Ragtime

The new production of Ragtime recently opened at the Neil Simon Theatre, freshly imported from a hailed run at the Kennedy Center in DC.  While the original production was considered bloated & inappropriately over-sized, sadly, I never saw it.  I was still in college when it opened, and didn’t move to New York until after it closed.  Of course, I did buy the soundtrack.  An English major &  fan of E.L. Doctorow, I also read the book (several times).

To start, the music here is excellent.  A well-toned score by Stephen Flaherty is easily the best thing about the show.  It may be a little “dialed up to eleven”, but the lyrics & book are dialed up to 20.  A bit clichéd with every plot development clearly telegraphed, the book is far too concerned with being important.  Terrence McNally is an excellent playwright, whose work has always explored emotional complexity.  Here, he’s a bit overwhelmed by the fact that the characters are essentially stand-ins for archetypes and doesn’t bring the deftness I expected.  That being said, his book & Lynn Ahrens’ lyrics do provide a few more than solid punches.

The show opens with a view of a truly glorious set by Derek McLane.  Although it opens with a prestige shot (above, from the official website), McLane’s set continues a trend of his to have an elegant set support an elegant show (see 33 Variations, The Pajama Game, etc.).  The opening number is considered by a few people to be one of the best.  I enjoyed it, but the whole “stock characters explain themselves” wasn’t exactly what I expected.  I should have, having heard it before, but the staging just wasn’t was I thought I would see.  That being said, it is an enrapturing piece.

There is so much plot to cover, I won’t even bother.  Just read Doctorow’s book & see the show.

As for the performances, Christiane Noll delivers an incredible lead performance as Mother.  The role is probably the most sympathetic character to modern audiences, and Noll doesn’t overplay the part.  As the matron of a wealthy family in Westchester, she has to show a care for the people of color (which was uncommon back then, or so the show tells us) while still balancing an air of middle-class appropriateness.  Noll has a few good songs, including what I consider the best song in the show – Back to Before.  She nails the complicated emotions behind the sentiment of changing times, though I wasn’t happy with the lighting or her stage placement during the number.  Neither the lighting or her awkward place on the stage brought out the power of this “eleven o’clock” number, which makes Noll’s performance all the better.  I fully expect a Tony nomination for her.

Also strong and deserving of a Tony nod is Bobby Steggert, playing Noll’s Younger Brother.  The role is probably the best written and most complicated, and Steggert delivers a winning performance.  He didn’t cede to the easy revelatory nature of the role, and brought out the complex drama of a young man changing as he begins to understand the world.  He shares a great number with Donna Migliaccio’s Emma Goldman as his transformation takes place, and he delivers quite well.  And he’s adorable.

Rounding out the strong performances is Quentin Earl Darrington as Coalhouse Walker, Jr.  Coalhouse is a powerhouse part, and Darrington knocks it down.  While not nearly as shaded as the other lead roles, Coalhouse is a “dialed up to eleven” role that Brian Stokes Mitchell powered through in the original production.  Darrington does his best not to overdo the role, but his knockout voice erupts time and again to showcase the frustration of a man trying to push himself forward with his life.  His dramatic skills are good, but his voice is better.  Depending on who else is in the category, I could see him getting a Tony nomination.

Robert Petkoff delivers well as Tateh, but I felt that he played a bit too close to the last row of the theatre for my taste.  Others felt differently, but that’s my take.  He’s a good dramatic actor playing an outsized role, but something about it felt off for me.  Stephanie Umoh takes on Sarah, a role originally played by Audra McDonald.  She’s very pretty and has a lovely voice, but I never really felt her in the role, and her scenes with most of the other characters just didn’t play right for me.  That said, perhaps a more modern role is a better fit for her.  Ron Bohmer was fine as Father, but the role is so terribly underwritten that fine qualifies as excellent.  Although, from where I was sitting, I kept thinking he was Jason Sudekis from SNL.  Go figure.  The rest of the cast was uniformly good, if a bit anonymous.  Again, go figure.

Although it will likely get trumped by either of the two London imports, A Little Night Music & La Cage Aux Folles, for the Tony for Best Musical Revival, this time, the show doesn’t deserve to get overtaken in public opinion.

Overall, despite my little grievances & issues, I did enjoy the show.  A lot.  Its a great piece of theatre, and deserves a very long run.  The score & sets are enough to   Buy tickets!

 

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