Ragtime (musical)

Ragtime
Cover of cast recording
Music	Stephen Flaherty
Lyrics	Lynn Ahrens
Book	Terrence McNally
Basis	E.L. Doctorow's novel Ragtime
Productions	1996 Toronto 1998 Broadway 1998- 1999 U.S. Tour 2003 West End International productions 2009 Kennedy Center 2009 Broadway revival
Awards	Tony Award for Best Book Tony Award for Best Score Drama Desk for Best Musical Drama Desk Award for Best Book

Ragtime is a musical with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty.

Based on the 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime tells the story of three groups in America, represented by Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Harlem musician; Mother, the matriarch of a WASP family in New Rochelle, NY; and Tateh, a Latvian Jewish immigrant. Historical figures such as Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit, Booker T. Washington, J. P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Stanford White, Harry Kendall Thaw, Admiral Peary, Matthew Henson, and Emma Goldman also appear. The music includes marches, cakewalks, gospel and ragtime and is mostly sung-through.

Productions

Original Broadway production

The musical had its world premiere in Toronto, where it opened at the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts (later renamed the Toronto Centre for the Arts) on December 8, 1996, the brainchild of Canadian impresario Garth Drabinsky and his Livent Inc., the Toronto-production company he headed. The show had a pre-Broadway tryout in Los Angeles before opening on Broadway on January 18, 1998 as the first production in the newly renovated Ford Center for the Performing Arts (since renamed the Hilton Theatre, and now the Foxwoods Theatre). Directed by Frank Galati and choreographed by Graciela Daniele, Ragtime ran for two years, closing on January 16, 2000, after 834 performances. The original cast included Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, Peter Friedman and Audra McDonald, who were all nominated for Tony Awards, as well as Judy Kaye, Mark Jacoby and Lea Michele.

Ragtime received mixed reviews, many critics noting that the dazzling production (with an $11 million budget, including fireworks and a working Model T automobile) overshadowed problems in the script. Ben Brantley's review in the New York Times was headlined "A diorama with nostalgia rampant." It led the 1998 Tony Awards with thirteen Tony Award nominations, but the Disney's The Lion King won as Best Musical. The musical won awards for Best Featured Actress (McDonald), Original Score, Book, and Orchestrations. According to The New York Times, "The chief competition for The Lion King was Ragtime, a lavish musical." The New York Times also noted that "The season was an artistic success as well, creating one of the most competitive Tony contests in years, with a battle in almost every category capped by the titanic struggle for the best musical award between Ragtime with 13 nominations and The Lion King with 11." Ragtime was not financially successful, and some Broadway insiders consider its lavish production to have been the financial "undoing" of Livent.

2009 Broadway revival

The 2009 John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts production moved to Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre. Previews began October 23, 2009 and the show officially opened on November 15, 2009. The cast featured Stephanie Umoh (Sarah), Quentin Earl Darrington (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.), Christiane Noll (Mother), Robert Petkoff (Tateh), Bobby Steggert (Younger Brother), Donna Migliaccio (Emma Goldman) and Ron Bohmer (Father). The production was directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge. This was the first Broadway revival of the musical and the first Broadway revival of any 1990s musical. Ragtime opened to critical acclaim. The production closed on January 10, 2010 after 28 previews and 65 performances. This production had a large cast and orchestra, resulting in a significant weekly running cost that demanded the show be a popular success in order to prove financially worthwhile. "There had been rumors in recent weeks that the show would not be able to survive into early 2010; there was apparently not enough of an advance sale to encourage the producers." Despite the closing, the production received seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Revival of Musical, Best Direction, Best Actress in Musical, and Best Featured Actor in a Musical. One nomination, for Costume Design, was withdrawn.

