BWW Reviews: RAGTIME at Hale Centre Theatre West Valley is Exquisite

Hale Centre Theatre West Valley's production of RAGTIME is exquisite in every way. It could easily be the best theatrical production in Utah this year.

RAGTIME (book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens), based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow, won four Tony Awards in 1998, including Best Score and Best Book. The musical is a tapestry of stories from turn-of the-20th-century America, woven from the threads of the major ethnic and cultural groups of the time-upper-class Caucasians, African-Americans, and immigrants.

Major characters include a family known only by Father, Mother, Little Boy, and Younger Brother; Coalhouse Walker and his sweetheart, Sarah; and Jewish immigrant Tateh and his daughter. Their stories are intertwined with those of well-known personalities of the time, including Henry Ford, Booker T. Washington, and Emma Goldman.

RAGTIME, is quite simply, one of the greatest musicals ever written. And Hale Centre Theatre has more than done it justice. Director Chris Clark has created staging that seems deceptively simple but is in fact filled with meaning. The scenes and songs play out naturally and organically while somehow ensuring that every seat in the house is a good one. The dramatic elements are heightened and emotionally raw without diminishing the moments of joy and elation. Kacey Udy's scenic design is the perfect companion for this production, as its technical and visual splendor always complement and never overwhelm the action.

Kyle Olsen as Tateh (double cast with Christopher Higbee) gives a performance that is heartbreaking and lovable. Cecily Ellis-Bills as Mother (double cast with Amy Shreeve Keeler) is perfection in her emotional and vocal delivery.

Other highlights of the incredible reviewed cast (including an impressive ensemble) are: Conlon Bonner as Coalhouse Walker (double cast with Carleton Bluford), Josephine Scere as Sarah (double cast with Oyoyo Bonner), Tom Nelson as Younger Brother (double cast with Preston Yates), Adrien Swenson as Emma Goldman (double cast with Jennifer Parker Hohl), Douglas Irey as Father (double cast with Dallyn Vail Bayles), Nate Ginsberg as Little Boy (double cast with Tyler Rowe), and Timothy Aaron Cooper as Harry Houdini (double cast with Cameron Garner).

If you don't see any other theatrical production this year (this decade!), see RAGTIME at Hale Centre Theatre. It will be an experience that you will never want to forget.

RAGTIME plays through July 27, 2013. For tickets, call the box office at 801-984-9000 or visit www.halecentretheatre.org.

Photo Credit: D.C. Snaps. L-R Carleton Bluford (Coalhouse Walker) and Oyoyo Joi Bonner (Sarah)

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