RAGTIME sets a new standard for musical revivals- Page 3

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 11/14/09 at 8:45am

I saw it again last night after seeing it on the first preview and it has improved greatly which I didn't think was possible. I enjoyed it so much more and I suggest that everyone goes back soon after Opening Night because it will be hard to get a ticket.

Posted: 11/14/09 at 9:31am

HA! and the house on stage DID look nearly identical to that (I guess at first he may have even used an image of that). great to know

[RagtimeRay]

Posted: 11/14/09 at 9:33am

Artscallion,

Thank you so much for sharing that picture.

[Mamie]

Posted: 11/14/09 at 9:35am

As far as the theatre commitments are concerned, I think a similar condition existed at the Imperial Theatre. August: Osage County was a big hit at the Imperial but was forced to move to the Music Box because Billy Elliot was contracted to move to the Imperial and a lot of construction needed to be done to the theatre to prepare it. The BE producers contracted for the Imperial while Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was still there - and a contract is a contract!

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 11/14/09 at 1:27pm

How were the the actor's who played the "real life people" roles? I am particularly curious about Savannah Wise... I loved her in Rock of Ages and from the pictures she looks adorable!

[sit&dither]

Posted: 11/14/09 at 2:39pm

I just had to de-lurk for a minute to echo RagtimeRay's post. The opening number with the stereopticon was one of the most beauitfuly staged numbers I think I've ever seen.

For some reason in my memory, I seemed to think that the family was silhoetted on the photo scrims, that eventually super-imposed, and then lifted to reveal the actual New Rochelle family exactly poised behind them. Maybe that's not exactly how it was done, it's been several years, but I remember being awed by the precision of the transition.

I also just wanted to thank artscallion as well for the photo. That's stunning to see the similarities, even after all these years.

And add me to the rank of those who disagree with the labeling of the original as being "overblown" or "over produced." The production was large, yes. Yes, the Ford Center felt cavernous and even mandated an occasional feeling of distance/disconnectedness. But I thought the production made great use of what it had to combat with the theatre's size and was truly visually stunning.

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 11/14/09 at 3:01pm

bwaylvsong - The Wonderful Town set was what it was because it transferred from City Center. And if you know anything about City Center you know they are fully staged concert productions. Some transfer the way they are and some transfer as larger scale productions with more of a set like Gypsy or Finian's Rainbow.

Drunk Chita Rivera - Yes, ALW is contracted to have the Neil Simon for LND. Get over it and move on. This won't be the first time this exact same thing has happened.

And while I really liked this production of Ragtime, I hardly think it has set a new standard for musical revivals.

[RagtimeRay]

Posted: 11/14/09 at 7:38pm

Sit&dither,

Your description of the photo scrims was exactly the way it happened. For those of you too young to know what a steriopticon is - think of it as the precurser to the Viewmaster. You looked through a viewer at two images which created a 3-D effect, but these were usually black and white or in a sepia tone. So while the young boy looked through his viewer, the two photo scrims merged on the Broadway stage, and the lights came up behind to reveal the New Rochelle family posed in front of the cut out of their home.

I always thought that the use of the stereopticon (as well as other images) in the original production was to draw the audience back to the times.

In one thread on this board about RAGTIME a person expressed disbelief in the plot element that Coalhouse and a few men would be able to take over the Morgan Library. It does seem impossible when we think about the levels of security that we take for granted today. But in the early 20th Century such security was not in evidence. Things changed during Teddy Roosevelt's administration (in part because of the assasination of President McKinley - also noted during RAGTIME) but until Teddy Roosevelt's presidency it was possible for the average citizen to enter the front door of the White House and walk upstairs to the hallway outside of the president's office!

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 11/14/09 at 11:21pm

"bwaylvsong - The Wonderful Town set was what it was because it transferred from City Center. And if you know anything about City Center you know they are fully staged concert productions. Some transfer the way they are and some transfer as larger scale productions with more of a set like Gypsy or Finian's Rainbow."

I knew that, but
a.) obviously most of the audience didn't.
b.) that doesn't mean I have to approve of it. And for the record, I think minimal sets work for most of the shows I've seen with them. It just didn't work for Wonderful Town.

[lynnetoomey]

Posted: 11/15/09 at 8:29am

I can't stay away! The final preview was my third viewing of this gorgeous production. There has been much complaint that this "Ragtime" revival is "too soon". I say, it wasn't soon enough. The ROARS from the audience at each performance I have attended are almost deafening. I don't recall ever seeing a fresher, and more balanced cast. No words. I hope the critics realize what was in front of them. I think we will wake up to a tidal wave of raves tomorrow, and this will be an impossible ticket for the months to come. Please!!!!!!

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 11/15/09 at 7:24pm

I am going on Wednesday! Cannot wait

[Testing1232]

Posted: 11/17/09 at 11:23pm

Just got back from the show, and going to give a VERY brief review, due to the fact that I have to get up in less than 5 hours for work !!!

ABSOLUTELY. BRILLIANT. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Ragtime" has always been my favorite show, and this revival absolutely justifies it.

Can not wait to go back !!!

[gcontini2]

Posted: 11/17/09 at 11:55pm

"Wrong. The producers of Ragtime are well aware that at some point in the near future they will have to close or re-locate. However, they have no real advance to speak of, so it may just close. My understanding is the show has to run through April to make back its money."

