WHY PEOPLE CALL THE VERY FIRST RAGTIME OVERPRODUCED ? - Page 2

[PalJoey]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 7:55am

I adore Donna Bullock. The voice of an angel and a wonderful actress and comedienne. I'm always surprised she isn';t more well known.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 9:15am

I adore Donna Bullock. The voice of an angel and a wonderful actress and comedienne. I'm always surprised she isn';t more well known.

Do you happen to know what's become of her? The last I remember hearing from her in NY was way back when she was in A Class Act.

With regards to casting in the original production, the Broadway replacement Coalhouse, Alton Fitzgerald White, was absolutely magnificent. A beautiful voice, and a truly fantastic performance. Definitely right up there with Stokes.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 9:23am

How is the Coalhouse in this revival? I've heard very few people mention him at all, unless it's an afterthought or in a group of names, as in, "they were also good."

... which is NOT good, for a role of this size and magnitude. It's pretty clear from all the early reactions that this is the Christiane Noll Show, but I'm not so sure that's a good thing for "Ragtime" as a whole. Where's the balance of the trio of stories?

We need the brains (Tateh), the heart (Mother), and the courage (Coalhouse) in equal proportions, or you'll end up with a wobbly tripod.

(How's that for a mixed metaphor?)

Updated On: 10/27/09 at 09:23 AM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 10:16am

Darrington is excellent, particularly in act 2. He's improved tenfold since he played the role at Papermill, where he was something of a non-entity.

There is no question, however, that this is absolutely Noll's show. It's a towering performance, one that may well net her her first Tony. And yes, because of her performance, it does feel like Mother's show now. I was actually surprised that Mother didn't take the final bow (Coalhouse still does).

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 10:32am

I concur with adamgreer about Darrington's Papermill performance. It was forgetable, as was that entire production (at least in my opinion). The one thing I remember vividly was Kenita Miller's pitchiness. She really struggled the performance I was at.

I briefly spoke with Quentin after one of his DC performances and I mentioned how his portrayal of Coalhouse had grown by leaps and bounds since the Papermill production. I really like him in this role. I also think he brings a warmth to Coalhouse that Brian Stokes Mitchell lacked (though I loved his portrayal just the same). The audience response to him during his curtain call is very enthusiastic. The man (and this production) brought tears to my eyes.

Updated On: 10/27/09 at 10:32 AM

[perfectlymarvelous]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 10:36am

best12bars, I saw the current production down in DC and I went to the first preview on Friday night and both times I was blown away by Quentin Earl Darrington. His performance has grown by leaps and bounds even from DC to New York and he's doing a really fantastic job with the piece. He was definitely one of the standouts for me in the cast, along with Christiane Noll, Stephanie Umoh, and Bobby Steggert. There really is not a weak link in this cast though and they're all working as a cohesive company which was something I felt was missing in DC, much as I loved the show when I saw it there. The few casting changes they made between DC and New York have really helped them.

[Oldschool]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 10:48am

I wonder whether the feeling that the original production was overproduced had to do with its having lots of set gags, busy transitions, and the like. The set was gorgeous, and as one friend in DC referred to the current set as "Ragtime Lite," I wonder whether some of the set pieces were too much of a distraction.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 11:02am

oldschool, to me the original and massive set design worked for The Ford Center, especially if you were sitting farther back in the theatre.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 11:27am

"Stokes was the only one who did all three productions: Toronto, L.A. and NY (in that order)."

There were four productions. The Chicago production, while using the physical production from LA, was the 4th Company of the show. It starred Hinton Battle, LaChanze, Donna Bullock and Joseph Dellger. It had the unfortunate chance of opening during Livent's pending bankruptcy, and due to Livent owning the theater it played, was practically in the news every day.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 11:30am

There was also, I believe, a Vancouver production.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 11:45am

"There was also, I believe, a Vancouver production."

Yes! If I recall correctly, it also used the LA physical set and opened prior to Chicago (Donna Bullock and Joseph Dellger were holdovers from Vancouver).

[Kalimba]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 12:36pm

I liked reading everyone's responses, but WillRogers2008, did you have to yell?? Geez.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 12:57pm

Oh, there were definitely other productions after the Broadway opening. The "American Premiere" show in L.A. closed a few months (maybe 4?) after the Broadway show opened.

But then it came back to L.A. with a roadshow/tour not long after (maybe a year). So there were many productions, including (I believe) a non-Equity bus & truck at one point.

I was thinking in terms of the "road to Broadway" productions. Toronto, L.A. and then NY.

All that aside, I'm really glad to hear that the new production is working so well with a different cast and staging. I think it's one of the best written shows of the past 25 years. And I was sorry the original production shut down so quickly. But after seeing how Livent's curious strategy didn't pay off. I have no idea why they did what they did with the L.A. "American Premiere" company. The show got rave reviews, won a lot of west coast awards, was playing to packed houses, but then they would wait and announce the extensions very late, and also with very little added publicity. Many people out here thought the show had already closed! As I mentioned earlier, they went from playing to a sold-out house, to half houses, in just one week. Then they gave a bunch of comps away, and papered the house heavily. Two of the four times I saw it were for free! And I kept wondering where all the money was coming from to keep this show running, while they were trying to launch the Broadway production.

