A Powerful Revival of ‘Ragtime’ at the Pasadena Playhouse
REVIEW: RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL
BY RYAN. M. LUÉVANO
The Pasadena Playhouse’s first offering in 2019 is the American musical Ragtime: The Musical with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty—and what an offering. Ragtime is a big show on so many levels, thematically it deals with immigration, racism, white privilege, women’s rights among other weighty themes, and logistically, it boasts a 21-person cast with a 16-piece orchestra. It’s an ambitious project for any theatre company and the Pasadena Playhouse has risen to the occasion with this sumptuous production.
Ragtime: The Musical, based on the novel of the same name, presents the stories of three families at three levels of early 20th century society. We follow Coalhouse Walker who represents the African Americans; Mother who represents the upper-class; and Tateh who represents the Eastern European immigrants. With a show that has so many characters and moving parts, nothing is lost, only heightened in this production.
Director David Lee allows the show to move seamlessly from scene to scene and is even able to bring out the central themes to show how they’re still relevant today. Before the show begins and after the shows ends, the use of thunder and lightning effects radiate from the windows on stage and into the audience. This placement of these storms seems to represent the world outside the show, our world. This device helps us to realize that much like the characters in Ragtime, we too are battling tough times in our society, but hundred years in the future. Furthermore, Lee makes a point to create striking tableaus in critical moments causing the images of those moments to become just as important as the drama that makes them exist in the first place—it’s a visual masterpiece on stage.
Adding to the visual esthetic is the set by Tom Buderwitz which employs stacks of wooden crates on stage representing the immigrant experience since they often traveled in cargo areas of ships and trains. Traditional theater effects such as trap doors and people popping out of the crates are also employed adding to the show’s nostalgic sensibility.
For a show that takes place in a time period when vaudeville and jazz were vital to society, it is not concerned a ‘dance show’. This however doesn’t discourage choreographer Mark Esposito who turns the few dance moments into glorious spectacles that would make Tommy Tune very proud. “The Crime of the Century” and the “Gettin’ Ready Rag” are some of the most exciting numbers in the show.
Whether you are a fan of the Ragtime, or you are seeing it for the first time, the performances here are all sensational. This is score that is almost all sung-through and the actors execute it with fervor and precision. Clifton Duncan (Coalhouse) is superb. Duncan brings so much passion and grit to this character, then translates it all into these iconic songs, “Wheels of a Dream”, “Coalhouse Soliloquy” and “Make them Hear You”—they are all so compelling. Shannon Warne (Mother) is also able to transfix audiences with her all her songs that culminate in a poignant rendition of the widely known anthem “Back to Before”. Marc Ginsburg’s (Tateh) performance is tender and sincere, we follow the plight of his character like a puppy on a leash as Ginsburg draws us in from scene to scene, add to that his singing and we will follow him anywhere.
WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC DIRECTOR?
Music director Darryl Archibald leads all the music in the show from the pit and does so with effortless skill. There is so much music in this show, it’s wall-to-wall musical theatre, yet orchestra and the cast execute every note flawlessly. At the end of the show Archibald even takes a curtain call with the cast—a well-deserved bow for a job well done.
2019 is the perfect time for a revival of this American classic that points out that even a hundred years removed, its themes still hit very close to home. Ragtime at the Playhouse is a testament to the power of theatre to bring people together and inspire everyone to ride on the wheels of a dream despite any bumps the road may bring.
Tickets and more Information:
Where: Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena
When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays, 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays; ends March 9
Tickets: Start at $25
Information: (626) 356-7529 or PasadenaPlayhouse.org
Running time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
