RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL Plays the Grand This Weekend

The Grand 1894 Opera House presents RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL, tonight, February 20, at 8 pm, and tomorrow, February 21 at 3 pm. Tickets may be purchased at The Grand's Box Office, 2020 Postoffice Street, by calling 409.765.1894, 800.821.1894, or online at www.thegrand.com.

New York, at the beginning of the 20th century, is the setting for this Tony winning Broadway musical tour-de-force based on the popular 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow. The lives of an upper-class New Rochelle family, a determined Eastern-European Jewish immigrant, and a daring young Harlem musician intersect as each longs for a better tomorrow. Featuring a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty, RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL captures the sounds of a country "exploding" with marches, cakewalks, gospel, and new ragtime melodies.

Woven into the experiences of Harlem musician Coalhouse Walker Jr., "Mother"- a wealthy suburban matriarch, and Tateh, a Jewish immigrant from Latvia, are historical figures of the period, including: magician Harry Houdini, entertainer Evelyn Nesbit, civil rights activist Booker T. Washington, industrialist J. P. Morgan, inventor Henry Ford, architect Stanford White, millionaire Harry Kendall Thaw, explorer Admiral Peary, and anarchist Emma Goldman. The performances are sponsored in part by The Humphreys Foundation, McRee Ford, The Tremont House and The Houston Chronicle.

For ticket prices and more information, call The Grand's box office at 409.765.1894, 800.821.1894, or visit The Grand's web site at www.thegrand.com. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Grand 1894 Opera House is located at 2020 Postoffice Street in Galveston's historic downtown Cultural Arts District and is recognized as "The Official Opera House of the State of Texas." All major credit cards accepted.