2011 Off-West End production

The first off-West End production opened at the Landor Theatre on September 1, 2011. The cast featured Louisa Lydell (Mother), Rosalind James (Sarah), Kurt Kansley (Coalhouse Walker, Jr.) and John Barr (Tateh). The production was directed by Robert McWhir and produced by John-Webb Carter, Jason Ferguson and the Landor Theatre. This was the first professional London production following the 2003 West End production. Ragtime opened to critical acclaim. The limited run production closed on October 8, 2011. Time Out said Ragtime was "Confidently directed, orchestrated and performed, this production moves with the syncopated energy of ragtime and the urgent beat of a real heart." The production won three Off West End Theatre Awards for Best Ensemble, Best Lighting and Best Costumes. It was nominated for Best Musical Revival in the Whatsonstage Awards. Ragtime was nominated for Best Revival of a Musical in the BroadwayWorld UK Awards. It made the Time Out Best of 2011 list and was shortlisted for the Critics Circle Theatre Awards.

Other productions

Ragtime has become popular with regional theatre groups. Rights became available to high schools in 2004, after a performance by Baldwin Senior High School in Baldwin, NY.

In 2007, Ragtime opened at the White Plains Performing arts center, with an all professional equity cast, and was considered to be one of it's greatest regional productions.

In July 2008, PCPA Theaterfest on the Central Coast of California produced the show on a thrust stage, and then took it to an outdoor amphitheater in Solvang, California.

A new production opened at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, on April 18, 2009, and ran through May 17, 2009, with direction and choreography by Marcia Milgrom Dodge.

Following its European premiere in a concert performance at the Cardiff International Festival of Musical Theatre in 2002 (Which was later telecast on BBC Four), the musical was produced in the West End, London, by Sonia Friedman at the Piccadilly Theatre from 19 March 2003 - 14 June 2003. This production starred Maria Friedman in the role of Mother, for which she won the 2004 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

A production in Auckland, New Zealand opened at the Auckland Music Theatre in 2007. NewImi Theatricals produced Ragtime in Japan. Musik und Buehne has produced a German version of the show.^{[citation needed]}

The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre will present a production of "Ragtime" in its 2012 season.

Synopsis

Prologue

In the early 20th century, three major groups are introduced: upper-class suburban WASPs (Father, Mother, Mother's Younger Brother, Edgar, and Grandfather), African-Americans (Coalhouse Walker, a piano player, and his lover, Sarah), and Eastern European immigrants (Tateh and his daughter, Little Girl). Historical celebrities figure in these characters' lives.

Act I

As Father leaves on a voyage with Admiral Robert Peary ("Goodbye, My Love"), his ship passes a ship of Jewish immigrants bearing Tateh and the Little Girl, which is arriving in America. Father worries that Tateh "hasn't a chance" in America, while Tateh thinks Father a fool for leaving, and Mother yearns to travel with Father. ("Journey On"). Meanwhile, Evelyn Nesbit testifies in court ("Crime of the Century") as Younger Brother watches. Mother unearths a newborn black baby buried alive ("What Kind of Woman"). The police inform Mother that Sarah, the baby's mother, will be tried for attempted murder and the baby placed in an orphanage. Mother takes responsibility for Sarah and the baby.

Arriving with the immigrants ("A Shtetl Iz America"), Tateh becomes a silhouette artist, wishing for "Success" but not achieving it. Tenement life is so difficult that the Little Girl is often ill, and Tateh plans to leave New York to find the life he dreamed of. In Harlem, Coalhouse Walker is a respected musician ("His Name Was Coalhouse Walker"). He still loves Sarah, even though she ran away from him, and resolves to win her back ("Gettin' Ready Rag"). He purchases a Model T as Henry Ford's workers praise industry ("Henry Ford"). Tateh and the Little Girl pass through New Rochelle as they leave New York City, where they encounter Mother and Edgar ("Nothing Like the City") and Sarah sings to her baby ("Your Daddy's Son"), lamenting having left Coalhouse. She gave birth alone, frightened, and with extreme difficulty, which led her to unthinkingly bury her child. Coalhouse is looking for Sarah but she refuses to see him. He promises to return every Sunday until Sarah takes him back. After weeks, Mother and Coalhouse become well-acquainted ("The Courtship"). Father returns from his expedition to find Coalhouse playing a ragtime song ("New Music"). Sarah finally forgives Coalhouse and they reunite. Sarah and Coalhouse dream of traveling America in their car once the baby is old enough ("Wheels of a Dream").

