The Pasadena Playhouse certainly can’t be criticized for lacking ambition. When E.L. Doctorow’s novel Ragtime was turned into a musical twenty years ago by composer Stephen Flaherty, lyricist Lynn Ahrens and book writer Terrence Mc Nally, it was one of the biggest (in all senses of the word) musicals to ever play the now-defunct Shubert Theatre in Century City. Ragtime – The Musical is being revived at the significantly smaller Pasadena Playhouse. The production is in previews before its official opening on Sunday night. Ragtime – The Musical will be performed through March 5th.
This musical, set at the turn of the 20th century, tells multiple stories that include such historical figures as Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington, Emma Goldman, Evelyn Nesbit and more. But the anchor for all of this is the story of Coalhouse Walker (Clifton Duncan), his passion for a new form of music and his love for a woman named Sarah (Bryce Charles). Together they hope to prosper on the wheels of the American dream. But change didn’t come so easily to America as this story of immigrants, politicians, musicians and lovers will attest.
Ragtime was nominated for 13 Tony Awards and it picked up several including one of Audra McDonald‘s 6 Tony Awards (for Best Featured Actress in a Musical), Best Score and Best Book of a Musical. The show also made a star of Brian Stokes Mitchell.
It also makes for a much better musical than it did a movie. The songs in Ragtime, though inexplicably not standards, are stunningly appropriate, thoughtful, entertaining and amongst the best composers by Flaherty and Ahrens.
David Lee directs Ragtime with choreography by Mark Esposito.
Go here to read our interview with Clifton Duncan.