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Ragtime

Ragtime is based on the same-named epic novel by E.L. Doctorow. In 1994, Garth Drabinsky, a Canadian theater producer, got permission to turn Doctorow's story into a musical. Ragtime, the novel, came out in 1975 and was a historical fiction based on actual occurrences in New York City during the turn of the twentieth century. Emma Goldman, Henry Ford, Evelyn Nesbit, J.P. Morgan, and Harry Houdini are all real people who play essential roles in both the book and the musical.

The Story

Ragtime by Ahrens and Flaherty is a compelling epic about life in America. Three families struggle to make it in the unpredictable "melting pot" of New York City at the turn of the twentieth century in pursuit of the American ideal.

The musical brings about how the American experience is full of contradictions, such as wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, and hope and despair.

An affluent white couple, a Jewish immigrant father and daughter who never knew her mother, and a black ragtime performer all cross paths during the course of the act. Together, they learn about the surprising ways hearts are connected, the limits of justice, and the unsettling things that happen when dreams are put off for good.

Productions

The first performance of Ragtime was in Toronto, Canada, in December 1996. Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty wrote the music for the show, and Terrence McNally wrote the book. Frank Galati directed the show, and Graciela Daniele choreographed the musical. In June 1997, the first American production opened in Los Angeles, where it continued to perform. Finally, the show opened on Broadway in 1998.

In 2009, a stripped-down version of the show was put on at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and it then moved to Broadway's Neil Simon Theater. The show had sneak peeks starting on October 23, 2009, and opened to the public on November 15, 2009.

Stephanie Umoh played Sarah, Quentin Earl Darrington played Coalhouse Walker Jr., Christiane Noll played Sarah's mother, Robert Petkoff played Tateh, Bobby Steggert played Sarah's younger brother, Donna Migliaccio played Emma Goldman, and Ron Bohmer played Coalhouse Walker Sr (Father). Marcia Milgrom Dodge was in charge of the show's direction and choreography. This was the first time Ragtime was brought back to Broadway, and any 1990s musical was brought about. Even though critics liked the show when it first opened, it ended on January 10, 2010, after 28 previews and only 65 performances.