The Original Production of Rags

It's actually a studio recording with most of the original cast and Julia Migenes stepping in for Teresa Stratas because her record lable wouldn't allow her to do the recording. Director Gene Saks was fired out of town and Schwartz took over the direction, which was a problem. It was over produced and there were too many plot threads to follow. The authors have rewritten it several times since but have never quite solved the problems. It is, however, one of Strouse's most glorious scores. By all reports Stratas was a handful and a good time was had by few. I'm not sure that the title helped. Perhaps "Children Of the Wind" would have been more appealing.

I saw it on B'way, and again at the Papermill. The book, alas, never quite works. It's ambitious, to be sure. Tries to be nothing less than a full portrait of the immigrant experience. Yet therein lies the problem. One of the major events it covers -- the Triangle Factory fire -- flies by late in act two and kills off a major character with insufficient emotional impact. That sort of cavalcade effect, aiming for epic sweep, means nothing gets enough attention as pure storytelling.

But the score, what a score! I can put on the overture and tear up. It's Strouse's masterwork, in my estimation. I love all of it. Stratas? She was remarkable. "Blame it on the Summer Night," a song one might not imagine the great opera diva handling with ease, was stunning, all the more so because she was so able to capture a particular flavor of yearning. And of course, "Children of the Wind" -- well, she put our hearts in our throats. And took the roof off. I have only strong memories of her performance.

Updated On: 8/19/15 at 09:13 AM

As I recall, Stratas missed a great many performances, I believe due to illness. But I don't remember any rumblings she was difficult to work with.

I saw the recent production that the Beautiful Soup Theater put on. The book is too ambitious for its own good, but you have to respect the creative team for trying. There are easily as many plotlines as Ragtime, but without the balance of having Mother and Coalhouse's stories. Characters seemed to waltz in and out of the piece and the second act in particular seemed to fall apart story-wise.

Still, the score is so wonderful; I'll never understand why "Blame It On the Summer Night" didn't become a standard, even in cabaret circles. The cast recording will always remain a delight, and the bootlegs floating around of Stratas reveal a beautifully sung and emotionally charged performance that I'm sorry wasn't more officially captured on disc.

Great score.You have to feel bad for Strouse who keeps turning out great scores only to come out on the losing end as another flop on his resume.

Rags opened in August of 1986 and closed very quickly afterwards. 18 Previews and 4 performances. I wonder if they had waited and opened in September if it would have had more performances? August is the worst time to open a musical on Broadway. Yes there were flaws in the book, but if they had waited until after Labor Day to open, maybe they could have limped it along until December?

IIRC, Joan Micklin SIlver was the original director, who was fired and replaced by Gene Saks. Also, there was no overture in the original production. The overture on the recording was put together for the recording. Also, for what it's worth, Strouse praises Stratas to the hilt in his "Put on a Happy Face."

There are clips from the show on YouTube. But here's one of Stratas as a contestant on "To Tell the Truth":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6P2IHOtQSU