Thoughts on the Original Broadway Production of Ragtime?- Page 2

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/28/15 at 7:09am

"LaChanze was only brought in for Los Angeles.
She was also in the Chicago sit-down production opposite Hinton Battle's Coalhouse. "

 And ultimately replaced Audra McDonald on Broadway. 

[Smaxie]

Posted: 6/28/15 at 8:33am

>There's nothing wrong with "Sarah Brown Eyes" as a song, but it does nothing to advance the plot. It simply panders to the audience's desire to see Audra McDonald (or in LA, La Chanze) come back again. "Sarah" and "Back to Before" are I want/I am songs, respectively, that would work fine in Act I--except that Act I is so tightly constructed there's no room for them there.<

Regarding "Sarah Brown Eyes," it's in Act 2 for a very specific reason, other than bringing Audra McDonald back for one more song.  By that point in the act, Coalhouse is fairly deep into his acts of vengeance and the plan to blow up the Morgan Library is about to be hatched.  "Sarah Brown Eyes" is a quiet, bittersweet moment that reminds the audience of Coalhouse's humanity and all that he's lost.  It has no reason to be in Act 1, where it would be completely superfluous.  No, it's not a plot song, but were it to be cut, you might otherwise have a pretty relentless, less sympathetic Coalhouse. 

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/28/15 at 7:06pm

"@Gaveston-in order for me to have "nothing but respect" for A&F, I would have to ignore Rocky at a minimum. "

Point taken. I have neither seen nor heard Rocky. And since boxing bores me as a sport and as a dramatic context, I probably never will. But I very much appreciate the warning.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 6/28/15 at 7:33pm

Smaxie, after Sarah is murdered, I don't see how Colehouse can be anything BUT sympathetic! His "Solliloquy" and the original version of "He Wanted to Say" reinforce that impression and "Let Them Hear You" seals the deal.

It's only because they inserted "Sarah Brown Eyes" that "He Wanted to Say" was pushed to later in the evening. Unfortunately, that left them with "Sarah" and "Back to Before" broken up only by "He Wanted to Say". Brilliant as the latter is, it doesn't rescue Act II from a distinct sense of deju vu. (It doesn't help that in the Broadway version, they delete Colehouse's chorus, so the song is less about both men and just about Younger Brother and Goldman's influence.)

Even if "Sarah Brown Eyes" MUST be in Act II, it could have been written as a more active song. As it is, people DO thinks in Act I; they mostly reflect and feel bad in Act II.

IMO, obviously.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/28/15 at 8:34pm

"Smaxie, after Sarah is murdered, I don't see how Colehouse can be anything BUT sympathetic! His "Solliloquy" and the original version of "He Wanted to Say" reinforce that impression and "Let Them Hear You" seals the deal.

I disagree. Coalhouse essentially becomes a terrorist in act 2, burning down firehouses on a quest for vengeance. However just his reasons may have been, he needs those moments of humanity- another example is when speaking with Father he asks about his son. 

I often wonder what would have happened had the show still been running immediately after 9/11. How would a show about someone who kills firefighters have played in that Bush-era post 9/11 world? 

[ramblingwreck97]

Posted: 6/28/15 at 8:43pm

Ragtime really could have been one of the biggest broadway hits of all time. The score is mesmerizing and the original cast was well crafted. There's just been a few mistakes along the way. There needs to be a major revision of the score. As some people have listed, songs like Sarah Brown Eyes can easily be cut. The Ford Center (AKA Lyric) was far too large for the production. The recent revival has also buried the show, as it was really just dreadful, and was too recent for someone to try and revive it again and possibly fix what could be a truly beautiful show.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/28/15 at 8:46pm

The placement of "Back to Before" was recently mentioned in a NY Times piece vis a vis Helen's "Days and Days" in FUN HOME, and in some ways it's an apt comparison, since it's not the pivotal moment in the story proper, and yet the number captures an emotional turning point for Mother. I'd argue it's strategically positioned where it is, late in the show and wouldn't work as well anywhere else. Mazzie was superb, and the moment remains a highlight.