Written by Kendyll Romine
Photo provided by Ragtime Facebook Event
“We have different lives and faces, but our hearts have common places.” This is a line from the show and the overall theme that runs throughout the musical drama “Ragtime,” SCAD’s Performing Arts spring finale. And what a finale it is.
“Ragtime,” the 1998 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Arhens and book by Terrence McNally, gives a sweeping picture of America 100 years ago, spanning the years 1906 to 1914. But don’t expect a dusty old tale from your history textbook about long ago people and problems: this story is all too relevant, and the players bring such life and passion to their characters that they become as real as the audience members sitting next to you.
“Ragtime” tells the story of several people from three different worlds: the White upper class families of New Rochelle, the African-American people of Harlem, and the Jewish immigrants from Europe. All are searching for that ever-elusive American dream, both for themselves and their families. For Tateh, a Latvian immigrant, this means a healthy comfortable life for his daughter. For Coalhouse Walker Jr., an African-American ragtime pianist, this means justice and equality for himself and his people. And for the upper class family led by Father and Mother – who seem to already have the American dream – it means facing the changing world around them and choosing to either embrace or reject it.
Whether it’s the struggle for financial stability, rejection of traditional gender roles, or the ongoing battle against racial injustice, the interweaving stories of these three worlds are still glaringly relevant today. Opening night’s audience seemed immediately invested in the story of these characters, having audible reactions to their struggles and triumphs throughout the evening.
The show is nothing short of an epic, from its huge ensemble of characters to its lush, sweeping score that encompasses the music of the era, including patriotic anthems, vaudeville pastiche – and of course – toe-tapping ragtime. The enormous cast sings the music with the energy and finesse of a professional company, nearly bringing the audience to its feet after just the opening number.
The fictional characters are played with so much life that they almost feel like real people. Kat Moser shines as Mother, the matriarch of the upper class family. She begins the show as a poised picture of the ideal wife and mother, but ends it as a strong-willed woman who walks with open arms towards the dawn of progress in the coming century in her soaring ballad, “Back to Before.” Jeff DeBoer, as her husband plays Father with a warmth and sincerity that makes him likable despite his old-fashioned worldview. The rest of the family play their parts well; particularly Ford Alexander Phillips as Mother’s Younger Brother. Phillips deftly balances a conflicted and confused character. Aaron Catano portrays the Jewish immigrant Tateh with heartbreaking passion, spending almost every moment onstage showing his love for his daughter, and his desperation to give her a better life. Christian Magby is magnetic as Coalhouse Walker Jr., both in his upbeat moments like the “Gettin’ Ready Rag,” and in his fury as he demands justice, especially in his 11 o’clock number “Make Them Hear You.” Bradleigh Watlington plays Coalhouse’s fiancé Sarah with a beautiful sorrow, bringing the audience to an awed hush with her lullaby “Your Daddy’s Son.”
Equally passionate are the supporting actors portraying real-life historical figures that show up throughout the show. Amber Hancock plays a determined Emma Goldman, inhabiting the riveting spirit of a revolutionary anarchist. Halley Daigle is a pitch-perfect vaudeville diva in the role of Evelyn Nesbitt, and Tony Davidson is a grand and sophisticated activist as Booker T. Washington.
The scenic design by Rodrigo Escalante expertly complements the show, framing the stage with an immense proscenium that, with the help of Jordan Wiggins’s old-fashioned lighting, give turn-of-the-century flavor to the setting. Platforms and staircases on either side help give depth and height to the onstage picture, and occasional projections complement the onstage action. Period costuming by Dawn Testa illustrates the characters and setting, especially in showing the different people groups in the opening number.
The show closes with a powerful number of hope and optimism as the characters look towards the rest of the century to come. A hundred years later, it now seems more important than ever to look back at where we have come, to learn and move forward, as Coalhouse says, “on the wheels of a dream.”
Don’t miss out on “Ragtime,” the final show is today, Sunday May 17 at 3 p.m. at the Lucas Theater. Tickets are available through the Savannah Box Office.
