Previews: RAGTIME THE MUSICAL at American Stage

Coming to American Stage in the Park on April 12 - May 14 is the 1998 Tony Award-winner for Best Score, Book, and Orchestrations, Ragtime the Musical. The show is set in the early 20th century and tells the story of three very different families: a wealthy white family, a poor black family, and a Jewish immigrant family. The families are brought together by their shared experiences of love, loss, and hope.

A nine-piece band with a large cast of 23 makes up the musical at Demens Landing Park.

Elizabeth Gelman and Clinton Harris star as Emma Goldman and Booker T Washington in the historical musical about America at its best and worst. It is a story about the promise of the American dream and the reality of racism and discrimination. In a fictionalized fashion, Ragtime the Musical also features real people like Henry Ford, JP Morgan, and Harry Houdini.

"What an incredible honor to be playing the woman J. Edgar Hoover said was the most dangerous woman in America," said Gelman. "She just stood for so many social issues that we are sadly still fighting for today. She was a really strong voice in trying to make it so that everyone was equal. She felt strongly from the anarchist point of view that ordinary people can make decisions and live their lives without the corrupting factors of the wealthy and the capitalistic system."

Gelman explained that it was a powerful experience to see how brave her character was. Goldman calls attention to the inequities that every other character goes through and gives them the courage to move forward and change.

"It's been really amazing to me to see how brave she was, especially a woman at that time, to be able to speak out and be such a proponent of something like free love - that everyone, whether heterosexual or homosexual, should be able to love who they want, and they should be able to make the lives that they want. She fought for women's rights and was thrown in jail quite a few times for advocating for birth control and telling women how to find birth control. It's been extraordinary learning about her, and I hope that her courage infuses me with the courage to live my life in that kind of way."

Harris agreed that both of their characters mirror each other. He said that his character was a proponent of self-control because resorting to violence has never served anyone. Instead, it's destroyed communities.

"He is fighting to represent less fortunate people who may not know the ropes to get into a brighter or better day in this free country we call America. Booker T Washington is really focused on character. One of his famous quotes is 'character is power.' He was a great promoter of education, learning, and advancing skills that you already have so that you know you're looked at in a more positive light in the world."

When asked why patrons will love this show, Harris responded that the outdoor set and lighting were stunning. Despite being outside, he believes the audience will be transported back in time to have a magical evening.

"I believe the audience will love this story because although it is a period piece, they will see the significance of today, and it will still have them ask the questions - how can we make the world we live in a better place? How can we operate in love and light?"

Gelman added, "The score is gorgeous and will just sweep people up. The voices in this cast are incredible. The show has comedic moments in the serious story. It is really relevant. It continues, sadly, to be this relevant. The issues happening - the powerful making it impossible for ordinary people to move forward and have the opportunities to speak their piece - still resonates. We are all here together and must work together to make this a better world."

Learn more and buy tickets at https://www.americanstage.org/shows/ragtime

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