As Coalhouse's car becomes a symbol of their freedom and the promise of a future, Younger Brother inadvertently stumbles into an anarchist rally on "The Night That Goldman Spoke At Union Square," and converts to the worker's cause. The rally turns into a riot. Meanwhile, another riot/strike is taking place at the textile factory in Lawrence, Massachusetts where Tateh now works. Tateh comforts the Little Girl with a flipbook of her ice-skating. A man sees the "movie book" and offers to buy it. Tateh realizes that he has invented a lucrative product ("Gliding").

Returning home from a picnic, Coalhouse, Sarah, and the baby are stopped by a squad of volunteer firemen led by the racist Will Conklin, who attempts to extort an illegal toll from Coalhouse. Coalhouse threatens to find a police officer, but the firemen destroy Coalhouse's car ("The Trashing of the Car"). Incensed, Coalhouse seeks vengeance ("Justice") but white lawyers refuse to take him seriously, and black lawyers do not consider a case of vandalism to be an important civil rights suit. Believing that the vice-presidential candidate can help Coalhouse, Sarah decides to complain to him ("President"). As she approaches him, a passerby mistakes her for an assassin, and the Secret Service kills her. At Sarah's funeral, the white family, Coalhouse, and Sarah's friends, as well as Emma Goldman and Tateh, sing of their hope that one day there will be justice regardless of race ("'Til We Reach That Day").

Act II

Harry Houdini performs as Edgar watches ("Harry Houdini, Master Escapist"), but an explosion proves the scene a dream. Meanwhile, Coalhouse abandons his musical career and vows revenge ("Coalhouse's Soliloquy"), terrorizing New Rochelle and demanding that his car be restored with Will Conklin turned over to him ("Coalhouse Demands"). Many unrelated firemen are killed. Booker T. Washington condemns Coalhouse's actions; still, a group of young men joins him. As an escape, Father takes Edgar to a rowdy baseball game, expecting it to be "a civilized pastime" ("What a Game"). Coalhouse vows arson on every firehouse until his demands are met ("Fire in the City").

Social workers attempt to take Sarah's baby from Mother's custody and the violence escalates, so Father temporarily moves his family to Atlantic City, where Evelyn Nesbit and Harry Houdini are performing ("Atlantic City"). Tateh, now a successful moviemaker under the alias Baron Ashkenazy ("Buffalo Nickel Photoplay, Inc"), becomes a good friend to Mother and the family ("Our Children"), later admitting his true identity to Mother. Meanwhile, Coalhouse watches a couple dance ("Harlem Pas de Deux") and remembers meeting Sarah ("Sarah Brown Eyes"). Younger Brother seeks out Coalhouse, anxious to join his cause. Emma Goldman explains that Younger Brother wishes he could tell Coalhouse about his desire for justice ("He Wanted to Say"). The authorities in New Rochelle contact Father, hoping that he will be able to get through to Coalhouse. Father leaves, telling Mother he hopes they will be able to return to their happy lives. Mother, however, realizes that she can never go "Back to Before".

Coalhouse and his group take over the Morgan Library, a museum containing irreplaceable cultural and historical treasures. Father suggests sending Booker T. Washington into the library to reason with Coalhouse. Washington convinces Coalhouse that he is leaving his son a legacy of murder and lies ("Look What You've Done"). Coalhouse surrenders peacefully under the condition that his men go free and he receives a fair trial. Coalhouse, realizing the error of his ways, tells his men to continue the fight through peaceful means ("Make Them Hear You"). Everyone leaves peacefully, but as Coalhouse leaves the library, he is killed by the police.

