The People Called It RAGTIME

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The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/18/13 at 11:49pm

Ragtime is one of my favorite shows and it was really a treat to hear the score (and book) performed with such passion and joy this evening at Lincoln Center.

Lea Salonga was a-fricking-mazing. The second she started singing "Goodbye My Love" I thought, oh crap. If she singing this well now, heaven help us when she gets to "Back to Before." And by the time we did get to "Our Children"/"Back to Before" it was all the audience could handle. There was an eruption after the latter song that I feared was going to last all night!

Norm and Patina were great too. Patina is more a LaChanze-y Sarah than an Audra type, and I liked it. Norm delivered on "Make Them Hear You." My favorite song in the score is "New Music," especially from, "Sarah my life has changed..." to the end, and it was awesome, awesome, awesome tonight.

Manoel Felciano was better when he became the Baron, but his Tateh was good too. Lilla Crawford added a lot as his daughter.

Howard McGillian as an outstanding Father. He found a lot of humor in the role and still sounds fantastic. So does Tyne Daly for that matter. I know she was just on Broadway, but I hope she returns soon.

The orchestra and enormous chorus added some majesty to the evening. The evening felt as special as the piece is. A perfect night for Ragtime fans. Thank you!!!

Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/18/13 at 11:53pm

All that talent sounds too good to be true :) I would love to see this on dvd or just broadcast on tv very soon!

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/18/13 at 11:57pm

Were there cameras tonight, Whizzer?

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:00am

I didn't notice any, but that's not to say they didn't record it somehow. I don't recall any mention that they were planning on airing it or releasing it on DVD, but seeing the final product tonight it would be a shame not to have it distributed.

Ahrens, Flaherty and McNally were there, and all came on stage for a bow at end.

Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:04am

Pretty much agree with everything Whizzer said. I had a few minor quibbles here and there (mostly with the sound), but it was truly a thrilling, unforgettable evening. I left on such a high.

And ohhh that huge chorus and orchestra sounded GLORIOUS.

-There's the muddle in the middle. There's the puddle where the poodle did the piddle."

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:08am

Amazing evening tonight. It's a great cast they assembled for this concert and I agree re: Lea Salonga. Her soprano was showcased tonight as was her belt for "Back to Before." I believe Salonga's eleven o'clock number received the longest applause all evening.

It was a first rate concert and "Ragtime" truly resonates because of all these talks about immigration reform, equal pay and so many other social issues that pre-WWI America faced and continue to struggle with today.

Pure brilliance.

There were no cameras so, sadly, I do not believe this was recorded. Best bets would be to check out YouTube for clips.

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:10am

What were the sound issues? I was on the 3rd row and didn't think there were major ones aside from some mic fails for Kerry Butler and Patina Miller.

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:16am

I was sitting allllllllllll the way up in Mars, practically. Sound balance was slightly off. The hall wasn't built for microphones, so it was a little hard to hear the singers sometimes.

-There's the muddle in the middle. There's the puddle where the poodle did the piddle."

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:18am

No one mentioned Michael Arden yet, who I thought STOLE THE SHOW after giving the overall most solid performance.

Ahrens, Flaherty, and McNally took the final bow.

There was a Lincoln Center camcorder on Tier 1 Left, but it was only for archival purposes and was not a professional HD camera. There are no plans for a DVD release nor TV airing.

"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle

#10

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:19am

Gotcha. Thanks for responding, musikman. Completely agree re: the choral numbers. Solid.

#11

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:22am

Michael Arden did a nice job- I couldn't get Bobby Steggert out of my head though when he yelled, "You have learned NOTHING!!" and the veins popped out of his neck and forehead. That was always a highlight of the revival for me, but Arden sang the role beautifully.

Marie: Don't be in such a hurry about that pretty little chippy in Frisco. Tony: Eh, she's a no chip!

#12

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:24am

jsgo3jd: I almost started crying from how amazing and HUGE the chorus and orchestra sounded at the finale (and the opening)....

hell, I DID cry.

-There's the muddle in the middle. There's the puddle where the poodle did the piddle."

#13

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:25am

I was there too, and WHAT a night! Whizzer said many of the things I wanted to, and boy was it a thrilling evening. Salonga proved she is simply one our best singing actresses and just has a stage presence that is captivating. You cannot take your eyes off her. Agree that McGillin was excellent as well, and that Felciano really shined during the 2nd Act as the Baron, I enjoyed his performance more and more as the evening continued.

Patina made the role her own and delivered quite nicely. Lewis was incredibly solid and then really brought the house down with Make Them Hear You. Totally agree with you Capn, the biggest and greatest surprise of the night for me was Michael Arden as Mother's Younger Brother. He was confident, confused, tortured, and passionate and sang like a dream. His big confrontation with father received immediate and enthusiastic applause from the audience. I thought he really was a marvel.

