Ragtime - back in 1999 — Page 2

AnnaK, you read Ragtime in 5th grade? Apart from the heavy prose, there's a fair amount of sex in the novel. Did you read it in a class or on your own?

And I remember part of the reason Ragtime closed (or more specifically, part of Livent's missmanagement) was that Drabinsky was taking some of Ragtime's grosses to pay for other projects. I think I remember reading a quote from Judy Kaye that 'If we only had to pay our bills, we would have stayed open longer.' I'm sure I butchered that one, but it was something like that.

Oh, and yes, Ragtime is amazing! If any of you live near or have lived near St. Louis, you'll agree that Heaven will be upon us when The Muny does Ragtime!!! When that week comes, I don't care where I am in the world, I'm flying back to STL to see it at least 3 times! Same thing is true if and when the NYCO does that production with the original team involved (especially if they bring Stokes and Audra back)!!!

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I think one ofthe smartest things Terrence McNally did ion adapting ther novel was to treat the "real" (historical) characters as symbols, rather than three-dimensional people. Evelyn Nesbit symbolized our obsession with celebrity (Paris Hilton, anyone?), Houdini symbolized the immigrant "escaping" from oppression to find freedom, Emma Gol;dman symbolized the socialist movement, etc. Wherethe novel dug prety deep into these characters, the musical chose to concentrate on the fictional "three families" instead.

"Evelyn Nesbit symbolized our obsession with celebrity (Paris Hilton, anyone?), Houdini symbolized the immigrant "escaping" from oppression to find freedom, Emma Goldman symbolized the socialist movement, etc."

Evelyn Nesbit = Paris Hilton
Houdini = Borat
Emma Goldman = Rosie O'Donnell

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I read "Ragtime" when I was a freshman in college, but don't remember anything about it.

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Yeah, that movie isn't even worth mentioning. I didn't not like Doctorow's other novels, but I tend not to love them.

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"I think one ofthe smartest things Terrence McNally did ion adapting ther novel was to treat the "real" (historical) characters as symbols, rather than three-dimensional people."

R-I-G-H-T. God forbid the audience should have real characters with which they can identify. (Gee, maybe this is why RAGTIME is a flop--duh!!) As for this thread, I've never read such nonsense in my life. It's hilarious, really.


Evelyn "Who do I have to shoot to get off this swing--and out of this musical?" Nesbit
New York, NY

The stereopticon:

Before the show, there was a GIANT (about 10 feet wide) replica of a stereopticon viewer hanging in front of a scrim. When the music started, the Little Boy entered and picked up a real stereopticon from the floor and looked through it. The giant stereopticon flew up, and onto the scrim was projected two side-by-side images of the opening tableau (the rich folk posing in front of the house) - like the two photos on a stereopticon slide. The two images moved together until they merged into one "three-dimentional" image at the center of the stage. The lights came up behind the scrim, revealing the actors in the tableau, then the scrim flew up.

I saw this show back in November of 1998, it was actually the first Broadway show I ever saw... I too was looking at the playbill (showbill) earlier this year, mainly because of my love for Spring Awakening and Lea Michele's connection to both shows. As for it's closing, and the possibliity of it reopening, I read earlier this year (unfortunately I forget where, but it was a reliable source, maybe the Lincoln Center site) that there were plans for a revival that unfortunately had to be postponed due to the openings of other shows, and budget issues.
I too have read the novel, but as a senior in high school, almost seven years after seeing the show...I knew that the content was somewhat different, but I appreciated it to its fullest.
I have seen a regional production of the show as well, and though it was good, nothing could ever compare to seeing the talents of Audra, Brian and Marin onstage at the same time (sadly, when I first saw the show, I not only didn't appreciate it for what it was, I didn't realize just who I was seeing live until years later). I remain a huge fan of all three of these individuals, and ragtime remains one of my top favorite shows of all time...