Edgar turns on a period film projector and announces that the era of Ragtime is over ("Epilogue"). Younger Brother escapes to Mexico to join Emiliano Zapata. Emma Goldman is deported, Booker T. Washington's Tuskeegee Institute becomes an institution of Black America, Evelyn Nesbit falls from the public eye, Harry Houdini has a mystical experience when Archduke Ferdinand of Austria is assassinated as he dangles over Times Square. Father is killed on the RMS Lusitania. After a year of mourning, Mother marries Tateh and moves to California with Edgar, the Little Girl, and Coalhouse Walker III. Tateh announces his ambitions for moviemaking. Coalhouse and Sarah's ghosts affirm their hope for the future ("Wheels of a Dream: Reprise").

Songs

Act I

• Prologue: Ragtime – Company
• "Goodbye, My Love" – Mother
• "Journey On" – Tateh, Mother and Father
• "The Crime of the Century" – Evelyn Nesbit and Company
• "What Kind of Woman" – Mother
• "A Shtetl iz Amereke" – Company
• "Success" – Tateh, J.P. Morgan, Harry Houdini and Company
• "His Name Was Coalhouse Walker" – Coalhouse and Company
• "Gettin' Ready Rag" – Coalhouse and Company
• "Henry Ford" ‡ – Henry Ford, Coalhouse and Company
• "Nothing Like the City" – Tateh, Little Girl, Mother and Little Boy
• "Your Daddy's Son" – Sarah
• "The Courtship" – Mother and Company
• "New Music" – Mother, Father, Younger Brother, Coalhouse and Sarah
• "Wheels of a Dream" – Coalhouse and Sarah
• "The Night That Goldman Spoke at Union Square" ‡ – Emma Goldman, Younger Brother and Company
• "Gliding" – Tateh
• "The Trashing of the Car" – Orchestra
• "Justice" – Coalhouse and Company
• "President" – Sarah
• "Till We Reach That Day" – Company

Act II

• Entr'acte – Orchestra
• "Harry Houdini, Master Escapist" ≠ – Harry Houdini and Little Boy
• "Coalhouse's Soliloquy" – Coalhouse
• "Coalhouse Demands" – Booker T. Washington and Company
• "What a Game" – Father, Little Boy and Company
• "Fire in the City" – Orchestra
• "Atlantic City" – Company
• "Buffalo Nickel Photoplay, Inc." – Tateh
• "Our Children" – Mother and Tateh
• "Harlem Nightclub" – Orchestra
• "Sarah Brown Eyes" – Coalhouse and Sarah
• "He Wanted to Say" – Younger Brother, Emma Goldman and Company
• "Back to Before" – Mother
• "Look What You've Done" – Booker T Washington and Company
• "Make Them Hear You" – Coalhouse
• Epilogue: Ragtime / "Wheels of a Dream" (reprise) – Coalhouse, Sarah and Company

• ‡ shortened in the 2009 revival
• ≠ excised from the 2009 revival

Instrumentation

Ragtime requires a large instrumentation of around 20 or so people. The instrumentation is from Music Theatre International, the company that holds the Ragtime license.

• BANJO (ACOUSTIC GUITAR, BANJO, ELECTRIC GUITAR, MANDOLIN)
• BASS
• BASS TROMBONE +
• CELLO
• DRUMS/PERCUSSION 2 (percussion doubling removed from West End production)
• HARP
• HORN
• HORN 2
• KEYBOARD 1
• KEYBOARD 2
• KEYBOARD 3

