East Side, from bold brass band marches to delicate waltzes, from up-tempo banjo tunes to period parlor songs and expansive anthems. A unique and powerful portrait of America, RAGTIME is sure to inspire actors and audiences alike.
Last year, Encore! collaborated with the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts to perform a fully-staged concert production of Elton John and Tim Rice's AIDA, the latest in a long line of well-received productions designed for all ages. Reviews touted Encore's AIDA as "an absolutely gorgeous and accomplished production" that "could be translated from the stage at Dr. Phillips Center to NYC's famed Lincoln Center." With a performance of this caliber, Encore! raised $15,000 to support education programming at the Dr. Phillips Center. This year, Encore! looks to bring an even larger and more mesmerizing production with RAGTIME.
Encore! was formed by a handful of Disney Cast Members with a passion for music, searching for a way to give back to the community. Encore! is dedicated to providing Disney Cast Members and their families an outlet for creativity and expression in the performing arts, as well as supporting charities that make Central Florida a better place to live.
Encore! Cast Performing Arts has a history of presenting concerts that benefit local charities, and since its inception in 2002, this all-volunteer organization has presented more than 15 concerts and raised more than a quarter-of-a-million dollars for charitable organizations. In 2011, Encore! selected the Dr. Phillips Center as the beneficiary of the proceeds from the summer concert, and Encore! was designated a Founding Donor of the arts center.
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