RAGTIME 2025 Previews- Page 2

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 9/26/25 at 11:38pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "EDSOSLO858 said: "As discussed before, this revival will feature a 28-piece orchestra, making it the largest band on Broadway at the moment."

This prompted me down an IBDB rabbit hole. Does WICKED still have 23 + conductor, same as when it opened? If so, that's the next-largest orchestra on Broadway, followed by a few shows in the 18-20 range (Aladdin, Lion King, DBH, Great Gatsby)."

The Lion King also has 23 + conductor. A great resource for current Broadway orchestras is broadwaymusicians.com.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 12:04am

I thought this was a nice upgrade from the City Center production. Some elevated staging which was very nice to see. If you were a fan of it before you probably still will be and if you didn’t like it there, I’m not sure it’s “enough” of a change to convert you, but we really loved tonight. Caissie has put in a lot of work on her character and is just fantastic. Joshua Henry of course will still walk away with every award because his Coalhoise has only gotten stronger. Uranowitz and Levi-Ross are just as superb as before and I’m so glad they both made the move with this. 

Standing ovations after “Wheels of a Dream” and “Make Them Hear You”, which I was fine with. I thought with a first preview crowd they’d stand after every song so I was fine with just two. And that little Coalhouse is the cutest thing that’s ever walked this planet. 

All in all, any flaws with the actual production for me, are more than made up for just with the perfect book, a perfect score and that incredible orchestra. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 12:07am

How was Anna as our new Evelyn?

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

And does everyone still whisper-sing that final “dream”?

I haven’t seen a running time listed anywhere, but didn’t this push 3 hours at City Center?

Updated On: 9/27/25 at 12:07 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 12:10am

Anna was really wonderful! 

And we were out at 10:50-ish tonight. 

[malcs98]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 12:29am

Jordan Catalano said: "I thought this was a nice upgrade from the City Center production. Some elevated staging which was very nice to see. If you were a fan of it before you probably still will be and if you didn’t like it there, I’m not sure it’s “enough” of a change to convert you, but we really loved tonight. Caissie has put in a lot of work on her character and is just fantastic. Joshua Henry of course will still walk away with every award because his Coalhoise has only gotten stronger. Uranowitz and Levi-Ross are just as superb as before and I’m so glad they both made the move with this.

Standing ovations after “Wheels of a Dream” and “Make Them Hear You”, which I was fine with. I thought with a first preview crowd they’d stand after every song so I was fine with just two. And that little Coalhouse is the cutest thing that’s ever walked this planet.

All in all, any flaws with the actual production for me, are more than made up for just with the perfect book,a perfect score and that incredible orchestra."

I agree with everything you said; the amount of work that’s been put into this production since City Center really is mind-blowing, it almost feels like a completely different show. Major props to DeBessonet on this one who not only steps up her game for this production, but she more than proves she’s gonna do amazing things as the new artistic chair for Lincoln Center Theater. If her work at NYCC was one thing, I cannot imagine and eagerly await to see what she’s able to accomplish for LCT. 

Updated On: 9/27/25 at 12:29 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 12:31am

The opening number was STUNNING. 

[TBone]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 12:36am

It was really exciting to see how most of these performances have grown since the City Center run. Caissie in particular really impressed me tonight and won me over. Can't wait to revisit it next month and see how things continue to evolve. I thought Caissie, Joshua, Brandon, Ben, and Shaina were all really wonderful this evening.

I did not love the video wall - I thought some of the videos/images used in the first act were cheap and silly looking, but thankfully they weren't used too much.

Orchestra sounded fantastic... what an absolute delight to have this score back on Broadway.

Does anyone have an extra playbill with the first preview sticker? From what I could see, most of us in the loge did not get  playbills that had the sticker.

 

[malcs98]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 1:10am

Jordan Catalano said: "The opening number was STUNNING."

OMG YES!!! that was the moment when I was like “am I hallucinating or am I watching a completely different production than I saw at City Center?”

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 6:15am

Can someone elaborate on the physical production? How much scenery is there and is it realistic/abstract? Also is the Model-T the same or has that been upgraded? I'm hoping it's a beautiful production but nervous hearing there are ugly pictures on a video wall...

[ACL2006]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 7:18am

FANtomFollies said: "Can someone elaborate on the physical production? How much scenery is there and is it realistic/abstract? Also is the Model-T the same or has that been upgraded? I'm hoping it's a beautiful production but nervous hearing there are ugly pictures on a video wall..."

I'm curious to hear about their set/scenery, etc. as well.