All around it was such a treat! Beautifully performed by the orchestra, thrilling group vocals in all the choral numbers, and then to see Ahrens, Flaherty, and McNally during the curtain call!

A beautiful tribute to a lovely show and a night I'll never forget.

Oh and Lewis Grosso as the boy! What a great child performance.

"...and in a bed."

Updated On: 2/19/13 at 12:25 AM

#14

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:26am

CapnHook, I TOTALLY agree about Michael Arden, I thought he was magnificent.

I had a really great time tonight, though I could have done without the banshee-screaming girls behind me (who stopped shrieking when Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, and Terrence McNally came out because they apparently had no idea who they were). Ragtime is my favorite show and it's always a wonderful treat to see it performed, and the cast tonight was a really special group of singers and actors. I especially loved Norm Lewis, Howard McGillin, and Manoel Felciano (who I was particularly excited to see play Tateh again after seeing and loving him at the Kennedy Center), but I thought everyone else was great too.

My one quibble was that some of the tempos seemed a bit fast, especially in the beginning, but it wasn't horribly off.

Updated On: 2/19/13 at 12:26 AM

#15

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:26am

Michael Arden showed how truly enthusiastic he was to be part of this company. He sang really well and I could not help but flash back to his BARE days in 2004 when I first heard that incredible voice.

#16

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:28am

musikman, so did I. I have loved RAGTIME since I first saw it in 1998 and having lived a little bit more of life since then, this musical took on some new and surprising meanings for me. I tried to fight back the tears, and I lost.

#17

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 1:15am

Really wish I could have been there, sounds amazing. It's a shame it wasn't recorded for PBS...take it on tour! (kidding, I know that's not possible)

#18

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 1:22am

I think what I liked about Salonga's Mother was that she wasn't as wooden as I others haven been, she had a beautiful transformation and her "fool" delivery was perfect.

The only cut I noticed in the show was the "Two men" section in "He wanted to Say".

A near perfect evening and Lea and Howard were my standouts, they were both in perfect voice and just....I am shilling in my head. Ragtime is my all time favorite show and score and to have finally seen a production even if it wasn't fully staged, this cast just made it for me.

"I think lying to children is really important, it sets them off on the right track" -Sherie Rene Scott-

#19

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 1:37am

maybe they can produce this concert here on the west coast with the same cast!

#20

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 1:37am

I've always Loved this score, but DAMN! It was like hearing it for a first time. The orchestra and chorale were sublime.
Salonga gave me chills from her first note. God, she's great.
Lewis was heart-breakingly perfect. McGillln, the Best he's ever been. Mano was socko! And that Arden guy, well, you gotta hate LA when he should be in NYC on Broadway everynight. Let's hope the timing works and he gets a great role on BWay after his TV days. The whole cast was blessed.
And I will have amazing dreams of this for awhile.

#21

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 1:38am

I also never realized how tall Arden really is.

"I think lying to children is really important, it sets them off on the right track" -Sherie Rene Scott-

#22

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 8:38am

and back! The delete user function went a little wonky this morning.

#23

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 10:27am

I was thrilled to be there. Actually saw someone blubbering worse than me at the end of the first act. Loved Michael Arden. What a great night.

"The price of love is loss, but still we pay; We love anyway."

#24

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 10:32am

What a terrific production!!

I agree completely that Lea Salonga knocked it out of the park. Her Back to Before (you can hear it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJlYo4U6n18here) was a revelation. When I saw her in concert about a year ago I thought she seemed very wooden, so I was hugely relieved when she acted the heck out of Mother.

Overall, I don't think there was a bad member in the cast. Howard McGillin was great, Norm Lewis was a pleasant surprise (having heard him butcher Make Them Hear You at Liz Callaway's Town Hall concert last year), Michael Arden was phenomenal, Patina Miller was very good, the two kids were excellent, and the ensemble was just wonderful.

It seemed odd that the only thing they cut was part of He Wanted to Say, especially since that was a Tyne Daly-centric part. My feelings about her were a little mixed--she was a real pleasure to see on stage (and it was especially entertaining watching her grin as the black ensemble danced to the Gettin' Ready Rag right in front of her), and her singing was excellent, but she had a lot of trouble with the timing of her speeches. She was still talking during the Prologue when Evelyn Nesbit started singing, and she had to talk for quite a while over Younger Brother's singing at the beginning of The Night That Goldman Spoke at Union Square (one of my favorite songs in the show).

It was really a privilege to see this show with a full orchestra and such an exceptional cast. It's only a pity they won't be releasing it on DVD or CD--I would buy either in a heartbeat.

#25

The People Called It RAGTIME

Posted: 2/19/13 at 11:14am

I noticed on the Playbill that this was "Ragtime Version 2." Has this version been done on Broadway (original and revival)? I don't recall there being this much dialogue.

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