The New Ragtime Musical On Broadway - The Revival Of A Great Show

By Author: Al Terry
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The evening of Oct 23, 2009 brought Ragtime - the Musical, back to the stages of Broadway after a span of nearly 10 years. The previews will last till Nov 14 and the musical will open at the Neil Simon Theatre on the evening of Nov 15, 2009. In its original run on Broadway, the musical had performed at the Ford Centre for the Performing Arts (now Hilton Theatre), from Jan 18, 1998 to Jan 16, 2000 for a total of 834 performances.

The Past

Though the first run all those years ago received mixed reviews, it was still nominated in 1998 for 13 Tony Awards! This was the highest number of nominations any production received that year. This was the year it was competing against the likes of Disney's Lion King, and Cabaret, among others. Ragtime came away with 4 Tony Awards for: Best Featured Actress - Audra McDonald, Original Score - Stephen Flaherty (for Music) and Lyn Ahrens (for Lyrics), Book - Terrence McNally, and Orchestration - William David Brohn.

This is the musical which is making its comeback on the hallowed stages of Broadway.

The Present

This acclaimed musical is making its reappearance ...
... on Broadway after a successful and extended run at John F. Kennedy Centre for Performing Arts, Washington, DC. Three American stories - one each of 'a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician' have been woven together from the classic novel of E. L. Doctorow. The musical with a vibrant cast of 40 performers is directed and choreographed by debutant Broadway director Marcia Milgrom Dodge.

Ragtime portrays three major socio-ethnic groups in America. These are: the upper class WASPs; The African Americans; and the Eastern European (Latvian) American immigrants. The story also figures many historical characters that include Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington, J.P. Morgan, and Henry Ford, among others.

The notable actors who are part of the revival production of Ragtime are Quentin Earl Darrington as Coalhouse Walker Jr., Christiane Noll as Mother, and Ron Bohmer as Father. Fans will remember Darrington from Color Purple, Noll from Jekyll & Hyde, and Bohmer from The Woman in White.

The emotional centre of the musical, the martyred African American girl, Sarah, is portrayed by Stephanie Umoh, who is debuting on Broadway. Umoh has earlier portrayed this role to acclaim at the New Repertory Theatre in 2006. The musical also has Eric Jordan Young who portrays the historical figure of Booker T Washington. Young has also appeared in the musical's original production on Broadway.

The Tickets

Tickets, as is usual with all popular productions on Broadway, are at a premium. Tickets need to be procured well in advance. If you are visiting New York and would like to take in a Ragtime show, tickets may become a problem.

You can, however, obtain the tickets for the shows of your choice through the licensed ticketing agents of New York. They have the wherewithal to arrange the tickets even at the last moment, and have them hand delivered to your door. No sweat!
The author of this article cover Broadway entertainment with tips for show including Great Ways to Find Ragtime Musical Tickets to a performance. His online content cover every musical and play and has advice for ways to get Ragtime musical tickets.