[Owen22]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 8:01am

I was in the minority, but I really enjoyed deBessonne's direction of Uncle Vanya.  I was less thrilled with her Encores Ragtime, but it being Encores I knew it would be put together quickly.  I'm glad to hear she has dug deeper and worked with Cassie and the Lincoln Center production will be a much more elevated production. 

[TBone]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 9:56am

FANtomFollies said: "Can someone elaborate on the physical production? How much scenery is there and is it realistic/abstract? Also is the Model-T the same or has that been upgraded? I'm hoping it's a beautiful production but nervous hearing there are ugly pictures on a video wall..."

I'd describe the set as mostly realistic "pieces" that were brought on and moved around - fences, a planter, a door frame, carts etc. We also had the two large stair cases that were used for the ships during Journey On, The Night that Goldman Spoke at Union Square and He Wanted to Say.

The videos I did not love were the spooky-halloween forrest image (video?) used for the fire house scenes (Why are the firefighters hanging out in the woods?) and whatever they used to represent the train (a square platform that rises from the floor) moving along the track - were they trees with no branches? Telephone poles?  This video screen was not used all that often... there were some other videos for Ellis Island and during "Success" but those were fine and did not distract. The wall may also benefit from sitting closer to the center. I was upstairs in the 500 section.

The only really abstract set piece I can recall was during Back to Before... which I *loved* but after having very literal representations as set pieces, I feel like this stuck out a bit... but it was gorgeous and a very beautiful effect - especially the transition into the library scene.

I was also a bit disappointed with the car. No car on stage for Wheels of a Dream? It exists but is not "driveable" and we only see it during Henry Ford and the Trashing of the Car. During Coalhouse's first encounter  with the Firemen (in the spooky forest), we only see video of the car's headlights on the video screen. That's the one thing I didn't think they'd cheap out on at Lincoln Center.

Regardless of my quibbles, this show should be seen, and I can't wait to revisit it.

 

Updated On: 9/27/25 at 09:56 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 10:00am

Owen22 said: "I was in the minority, but I really enjoyeddeBessonne's direction of Uncle Vanya."

She didn’t direct Uncle Vanya. That was Lila Neugebauer.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 11:55am

I thought this production was merely okay at City Center, so I'm very pleased to see these reports from last night and excited to go in a few weeks!

Lear is only the fourth director to helm a musical on the Beaumont stage in the past 20 years (the others being five Bart Sher productions, one James Lapine production, and one Tina Landau production). And James Moore is only the third music director/conductor to open a show at the Beaumont in the past two decades (five conducted by Ted Sperling, two conducted by Kim Grigsby).

[Daisy Crumpler]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 12:23pm

Does Caissie still mix/belt most of Mother's material or is she using more head voice? It was odd for such a restrained character to be so full throated (and I've always loved Lynn Ahrens's comment that Mother does not really belt until "Back to Before" as she is now thinking and feeling in more modern ways).

[malcs98]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 1:54pm

Daisy Crumpler said: "Does Caissie still mix/belt most of Mother's material or is she using more head voice? It was odd for such a restrained character to be so full throated (and I've always loved Lynn Ahrens's comment that Mother does not really belt until "Back to Before" as she is now thinking and feeling in more modern ways)."

From what I heard, She definitely uses a lot more head voice. I could definitely tell they changed the key change for “Journey On” down a half-step…but that’s only a minor thing I noticed 

 

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 2:15pm

Do the actors have costume changes now? I think almost everyone stayed in the same costume at NYCC. I'm also specifically wondering about Sarah's costume(s) - she was in a new dress in the recent Vogue photoshoot but I saw that in videos of the curtain call last night she appeared in the same dress from NYCC. 

[TBone]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 3:19pm

No one had any major costume changes that I can recall and I can remember only Tateh and Harry Houdini actually changed into an entirely new costumes for Act Two (I don’t remember if Harry changed during Atlantic City at CC, but he changed last night) and Sarah did wear the same dress as CC. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 4:31pm

Speaking of changes:

Looks like the Beaumont lobby has new red carpet that’s replaced the drab multi-colored rectangles it previously had. Looks much nicer! Have there been any other changes in the lobbies?

Theres also a big poster by the mezz level entrance that appears to be visible through the window from the pool outside the Beaumont, which I think is also new. EDIT: this part is not new.

Updated On: 9/27/25 at 04:31 PM

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 9/27/25 at 4:38pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Speaking of changes:

Looks like the Beaumont lobby has new red carpet that’s replaced the drab multi-colored rectangles it previously had. Looks much nicer! Have there been any other changes in the lobbies?

Theres also a big poster by the mezz level entrance that appears to be visible through the window from the pool outside the Beaumont, which I think is also new."

They did the poster thing for McNeal too