Synopsis
Written by the award-winning composer/lyricist team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Once on This Island, Seussical and Lucky Stiff), noted playwright Terrence McNally, and based on E.L. Doctorow's distinguished novel, Ragtime is the winner of the 1998 Tony Awards for Best Score, Book and Orchestrations, and both the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical and Best Score. Called by TIME Magazine "A triumph for the stage," and by the International Herald Tribune "the best musical in twenty years," this acclaimed musical is filled with pageantry, emotion and hope, bursting onto the stage like no other musical.
At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing… and anything is possible. Set in the volatile melting pot of turn-of-the-century New York, three distinctly American tales are woven together – that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician – united by their courage, compassion and belief in the promise of the future. Together, they confront history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and what it means to live in America.
The Tony-winning score is just as diverse as the melting pot of America itself, drawing upon many musical styles, from the ragtime rhythms of Harlem and Tin Pan Alley to the klezmer of the Lower East Side, from bold brass band marches to delicate waltzes, from up-tempo banjo tunes to period parlor songs and expansive anthems. A truly unique and powerful portrait of America, Ragtime is sure to inspire actors and audiences alike!
Character Breakdown
Booker T. Washington: the dominant figure in the Black community of the United States at the turn of the century. Vocal range: C4-E5
Coalhouse: a proud, sophisticated man who fights to live within his social boundaries and then rebels against them when even that is not good enough. Vocal range: G3-B5
Emma Goldman: the Russian born radical anarchist in early 1900's New York City. Vocal range: E3-D5
Evelyn Nesbit: the beautiful vaudeville performer, famous for the murder of her high-profile lover by her rich husband. Vocal range: B3-D5
Father: Rich. Conservative. Staunch in his ways but not intentionally unkind. Vocal range: A3-F5
Grandfather: mother's conservative father. A retired professor. Irritated by everything.
Henry Ford: an American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company. Vocal rage: D4-F5
Houdini: the famous magician who immigrated to America and made a name for himself largely as an escape artist. Vocal range: C4-G5
J.P. Morgan: the rich, famous financier
Little Girl: Tateh's daughter, a young Latvian girl in a new home. Vocal range: C4-D5
Mother: A strong, kind woman who defies social norms to do the things she feels are right. Vocal range: G3-E5
Sarah: A washwoman who is adopted into Mother's home when Mother finds Sarah's baby in the garden. Vocal range: G3-F5
Sarah's Friend: A friend of Sarah's who attends her funeral. Vocal range: D3-D5
Tateh: A haggard, Latvian immigrant who dreams the "American Dream" for himself and his daughter. Vocal range: A3-F5
Willie Conklin: A racist volunteer fireman who destroys Coalhouse's car. Vocal range: D4-F5
Younger Brother: Mother's younger brother who has his heart broken by Evelyn Nesbit and joins Coalhouse in his protests towards discrimination. He is a young man in search of something. Vocal range: B3-F5
Ensemble: To play Citizens of New Rochelle and Harlem, Coalhouse supporters, reporters, and various other supporting roles
The Center encourages performers of all ethnicities to audition.
Rehearsals and Performances
Rehearsals:
• Monday May 21- 24, 2018, 4-9:00 PM
• Saturday, May 26, 2018, 12-4:00 PM
• Sunday, May 27, 2018, 1-5:00 PM
• Tuesday, May 29, 2018- June 1, 2017, 4-9:00 PM
• Sunday, June 3, 2018, 1-5:00 PM
• Monday, June 4-7, 2018, 4-9:00 PM
Tech Rehearsal (Mandatory):
• Saturday, June 9, 2018, 5-9:00 PM
• Sunday, June 10, 2018, 1-9:00 PM
• Tuesday, June 12-14, 2018, 4-9:00 PM?
Performances (Mandatory):
• Friday, June 15, 2018, 7:30 PM performance
• Saturday, June 16, 2018, 7:30 PM performance
• Sunday, June 17, 2018, 2:00 PM performance
• Friday, June 22, 2018, 7:30 PM performance,
• Saturday, June 23, 2018, 7:30 PM performance
• Sunday, June 24, 2018 2:00 PM performance
Videos
