Brief comments on RAGTIME

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 12:32am

An utterly extraordinary production of a fairly brilliant musical. To hear that the life of this production is hanging on by a wing and a prayer is an incredible shame. Then again, the house was nearly full tonight, surprising due to the weather, and the hearty standing ovation at the end was very well deserved.

Probably the strongest ensemble cast in anything right now, though my particular favorites were Christiane Noll and Robert Petkoff.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 12:36am

[TBone]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 2:46am

I was there as well and was *very* glad to see the house was pretty full! Tonight was my third visit to this production and it just keeps getting better. Christiane Noll is just *glorious* - Her "Thank you for your confidence...I shall keep it here" brought me to tears tonight; I've come to just adore that scene between Mother and Tateh. Bobby Steggert seemed a little under the weather but still gave a wonderful performance.
I've really come to LOVE Quentin's Coalhouse - he sounded incredible tonight.

I'm so glad I ventured out in this weather to see this again. It was absolutely worth every minute of sloooow drive home!

Updated On: 12/20/09 at 02:46 AM

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 2:54am

I mean, I liked it. But I don't know. I think the brilliance wasn't there for me. It's a good show. It's entertaining, some pretty melodies, but that's about it for me. I just hated the way the story was told.

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 3:09am

I love this show so much and think it is fantastic in this production.

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 3:11am

I'm taking my best friend to see the show on the 27th...it'll be my fourth time seeing this production (once in DC and the third time in New York). It's really a beautiful production of a great show and it always makes me happy to hear that others have enjoyed it as much as I do. :)

[Kad]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 3:50am

I, too, thought it was a brilliant production. But from what I hear, it's really hanging on by a thread.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 4:01am

Which is surprising. When I was there it was mostly packed as well.

What's the point of the Evelyn Nesbitt character.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 7:33am

I'll be there again on Tuesday.

RippedMan - Evelyn Nesbitt has more prominence in the novel.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 8:00am

I'm wondering where these bad numbers are coming from because the house always looks packed to me too.


I can't wait to see the show a fourth time!

[Testing1232]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 8:52am

LOVE this production !!! Deserves a long run, now that its out of the barn it was in last time !!!

[singtopher]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 9:34am

I'm glad you posted. I was eager to read your thoughts on the show.

[Oldschool]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 9:40am

Evelyn Nesbit, like other characters in the show -- Henry Ford, Houdini, JP Morgan, are there to set the scene for the time frame of the show -- what was happening at the beginning of the 20th Century as well as the country's obsession with celebrity. Booker T. Washington falls into this category as well. JP Morgan and Henry Ford represent industrialization and accumulation of wealth, Nesbit being the celebrity scandal du jour, Houdini representing escapism as well as a means for tying the story of Father together by foreshadowing WWI as well as bookending it with Ferdinand. Booker T. Washington represents the racial tensions of the time as well as a foil for discussing Coalhouse's behavior.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 10:54am

If the houses are full and the grosses aren't reflecting that, then they're obviously giving away a lot of comps.

I loved this production and hope to make a return this week before Christmas.

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 11:14am

What's the point of the Evelyn Nesbitt character

To add to what OldSchool said...they're meant to be sort of like role models for the characters. That's probably not the right word, but at the talk back Flaherty and Ahrens said something about how each figure represents an idea to each character. Obviously Houdini is escape to Tateh, Emma Goldman is rebellion to Mother's Younger Brother, and I believe they said that Evelyn for Mother shows what the alternate women of the day was like and inspired a change in her.

[Oldschool]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 11:27am

Thanks, Taylor. I forgot about Emma Goldman. Donna Migliaccio is fantastic in the role, too!

[taylorPHENOMENON2]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 11:37am

She is! At the talk-back she talked about the incredible amount of reading and research she did on her. It shows and I'm very impressed by her. Also: if any of you get a chance to go to the talk-backs definitely take advantage of it.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 1:25pm

Taylor, if Evelyn was suppose to inspire change in Mother, I didn't get AT ALL. I thought Wise' voice was really weak.

[Kad]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 1:34pm

I always thought Nesbitt represented the randomness or unfairness of the American Dream. Here's a woman who did nothing at all but became famous, while thousands of immigrants worked and had little to nothing to show for it.

Her spurning of Younger Brother is also important. It's the first shattering of any delusions he had about himself and his country.

[musikman]

Posted: 12/20/09 at 11:27pm

Saw the show this afternoon. Thought it was a great, solid production of a great show. I still have very fond memories of the original, and prefer that version to this one. However, this production certainly lived up to the great reviews people have been writing on here (and it was far surperior to that lackluster production I saw at Paper Mill a few years ago).

Save for a few seats here and there, the theater looked completely full. As we were exiting the theater, someone involved with the show was handing out buy 1 get 1 free ticket promotions for the month of January.

[blueroses]

Posted: 12/21/09 at 12:24am

I saw it this afternoon, too. Just beautiful.

[kate2]

Posted: 12/21/09 at 12:45am

I'm taking my dad to see it on January 5th as a Christmas present. I really really hope he enjoys it! I'm really happy to hear such great things from everyone.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/21/09 at 1:04am

Won the Lottery today and got a front row seat for $26.50, can't beat that.
I was afraid the orchestra or the speaker near me would be a problem, but it was not, the sound is very well mixed and I could actually hear the real voices and understand everyword, Bravo.
The production totally worked for me, I was rapt up in the stories, moved by the music and involved with all the actors, including the ensemble who each were giving 100% in the singing acting and dancing.
I teared up many times and was not ashamed to stand at the curtain call with a very enthusiastic and looked full audience.
It's hard to not hear Stokes and Audra as Coalhouse and Sarah but Darrington and Umoh are giving their all and it pays off.
Noll and Steggert are proving you can take roles and make them your own and add a fresh look at the characters. Steggert is especially commited and that makes a lot of sense for his portrayal, he is reviting.

But...
I do have to say I missed a set, this is a show about big ideas and different places and the set is very important when you have to imagine all the locations and how they affect the story.
I also felt it lacked direction and staging, without a set and few props the actors say the lines and sing the songs, which are strong but sets and drama always help
The empty piano was fine but that car?
The car is a very important plot mover and I wanted to see a car, or at least more than we see.
Santo Loquasto's costumes were picture perfect.
besides those reservations, It really is a moving experience and you should run and see it.

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 12/21/09 at 1:09am

I was there this afternoon as well! What a beautiful production! I was crying from the time the curtain went up till the finale. I certainly hope their numbers pick up.

[RoslynReynolds]

Posted: 12/21/09 at 1:32am

I wonder why black audiences seem to be staying away.