Enchanted Hunter has raised some points that make me wonder about the staging in this production.
Coalhouse can't move his car. At least that's the way it is in the novel (and in the Milos Foreman movie, if you've seen it). The firemen cut him off, both in front of and behind the vehicle. He has no choice but to go for help on foot, because they block the road at both ends and refuse to move.
I haven't seen the revival's staging of this scene, but it seemed pretty clear to me in the original production --- or perhaps it was because I knew that's what was happening. I don't remember.
As far as Sarah being too stupid or uneducated to behave better and understand how to approach politicians, etc. I see Sarah as a victim of her time. She makes horribly poor choices, but she's not an evil person. I think "What Kind of Woman" helps us ask those questions right away. Who is the type of person who would do such a thing? There is a little more to her story in the book, but not much. Her plight is the catalyst that sets the rest of the story in motion. I don't need to know more about her, because her story really isn't the focus here.
When I first heard they were going to musicalize this novel, I thought they would never be able to pull it off. So much of the novel is exposition. It can cover several weeks of events, in detail, in just a few pages. There's a whole lotta plot going on. So how do you condense all of this for a stage musical ... or for a film? Most of it is done with characters stepping forward and talking about themselves and their situations in third-person. A contrivance? Sure. But a necessary one to advance such a huge story. I think it works well, but the problem is that it flies by the audience so quickly that the impact or even the information can escape them.
For those of you who have seen the Foreman movie, you know that's it's vastly different in form and focus from the musical. Much more time is spent with Younger Brother and Evelyn. You do get to see that he's got anarchy in his blood from the beginning. It's not just a situation of "well, I'm not gonna get the pretty and famous girl now, so I'd better go blow up buildings." Oh, sure his motivation with Evelyn is more lust at first, but he also swoops in to rescue her from the debauchery and hypocrisy all around her. All the while hypocritical himself.
There's also more time spent (in the film) with the relationship between Coalhouse and Father. I understood exactly why he called for Father to come negotiate his deal with the police. He was the only man left on the outside who Coalhouse trusted. Even if they didn't see eye to eye. And since Coalhouse spent so much time with this family trying to court Sarah, I don't see it as surprising to find both Young Brother and Father involved in these last scenes together, as if they were all randomly thrown together. Far from it. They were all connected in the same house together in New Rochelle for weeks leading up to these final events.
I think a lot of the problem(s) and/or confusions arise from trying to cover so much ground, with so many characters, in such a short amount of time. Holding and shifting focus successfully can be the key. It can also lead to a lot of the trouble people are talking about here if it doesn't quite work.
I still think "Ragtime" is one of the best musicals of the past quarter-century. Book, music, and lyrics. All of it. Perfect? No. I had other problems with it than the ones mentioned here. Primarily one too many "power ballads" toward the end of the show. I would have cut "Make Them Hear You" and had Coalhouse's final moments in the library as book-only. This is the point where the music in his life literally should run out for him. I would have done it with very little dialogue as well. Mostly silent with clear staging and lighting.
Still, all in all, I think it's a great show though.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Updated On: 11/3/09 at 04:00 PM
