Ragtime at the SHaw Festival - Thoughts?

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 10:35pm

I was wondering if anyone had seen the Shaw Festival's production of Ragtime yet, and what their thoughts were? The Vancouver Sun reviewed the festival's first week of shows, a couple of weeks back, and gave it the best review, which got me interested even though I think Shaw Festival is very hit or miss when it comes to musicals (I saw their production of One Touch of Venus, which was lifeless, but loved their take on Merrily). It looks like the approach to the set design owes a lot to the Broadway revival.

There's a link to an obnoxiously narrated video at their site ( http://www.shawfest.com/playbill/ragtime/story/ ) and here's a link to the Sun's review ( http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Shaw+Festival+soars+with+Ragtime/6690392/story.html )

[ErinDillyFan]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 9:30am

I can tell you in August. I bought my tickets a couple months ago. Sorry you didn't like "One Touch of Venus." We liked it. Did you see their production of "Mack & Mabel"? I missed it because I was not aware that the Shaw Festival did musicals until about 3 years ago.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 9:48am

What a gorgeous-looking production.

[Jon]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 12:26pm

Wow - I HATED their productrion of Merrily... ugly set,bad direction and a cast that came across as a bunch of classical actors who felt uncomfortable being in a musical.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/15/12 at 4:15pm

Eric,

A friend who worked at Livent at the time RAGTIME was in development went to the 2nd preview at Shaw and declared it even better than the original.

I don't know if I would go that far...the original Toronto opening night performance in 1996 was pretty spectacular, but with one disappointing exception I have to say the cast delivers some knock-out performances, especially Thom Allison as Coalhouse. (I did not enjoy Patty Jamieson's Mother, but the last time I saw the show was the wonderful - and unappreciated - revival with Chistiane Noll, who had so many fascinating and subtle ways of delivering Mother's lines that I saw the character in a whole new light. Jamieson is a wonderful actress. her performance as Margaret in the Toronto LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA a few years ago made me think she woudl be a natural for this role in RAGTIME. As Shaw wrote "You Never Can Tell.")