Actually, the show has a healthy advance of 3.5 million, so it's in pretty good shape to run for awhile even if they sell no more tickets... which, of course, they will.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 1:44am

Based on the mostly rave and many favourable reviews, I think it will do very well. But FINIAN'S got even better reviews and is still struggling to build its audience. (Amazing that without any negative notices the show is still only selling about 70% of the house.)

[Kad]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 1:46am

I think that that is because that for many contemporary theatre goers, Ragtime is far more recognizable than Finian's Rainbow (which would, I think, be drawing a mostly older crowd).

[Testing1232]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 6:58am

Just a sidenote--- the Mezz last night at "Ragtime" was basically empty. Very sad !!!

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 7:48am

Wow; was it really?

Huh...

[Kad]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 9:24am

Well, it's also a Tuesday night the week before Thanksgiving- there are probably not a lot of people going out to the theatre just yet, most likely they're waiting until next week.

[ljay889]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 9:52am

" Actually, the show has a healthy advance of 3.5 million, so it's in pretty good shape to run for awhile even if they sell no more tickets... which, of course, they will."

How nice of one of the producers to join the board and tell us this!

[adamgreer]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 9:56am

Based on the mostly rave and many favourable reviews, I think it will do very well. But FINIAN'S got even better reviews and is still struggling to build its audience. (Amazing that without any negative notices the show is still only selling about 70% of the house.)

Finian's is also playing in a barn of a house that an acclaimed production of Gypsy, with a trio of Tony winning performances including a ballyhooed performance from LuPone, couldn't fill up. If Finian was in the cozier Neil Simon, it would be doing near sell-out business.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 10:44am

"Actually, the show has a healthy advance of 3.5 million, so it's in pretty good shape to run for awhile even if they sell no more tickets... which, of course, they will."

For an open-run show, and in this economy, that isn't healthy. However, what most people don't seem to realize, is that most sells don't actually sell out (the ones that do) until the day of the performance (or a few days before at most). Not even Wicked has all of its seat sold until the day of the performance.

Ragtime will run, but I wouldn't expect it to run long.

[Testing1232]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 11:00am

Saw "Finian's" last week--- liked it, but didnt love it- The 2nd Act was a little too silly (at least for me)-

Talk about an empty house !!! "Finian's" made "Ragtime" looked like a packed house--- was EMPTY !!

[proptart101]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 5:18pm

From the opening post:

"In short, this is easily the best revival of a musical that Broadway has seen since Doyle's Sweeney Todd."

Well, in my opinion at least, that's setting a fairly low bar...

I found this current production of Ragtime to be good, not great, with an amazingly uneven cast. The handful who really shown were quite amazing, the vast majority were adequate, and a few were just not ready for Broadway.

With a few notable exceptions (Mother, Father, Edgar, Booker, and moments for Coalhouse and Tateh) this cast would have been the outstanding university cast of the season. I can't tell you how many moments I heard the chorus woefully out of tune, especially in the end of Act I funeral scene. (the wailing solo that I heard was actually of of tune in several keys at the same time, an exceptional feat.. and the American Idol benumbed audience I was with ate it up.. sigh...)

I must say that both Sarah and Ms. Nesbit were both in way over their abilities to sing the roles. They were both attractive enough for the roles, and Sarah decently acted, but their singing left much to be desired.

I liked the set quite a lot, very useful and well used, though nothing compared to either the original B'way set or the First National Tour set. Santos' costumes were merely lost cost versions of the originals, including the same color pallets and basic shapes, all stunningly bland.

I really missed the projections and the Model T. They gave just a sparkling finish to the earlier productions.

The orchestrations were - well, bland. What happened to the distinct klezmer and ragtime influences in the various scenes? It all sounded the same, as if there was no musical heightening for the clash of cultures. And the cut scenes added a fair amount of depth to both the characters and relationships -

All in all this was, at best, a moderately good production, worth seeing if you haven't seen the original, or are in a forgivign mood.

[NotYourMemories]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 5:39pm

"The orchestrations were - well, bland. What happened to the distinct klezmer and ragtime influences in the various scenes?"

Bill Brohn's original orchestrations are being used with the same complement of 28 musicians. There's even a real harpist, a rare treat on Broadway. While I don't agree with much of your review (I find this production far superior to Frank Galati's overblown dog-and-pony extravaganza) I do agree that some of the impact of the orchestrations has been lost. Unfortunately due to the small size of the Neil Simon's pits many of the musicians including the brass section are in a separate room with their sound piped in. In general there isn't much low end. The destruction of the car and the beginning of "Till We Reach That Day" used to shake the house with low frequencies and these moments now seem very tame. In general I would prefer to have more orchestra versus vocals in the balance.

Beyond this Marcia Dodge has saved Ragtime for me. I remember in the 90's feeling like Ragtime was a show best experienced by listening to the cast album. While there was an inordinate amount of machinery and spectacle on the Ford Center stage there was very little meaning or impact. A fully working car would drive out on stage, fireworks would be set off but in the midst of this most of the show consisted of solitary actors walking to center stage, singing and then walking off. (This rather reminds me of Galati's brilliant work on The Pirate Queen). I now can enjoy this beautiful score in context.

[Oldschool]

Posted: 11/18/09 at 5:47pm

It's a different sound design team. The original and the Kennedy Center used Jonathan Deans (with Garth Helm at the Kennedy Center with Brian Hseh as Associate designer). Kevin McCollum likes Acme Sound Partners, so that's who got the gig on the transfer. It's a different and trimmed sound design.