Rachel York in Ragtime?

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Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 9:08am

Anyone see her, I only have listened to her in this, is her acting as good as her vocals?

I'll have them clawing at eachother, like drag queens at a wig sale"

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 9:23am

I saw the original cast....which character was she???

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 9:27am

I can't imagine she made anything less than a wonderful Mother.
DGjbear, she was Mother (Marin Mazzie originated the role). I believe she replaced Jayne Patterson right before rehearsals.

Rachel played Mother in the Paper Mill Playhouse production last year. She did indeed replace Jayne Paterson shortly before rehearsals. Rachel was absolutely terrific and possibly the best Mother I've ever seen.

"You travel alone because other people are only there to remind you how much that hook hurts that we all bit down on. Wait for that one day we can bite free and get back out there in space where we belong, sail back over water, over skies, into space, the hook finally out of our mouths and we wander back out there in space spawning to other planets never to return hurrah to earth and we'll look back and can't even see these lives here anymore. Only the taste of blood to remind us we ever existed. The earth is small. We're gone. We're dead. We're safe." -John Guare, Landscape of the Body

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 10:21am

I saw the production, and I agree with AC126748. Rachel was magnificent. She moved from a sheltered, content and slightly yearning housewife to a powerhouse of dignity and strength. Her "Back to Before" expressed a complete range of emotions and gave me chills it was so moving. She's such a gifted actress who, IMO, is not always given the credit she deserves. She has tremendous depth and range and imbues every role with something extra and unexpected.

Here's a link to Michael Dale's BWW review of the show.

LC
BWW Review

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 12:49pm

Rachel's performance as Mother in Ragtime at Papermill was stunning. The whole production (minus the emotionless Coalhouse) was stellar all around.

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 1:52pm

The Paper Mill production was far from stellar. It reeked of penny-pinching. NO CAR? The whole story revolves around an event that occurs in a car, which we had to imagine. Rachel was fine, as always.
Now The Paper Mills 'The Baker's Wife'--THAT was stellar.

'The Devil be hitting me!'--Whitney Houston

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 2:56pm

I liked Rachel and she was the only thing I liked about the Papermill production. Kenita Miller was sharp the entire night I saw it, and I have to agree with Thesbijean about Kevin Morrow's performance as Coalhouse.

Hey Dottie! Did your colleagues enjoy the cake even though your cat decided to sit on it? ~GuyfromGermany

Updated On: 12/22/06 at 02:56 PM

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 5:49pm

I saw that production. I agree it wasn't a very good staging, but Rachel's Mother was fabulous. I've seen her in KISS ME KATE, PIMPERNEL, and DESSA ROSE previously- and Mother was the most impressive out of them all. The only Mother I liked better was Julia Murney down in north carolina. woulda loved to have seen Barabara Walsh do it in chicago years back.

"The last train out of any station will not be full of nice guys." - Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

"I wash my face, then drink beer, then I weep. Say a prayer and induce insincere self-abuse, till I'm fast asleep"- In Trousers

#10

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 6:16pm

While I was thoroughly saddened to learn that Jayne Paterson would not be able to do Ragtime - anybody else still have the mailer boasting Jayne Paterson as Mother? Tragic. - I have to say, Rachel York was pretty fantastic and her "Back to Before" was intense to say the least. She really let it rip.

Aside from Rachel York, I think Betsy Wolfe deserves some mention for doing a wonderful job as the girl on the swing. I also thought Shonn Wiley was perfectly adorable as Mother's Younger Brother.

Andrew, tonight isn't about you! It isn't even about me!!! - [FD]

Updated On: 12/22/06 at 06:16 PM

#11

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 7:13pm

Shonn Wiley was terrific, indeed.

#12

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 8:22pm

Rachel was a-mah-zing.

Her complex emotions were visible from the very beginning in Goodbye My Love--her journey as Mother was completely believable, and appropriate--nothing came out of nowhere, nothing rushed, she knew when to push forward, when to push back, etc. And Back To Before was just so chilling, it moved me to tears. I feel privileged to have heard her sing that live.

"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli

#13

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/22/06 at 11:52pm

it's all the more impressive if you consider the fact that Rachel, Kenita, and David Hess (Father) had all come directly from closing DESSA ROSE in NY. They had very little rehearsal time and virtually no time to rest in between. Kenita had done SARAH before, but both David and Rachel had to put in some crazy hard work.

"The last train out of any station will not be full of nice guys." - Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

"I wash my face, then drink beer, then I weep. Say a prayer and induce insincere self-abuse, till I'm fast asleep"- In Trousers

Updated On: 12/22/06 at 11:52 PM

#14

re: Rachel York in Ragtime?

Posted: 12/23/06 at 12:13am

Excellent point, BroadwayMatt. Rachel, in particular, had only about 5 days of rehearsal. She came in at the last minute when Jayne Patterson had to withdraw.

Remarkable work, truly.

lc

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