I don't think I've even heard of that before, or since. Unless it's in the UK (West End), where a show is up and running open-ended on west coast while it's opening on Broadway. There have been out of town advance productions, sure. Usually with the cast that's going to NY. Then they close and open again on Broadway.

It was such a weird strategy that ended up costing them a fortune. So when I heard that Ragtime was closing (abruptly) in NY, and then all this crap came out about Garth and Livent, I wasn't as shocked as some were.

I had seen the half-empty houses myself, with no one really knowing this show was still running open-ended in L.A.

[amoni2]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 1:06pm

Well, considering Garth Drabinsky actually built the theater around the show, with the assumption it would be around a decade or two, yeah there is an argument about overproduction.

[tourboi]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 3:08pm

Loved the original Ragtime. As for the PHANTOM, STARLIGHT comments.... STARLIGHT does need a splashy show but with PHANTOM I have never bought into the whole "the production makes it!" argument. I fell in love with the show (and the theatre) from listening to the score on tapes without visuals. The music sells that one for me, not the special effects.

[Pgenre]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 5:10pm

With RAGTIME, both the OBC and the non-eq tour, it seems WHO you saw as Coalhouse/Sarah and WHERE you sat in the theatre had quite a lot to do with one's impression of the show.

I saw the OBC with both Alton Fitzgerald White/LaChanze and again with Stokes/ Audra in the first 10 rows of the orch, and years later saw the non-equity tour (front row) and I must say that it is one of the only times I preferred the tour to the Broadway counterpart. AND I preferred both Alton/LaChanze to Stokes/Audra IN THE ROLES, though I am glad to have the latter on the cast album (though Alton and LaChanze are no slouches!). But, I must say, from the binoculars to the swing to the Houdini tricks to the crowd control choreography - it was just TOO much of a good thing. And I NEVER say that, but on Bway it was just... overproduced. And overproduced beyond what the sentimental book or mostly treacly (sorry!) music could handle... certainly beyond what MR.GALATI could handle at least (I think Graciela could have made it work better on her own).

And the cast of the non-eq tour was quite good, and I thought it was brilliant casting almost across the board. An actress of very short stature (well below 5 feet) played Sarah in a very demure and "scared" way and her Coalhoouse was a very imposing figure (maybe a bit too "nice", but that's ok) and it made their relationship work quite well - better than it had for me with Alton/LaChanze or Stokes/Audra. Both Audra and LaChanze were, as someone said before, too "Broadway" for the role.

And every time I see the show I want to gouge my eyes out whenever Tateh appears. SHEESH I hate that subplot, UGH! I think Rubinstein is probably the ONLY actor I can think of who MAY have been able to hold my attention. I HATE that material though and I think it REALLY hurts the show, even worse than the (cut for the tour) Nesbitt sections, which I actually missed.

Then again, I am one of those people that thinks RAGTIME could use some judicious cutting, particularly a bunch of the book scenes and chorus numbers (and, in a perfect world, the aforementioned deadly Tateh material).

I'm not a huge fan of the show, but I've seen it three times so I thought I'd add my two cents to the conversation and it seems I am the only one here who saw the non-eq tour so we at least have that!

P

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 6:08pm

Don't forget the Chicago sit-down!

Did anyone see Stephanie Mills as Sarah? I'm dying to know what it was like.

[bk]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 6:09pm

The LA young boy was Blake Ewing who has turned into a very talented young man. Not mentioned from the LA company and who were terrific are Jason Graae as Houdini and Susan Wood as Evelyn. While I didn't find the show perfect, the LA production was just stellar.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 7:38pm

it seems I am the only one here who saw the non-eq tour so we at least have that!

No, I saw that as well it it's second last stop in Kitchener, Ontario. I went fearing I would be disappointed, and I wasn't. Not at all. It was well sung and acted, and I felt the simplified staging enhanced the story-telling.

I only wish all non-equity tours were that well done.

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/27/09 at 9:50pm

bk---Blake Ewing was so terrific as the Young Boy. There was both an optimistic sincerity and an awkward sadness in his performance. And what a voice!

I didn't fully appreciate him until I saw others attempt the role. There was no comparison. He was leaps and bounds beyond the others.

[sundayclothes2]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 12:03am

But, I must say, from the binoculars to the swing to the Houdini tricks to the crowd control choreography - it was just TOO much of a good thing.

What were the binoculars?

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 4:17am

"What were the binoculars?"


I think Pgenre is referring to the giant stereoscope viewer at the beginning of the show.

(which I loved!)

[ALittlePriest]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 2:12pm

Did anyone else think that the compared to the original, the current revival of Ragtime seems kinda cheap? I don't mean just the set, but like the choreography, and even the talent (Compared to the orig.)???

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 3:12pm

"Don't forget the Chicago sit-down!

Did anyone see Stephanie Mills as Sarah? I'm dying to know what it was like."

It was already mentioned. Stephanie Mills and John Davidson came into the show towards the end of the run, replacing LaChanze and Joseph Dellger, respectively. And she was horrendous.

[Jon]

Posted: 10/28/09 at 3:21pm

Blake Ewing should be familiar to TV watchers for his numerous appearances as the effeminate friend of Stephanie on "Full House".

He also did an episode of the "Clueless" sitcom as, you guessed it, a rather "sissyish" boy Cher had to babysit.