Theater review by Brian Scott Lipton….
Ever since its publication in 1975, I have been fascinated by E.L. Doctorow’s seminal novel “Ragtime,” which brilliantly intertwines the lives of a WASPY New Rochelle family, a group of African American Harlem residents, most notably the pianist-turned-revolutionary Coalhouse Walker Jr, and an immigrant Jewish father (simply called Tateh) and his nameless daughter in turn-of-the-century New York.
The novel, and its many iterations, have consistently been a paean to how far we’ve come as a nation and an indictment of how far we still must travel to achieve equal rights for all races, classes and genders. And if one felt that message quite strongly when Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s superb adaptation first appeared on Broadway in 1998, it now gnaws deep in your bones as you watch New York City Center’s dramatically and musically magnificent revival, now getting a too-short two week run.
Indeed, if you can go to see this show while this President election still approaches – one where we may either elect our first female, biracial present or a leader (and his party) who accuses immigrants of eating their pets and threatening to treat women as second-class citizens – one immediately realizes just how much (or little) progress has been made in the past 100 years.
Admittedly, in Lear deBessonet’s extraordinary production – featuring a 28-person orchestra sensitively conducted by James Moore and a gorgeous-sounding 33-person ensemble — you may be too distracted by the Flaherty-Aherns score to think about politics until after you leave the theatre. Even if you’ve heard these songs before, you haven’t heard them quite like this.
Joshua Henry’s operatic baritone, a marvel throughout the three-hour production, soars onto 55th Street during Coalhouse’s final “aria,” the stirring “Make Them Hear You,” andthe iconic “Wheels of a Dream,” his duet after reuniting with his lady love Sarah (an excellent Nichelle Lewis), resonates in your mind and heart long after you leave City Center.
Tony Award winner Brandon Uranowitz brings a remarkable blend of joy and sorrow to Tateh, who finds an American nightmare before he reaches the American dream. He uses his strong expressive voice to maximum effect on the haunting “Success” as well as the more light-hearted “Gliding” and “Buffalo Nickel Photoplay Inc.”
As the WASP family’s “Mother,” Caissie Levy is stunning in portraying in a woman caught between two centuries – and two ways of thinking and living – especially as she impulsively takes in the barely-breathing baby (which belongs to Sarah) that has been buried in her garden. Not a classic soprano like most of her stage predecessors (most notably, the late Marin Mazzie), Levy is nonetheless a truly wonderful singer and interpreter of lyrics, and her belt-to-the heavens version of her powerful Act 2 number “Back to Before” is literally soul-shaking.
The appealing Ben Levi Ross as her troubled Younger Brother, who eventually joins Coalhouse in his quest for “justice,” and a stalwart Colin Donnell as her stick-in-the-mud husband are perfect complements to Levy as well. So are her crusty, crochety father (a hilarious Tom Nelis) and her wiser-than-his-years son Edgar (an adorable Matthew Lamb).
Further, the brilliance of the show’s book is not only how involved you get in the stories of its main characters, but how smartly and seamlessly it incorporates many real-life figures of the era, including the fiery activist Emma Goldman (a humorous Shaina Taub), vaudeville star Evelyn Nesbit (a delightfully off-kilter Stephanie Styles), sanctimonious educator Booker T. Washington (an excellent John Clay III), famed illusionist Harry Houdini (a beguiling Rodd Cyrus) and mega-industrialists J.P, Morgan (a blustery John Rapson) and Henry Ford (a smarmy Jeff Kready).
David Rockwell’s set is necessarily spare – it has to be with all those people on the stage — relying primarily on two large stepladders and a few well-chosen set pieces. Meanwhile, Linda Cho’s period costumes are quite impressive. Finally, Ellenore Scott’s choreography is thoughtful and none-too-splashy, and occasionally even makes up for the lack of scenery.
But even if many people recall the original Broadway production for its opulence, that was never meant to be the lasting legacy of the “Ragtime.” This version (which one can only pray will have a longer life) is just that!
Ragtime plays at New York City Center (131 West 55th Street) through November 10. Runtime: 2:55. For tickets and information, visit www.nycitycenter.org
Photos: Joan Marcus
