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Ragtime: The Musical by Starlight Musical Theatre  E.L. Doctorow’s epic novel set in turn-of-the-century New
York weaves a powerful story of how the lives of an affluent white family from
New Rochelle, a young African-American couple from Harlem, and a poor Jewish
immigrant widower and his daughter became interconnected. Racial tensions and
economic disparity threaten to tear the country apart, and only understanding,
inner growth, courage, and a willingness to see people as individuals rather
than stereotypes can heal the wounds. The story is filled with well-written
characters, terrific drama, and a little comedy. Throw in there some
bigger-than-life personalities like Harry Houdini, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford,
Emma Goldman, Booker T. Washington, and vaudeville star Evelyn Nesbit, and
you’ve got one recipe for a story that can capture America’s
turn-of-the-century like no other story.
Transform that novel into a musical with the talents of four-time Tony Award winner Terrence McNally writing the book, with music and lyrics by the songwriting team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Seussical, Once On This Island), and you’ve got my favorite musical of all time. You’ve also got the show that closed out Starlight Musical Theatre’s 2007 season. Starlight’s Artistic Director Brian Wells directs this production of Ragtime, which kicks off with one of the great openings in musical theatre – the song Ragtime that introduces us to this epic tale while giving us quick but excellent glimpses into the characters and the tensions that will dominate the show, building to a mighty crescendo, nicely choreographed (Carlos Mendoza) and performed by the cast. That cast is highlighted by the acting and vocal performances of Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (Eugene Barry Hill) and Sarah (Marja Harmon), the unwed mother of his child. Coalhouse is the talented and prideful piano player of ragtime music. Sarah has left him because he played around too much. Realizing his mistake, he puts himself on a mission to win Sarah back, discovering her living in New Rochelle with their baby. It’s a baby that Sarah buried in the ground immediately after its birth, ashamed and angry at her former lover. A baby that is discovered by Mother, an affluent white woman who is running the household while her husband is off adventuring with Admiral Perry, Mother taking Sarah and child into her home rather than letting Sarah face the police and letting the baby to grow up in “places for unfortunates like these.” Eugene Barry Hill is a cool and charismatic Coalhouse whose optimism for the future with Sarah and his son are counterbalanced by his cold determination when he is wronged and when his future with Sarah is shattered. Marja Harmon, who was seen at Starlight earlier this summer as Aida, fully captures the anguish and shame as she tries to apologize to her young baby for the unforgivable act of burying the newborn in the ground with her powerful rendition of Your Daddy’s Son, just as she later captures the thrill and bliss of being with Coalhouse as they ride toward a future that looks so bright in their well-sung duet Wheels of a Dream. Their last duet may be even better, the bittersweet Sarah Brown Eyes, a brief reminisce of their first meeting when they had everything ahead of them and before everything went wrong.
Performs September 13-23, 2007.
~ Cast ~
 Coalhouse: Eugene Barry HillMother: Deborah Gilmour Smyth Tateh: Luke Adams Father: Ted King Sarah: Marja Harmon Younger Brother: John Grzesiak Grandfather: Ralph Johnson Emma Goldman: Sue Boland Evelyn Nesbit: Megan Maes Houdini: David Beaver Little Boy: Ian Brininstool Little Girl: Halle Hoffman Henry Ford: Paul Morgavo J.P. Morgan: Ed Hollingsworth Booker T. Washington: Ricky Allen Willie Conklin: Chris Martin Sarah's Friend: Chondra Profit Admiral Perry: Richard Herring Little Coalhouse: Isaiah Profit Harlem Ensemble: Brian Barbarin Joyelle Cabato Kathleen Calvin Kevane Coleman Nakiya Olds-Edwards Shalonda Hunt Reggie Hutchinson Perry Lee Leviticus Jason Mallery Chondra Profit Britteny Wilson New Rochelle Ensemble: David Ainsworth Jennifer Bishop Devin Collins Anthony Hauck Karen Johnson Chris Martin Eric von Metzke Rebecca Suebert Immigrant Ensemble: Natasha Grach Juston Harlin Rick Hernandez Kevin Koppman-Gue Amy McDowell Daniel Myers Jeff Myers Rebecca Myers Debbie Nicastro Hannah Prater Ben Silbert Director: Brian Wells Choreography: Carlos Mendoza Lighting Design: Eric Lotze Sound Designer: Steve Stopper and the Stopper Group Costumer: K.C. Grulli-Miller and Tanya Bishop Musical Director and Conductor: Parmer Fuller Production Stage Manager: Jennifer Leigh Wheeler |
As Mother, Deborah Gilmour Smyth is very expressive
and impassioned with her voice and body language, but seems even more genuine when she is a bit
subdued and introspective, as she is when she sadly and simply tells her
recently returned husband (Ted King) how she wished he had returned
kinder – more willing to help people in need than to criticize and brush them
off. As Tateh, the Jewish immigrant widower, Luke Adams shares an
especially touching scene with his frightened daughter (the completely adorable and
sweet Halle Hoffman) when he tries to sooth her fears by showing her a
new “movie book” he created – a book of silhouettes whose images seem to move
as you flip the pages, allowing you to see a girl Gliding on a pond.