RAGTIME Reviews — Page 3

How the review reads is beside the point, most people will just look at the star count for easy reference.

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I don't mean to be a pessimist ( as i wish the show the best), but even aside from stellar reviews, do you really think the general public is going to clamor to see this show for years to come?

"I don't mean to be a pessimist"

HA.

And no, I don't, but that was never the point. Not every show needs to be the next Cats, Phantom or Les Mis just to be worthy of a Broadway run.

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Updated On: 11/15/09 at 09:13 PM

Oh, Matthew Murray. What a moron.
Matthew Murray is an idiot

Real NY Times link

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I sometimes get the feeling that TheEnchantedHunter is a BWW alias for Matthew Murray.

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That WAS Brantley's review.

You don't see that everyday, folks. *Bookmarks El Paso Inc. for the future*

The El Paso thing was weird. Someone will be in trouble tomorrow.

I knew Brantley would never give it a rave, he had too many problems with the material itself.

But that quote stuck out to me as well: "The show is hardly one of Sondheimesque complexity." Ok. And Legally Blonde was? Brantley gave that a positive review. To use that as a negative against a show is such a cop-out unless it's applied across the boards.

frontrowcentre, that makes perfect sense.

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Updated On: 11/15/09 at 10:23 PM

I actually found that Noll radiated warmth when I saw the production and provided a stronger anchor for the show than Marin Mazzie, whom I adore, but who was chilly in the role. Mazzie's "Back to Before" is unbeatable vocally, but I didn't really buy into her journey.

Murray's review is almost nonsensical in places.... Ragtime has a smart book and even better score that "mistake epic grandeur for intimacy with erotic abandon"? Would a smart book and score do that? Does Ragtime's score mistake grandeur for intimacy? I think it embraces the epic aspect pretty wholeheartedly, though I would argue that there are truly intimate moments interspersed.

I know I will get killed for this, but I think LEGALLY BLONDE is a better score than RAGTIME. I really do. I will qualify this by saying I saw both shows in their original Broadway productions with the original casts. I think Laurence O'Keefe and Neil Benjamin (BAT BOY, SARAH PLAIN AND TALL and LB considered) are as close to this generation's Kander & Ebb as we have, and while RAGTIME's score may be A&H's best it does not mean it's to everyone's liking and I certainly prefer BAT BOY and LB to any whole score of A&H's though they can write some stirring anthems and lovely ballads. Hate me if you must, RAGTIME is definitely and no question a better show than LB or BB but I think O'Keefe's scores set out to do more and even if the LB score falls short of its goals it is more ambitious than the very anthemic and traditional RAGTIME score. Hate me if you must, it's just my opinion. For once Ben and I agree on something.

P

I believe curtain was at 7 tonight but the reviews are usually done before opening night.

What the **** is "rebellious warmth"?

I don't understand how the Legally Blonde score "sets out" to do anything. It's so pedestrian. All the songs say the same thing - don't give up on your dream, you can do it, etc.

Ragtime has a nuanced, beautiful score with a brilliant use of repeated themes. Legally Blonde is trite and bland.

And that's all I have to say about that.

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