• PERCUSSION
• REED 1 (FLUTE, PICCOLO)
• REED 2 (ENGLISH HORN, OBOE)
• REED 3 (B-flat CLARINET, E-flat CLARINET)
• REED 4 (BASS CLARINET, CLARINET, FLUTE, SOPRANO SAX)+
• TROMBONE
• TRUMPET (FLUGELHORN, PICCOLO TRUMPET, TRUMPET; doubling removed from West End production)
• TRUMPET 2
• TUBA
• VIOLA
• VIOLIN (a 2nd violin part was added in the West End production)

• + removed from the original West End production

Characters

• Father
• Mother
• Mother's Younger Brother
• Grandfather
• Little Boy (Edgar)
• Tateh
• Little Girl
• Coalhouse Walker, Jr.
• Sarah
• Evelyn Nesbit*
• Harry Houdini*
• Henry Ford*
• J.P. Morgan*
• Booker T. Washington*
• Willy Conklin
• Emma Goldman*
• Stanford White*
• Harry K. Thaw*
• Robert Peary*

*Historical Characters

Awards and nominations

Original Broadway production

Year	Award Ceremony	Category	Nominee	Result
1998	Tony Award	Best Musical		Nominated
		Best Book of a Musical	Terrence McNally	Won
		Best Original Score	Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens	Won
		Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical	Peter Friedman	Nominated
			Brian Stokes Mitchell	Nominated
		Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical	Marin Mazzie	Nominated
		Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical	Audra McDonald	Won
		Best Direction of a Musical	Frank Galati	Nominated
		Best Choreography	Graciela Daniele	Nominated
		Best Orchestrations	William David Brohn	Won
		Best Scenic Design	Eugene Lee	Nominated
		Best Costume Design	Santo Loquasto	Nominated
		Best Lighting Design	Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer	Nominated
	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Musical		Won
		Outstanding Book of a Musical	Terrence McNally	Won
		Outstanding Actor in a Musical	Peter Friedman	Nominated
			Brian Stokes Mitchell	Nominated
		Outstanding Actress in a Musical	Marin Mazzie	Nominated
		Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical	Steven Sutcliffe	Nominated
		Outstanding Director of a Musical	Frank Galati	Nominated
		Outstanding Choreography	Graciela Daniele	Nominated
		Outstanding Orchestrations	William David Brohn	Won
		Outstanding Lyrics	Lynn Ahrens	Won
		Outstanding Music	Stephen Flaherty	Won
		Outstanding Set Design	Eugene Lee and Wendall K. Harrington	Nominated
		Outstanding Costume Design	Santo Loquasto	Nominated
		Outstanding Lighting Design	Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer	Nominated

Original London production

Year	Award Ceremony	Category	Nominee	Result
2004	Laurence Olivier Award	Best New Musical		Nominated
		Best Actor in a Musical	Graham Bickley	Nominated
			Kevyn Morrow	Nominated
		Best Actress in a Musical	Maria Friedman	Won
		Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical	Matthew White	Nominated
		Best Director	Stafford Arima	Nominated
		Best Lighting Design	Howard Harrison	Nominated
		Best Sound Design	Peter Kylenski	Nominated

2009 Broadway revival

Year	Award Ceremony	Category	Nominee	Result
2010	Tony Award	Best Revival of a Musical		Nominated
		Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical	Christiane Noll	Nominated
		Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical	Bobby Steggert	Nominated
		Best Direction of a Musical	Marcia Milgrom Dodge	Nominated
		Best Scenic Design	Derek McLane	Nominated
		Best Lighting Design	Donald Holder	Nominated
	Drama Desk Award	Outstanding Revival of a Musical		Nominated
		Outstanding Actress in a Musical	Christiane Noll	Nominated
		Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical	Bobby Steggert	Nominated
		Outstanding Director of a Musical	Marcia Milgrom Dodge	Nominated
		Outstanding Choreography		Nominated
		Outstanding Set Design	Derek McLane	Nominated
		Outstanding Sound Design	Acme Sound Partners	Won

External links

• Ragtime at the Internet Broadway Database
• Ragtime Revival at the Internet Broadway Database
• MTI Shows synopsis