A professional musician, well-dressed and well-spoken, he gains the family's respect and overcomes their prejudice initially by playing ragtime music on their piano. Coalhouse Walker, the child's father, visits regularly to win Sarah's affections. Into this insecure setup comes an abandoned black child, then his severely depressed mother, Sarah. He becomes obsessed with the notorious socialite Evelyn Nesbit, stalking her and embarking on a brief, unsatisfactory affair with her. Mother's Younger Brother is a genius at explosives and fireworks but is an insecure, unhappy character who chases after love and excitement. Father joins Robert Peary's expedition to the North Pole, and his return sees a change in his relationship with his wife, who has experienced independence in his absence. The family business is the manufacture of flags and fireworks, an easy source of wealth due to the national enthusiasm for patriotic displays. The novel centers on a wealthy family living in New Rochelle, New York, referred to as Father, Mother, Mother's Younger Brother, Grandfather, and 'the little boy', Father and Mother's young son.
TIME included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-Language Novels from 1923 to 2005. In 1998, the Modern Library ranked Ragtime number 86 on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century.
It is a work of historical fiction mainly set in the New York City area from 1902 until 1912. next Thursday and March 9 and 7 p.m.Ragtime is a novel by E. Where: Roth/Resler Theater, Jewish Community Center, 1125 College Ave.Ĭontact: 61, Showtimes: 8 p.m. but you have to change to deal with the a glance “’Ragtime’ is about finding your own identity and community and celebrating the people who have broadened the diversity of America. “It’s so rare and rich to have a musical that gives you three different perspectives and three different stories,” Merrick said. Merrick compares the epic scope and melodic sweep of “Ragtime” to “Les Miserables.” As she learns to trust her own intuition, Mother starts to see that she can make her own choices.” “At the beginning, Mother is still very much tied to her husband, what he thinks and believes. “There’s so much depth to all the characters in the midst of history,” Merrick said. and adds a sense of history and dignity,” Ingram said. “The language is almost archaic, but it connects us to the time period. McNally wrote the dialogue with a distinctive point of view: third-person self-narration by each character.
“It’s a visceral song about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” Ingram said. “Wheels of a Dream,” a soaring duet between Coalhouse and Sarah, reflects themes of hope, change, and aspirations for a better life. “Now he wants to make things up to her by taking Sarah across the country and showing her what life could be like.” “He didn’t do everything he could to please her,” Ingram said. As the story evolves, it becomes a fight against an oppressive system.”Ĭoalhouse initially struggles to repair his relationship with Sarah, who left him. “Once he sets his mind on something, it takes a lot to make him change. “He’s very strong-willed, and he can be very stubborn,” said Ingram, 23. “You don’t even realize the fictional characters aren’t real, because they seamlessly intertwine with the historical figures,” Baghat said.Īmari Ingram plays Coalhouse, a musician. Interwoven into their stories are historical figures, from automaker Henry Ford and magician Harry Houdini to anarchist Emma Goldman and civil-rights activist Booker T. “There’s always a great underlying beat that’s like the heartbeat of the show.”Īmong the characters: a well-off white family whose members include Mother, Father and Mother’s Younger Brother Coalhouse Walker Jr., a black performer who loves Sarah, his estranged girlfriend and Tateh, an Eastern European Jew who comes to America with his young daughter. “It’s a sweeping epic, with a score that’s one of the best-written for theater in the last 25 years,” Bahgat said. “America is much different than we were in 1906, but the themes of ‘Ragtime’ - immigration, racial barriers between blacks and whites, women finding their voice - are still present today."Īuthor Terrence McNally, lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty adapted the musical - winner of four 1997 Tony awards, including best book and score - from E.L. “We’ve come a long way, but we have a long way to go,” director David Baghat said. Gallery Players’ production - with a 32-member cast and a nine-piece orchestra - will open Saturday at the Jewish Community Center. That’s the focus of “Ragtime,” a 1998 Broadway show set in the early 1900s in New York. Americans struggling with change just a few years into a new century seems like a timely theme for a musical.
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