RAGTIME REVIEWS — Page 3

Well, I saw the show on Sunday night. I'd never seen Ragtime before, only vids of the OBC from the Tonys and I have joined the ranks of those who are totally in love with this show.

WOW! It was fantastically cast and beautifully performed. A very strong ensemble, indeed.

I loved Quentin Earl Darrington. You really fell in love with his portrayal of Coalhouse. Jennlee Shallow was great as Sarah, too. Ron Bohmer and Christiane Noll were just wonderful, too. (I think I read some folks were saying you couldn't understand her over the orchestra, but the night I was there, I had no trouble. I agree with one of the earlier reviewers that the chemistry between her and Manoel Felciano was palpable. I really love Leigh Ann Larkin, and I have to say that she was adorable and hilarious in her role as Evelyn Nesbitt -- so good to see her career continuing ahead.

I recall that there was a lot of doubt about some of this cast and their ability to perform these roles, but I think they have put all of that to rest. Good for them!

For whoever said that something must be going around in the cast, I can tell you that at the stagedoor on Sunday night, Quentin came out carrying a humidifier and Jennlee sounded like she was not feeling very well, either. I noticed that the two of them and some others of the cast were not dressed for the Kennedy Center Gala after party that most of the cast was attending.

GO SEE THIS SHOW IF YOU CAN!
I am very thankful that I was able to go. It was my first time at the Kennedy Center at all. What a glorious venue! You gotta go.

Best wishes to the entire cast for continued success in this run.

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Sadly, I'm going to have to give up on seeing this, since it is over the 17th
So, here's hoping it will go to Broadway, soon!

Well, I finally saw Ragtime today, and I was completely blown away. My expectations were extremely high after these great reviews, but the show surpassed them in almost every way-- except one. Just like every Kennedy Center show I've seen, the orchestra completely overpowered the singers (particularly on "Make Them Hear You"), and a lot of the dialogue was swallowed up by the performance space. Then again, I was sitting near the back, and I have notoriously terrible hearing.

The sets and staging were perfect, in my opinion-- I almost feel like they're minimalistic, even though they're so huge, but they definitely served their purpose without distracting from the characters.

Quentin Earl Darrington was an extremely good Coalhouse. His voice is beautiful to listen to, but his acting was what I really appreciated. He just had the hugest stage presence, and I was amazed at how he could go from being the warmest, most loveable guy to someone who is truly intimidating. The only flaw, to me, in his performance is how he sometimes takes breaths in weird places when he sings, but that was barely noticeable. I was also really impressed by Jennlee Shallow, who I knew nothing about. I hope both of them go on to do big things and get great roles on Broadway.

That said, I think my favorites were Ron Bohmer and Bobby Steggert. I can't imagine Bohmer as Sir Percy Blakeney, because he had such a deep resonant voice here. I wished his role was bigger in the show, because I enjoyed every second of his performance-- and I actually felt really sympathetic for Father, which I never did before. Bobby Steggert just gave me shivers up and down my spine-- he was so intense all the time, and his voice was gorgeous, a lot better than the guy on the OBC, in my opinion.

Manoel Felciano definitely impressed me. At first, I was ambivalent about his performance-- I thought it was good, but not really out of the ordinary-- and then he came out in Act Two in that nice suit, and POW. He's just incredibly charming. Tateh always kind of irritated me on the OBC-- I just never connected to him. But here, I could really see the charisma that made Mother fall in love with him. I thought Christiane Noll was by far the best actor of the cast, which is saying something. I have to admit, her voice is not exactly my cup of tea for Mother, being used to Marin Mazzie, but she can certainly act her way through a song, and she made me feel whatever she felt. I love how she delivered all of her lines completely differently from Marin Mazzie (and I thought she actually made mother a more compelling character). Sarah's Friend also had a stunning voice.

I have two more minor gripes about the production-- first of all, I really wished they could have more choreography for the Henry Ford number. It's such an energetic song, and I felt like it was kind of a wasted moment here. Also... I have a question about Emma Goldman. Did she, in history, have a serious speech impediment that Donna Migliaccio was replicating, or does Ms. Migliaccio just have a lisp? That distracted me a little bit throughout the show, but otherwise, her performance was very strong.

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Updated On: 5/10/09 at 09:25 PM

I just got in from this evening's performance. This was the first time I had seen it from the orchestra; and from the 3rd row no less. It's definitely a different perspective being up close and I really liked being able to see the facial expressions on the actors.

Schmerg, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. IMO, Marin Mazzie was my favorite "Mother" until I saw Christiane Noll in this production. I really like her voice. This was my 5th time seeing this production and she has never failed to give me chills when she sings, "Back to Before". I'll be there one more time for the closing performance next Sunday night.

The one thing I noticed is that Quentin doesn't have any costume changes. He wears the same suit throughout the entire show, whereas everyone else has several changes (with the exception of Emma Goldman).

Sally Struthers was there this evening. I saw her on my way out.

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DottieD'Luscia - Sally Struthers certainly moves quickly. She was at 9 to 5 last night. Saw her entering and exiting the stage door. As of around 11 pm last night, she was in NYC.

One of the ushers asked her to her face "Are you Sally Struthers?" That's not proper usher etiquette is it?

Dottie, I'm going next Saturday, May 16 to the matinee. Can't wait. (Maybe I'll see you there?)

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Miss P., next Saturday is probably one of the few times that I WON'T be there!! Christiane Noll will be out for both performances then as she has a prior commitment. It was noted on the KC website. Although I'm seeing the final performance next Sunday night, I might possibly see the matinee as well.

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Just checked the website, there are tickets for the matinee next Sunday, so who knows!!

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Here is my interview with Christiane Noll and Bobby Steggert.

To read all the RAGTIME reviews, click on "REVIEWS" and then "THEIR REVIEWS".
Interview with Christiane Noll and Bobby STeggert on DC Theatre Scene

From an article today in the Washington Post:

"...-- the critically praised, $4.4 million production is selling out the Eisenhower Theater and has sparked serious negotiations for a move to Broadway --..."


The Rarest Role in Musicals? The Female Director

Good for them! I hope they make it to Broadway!

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