| re: RAGTIME -- TMy houghts of a Transfer | |
| Posted by: NewtonUK 09:41 am EST 11/09/24 | |
| In reply to: RAGTIME -- Thoughts of a Transfer - student_rush 12:48 pm EST 11/08/24 | |
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| I know some producers were/are discussing this. Two NBIG obstacles. A cast of 41 - meaning over 50 with understudies and swings. An orchestra of 28. And, IMHO, overall the weakest of the casts of major NY RAGTIME productions. A few leads are great, but otherwise serviceable. The music direction square - the score was not allowed to breathe in the way RAGTIME needs to. Choreogr[hay. Nope. Scenery? Almostnone and no imagination. This is less of a production than any Encores show that has transferred in the past. And it suffers, as have all ENCORES type productions at CC since Jack Viertels reign ended, from Rob Berman and Scott Lehrer not being on hand. Beyond that, RAGTIME is a well known Broadway money pit. IMHO because after a tremendous Act 1, Act 2 gets very dark and moves very quickly from tragedy to tragedy - without a good director (like Hal Prince or someone) Act 2 can become really dismal. As it is here. One has to cover up the schematic nature of the book, and make it seem like the characters are behaving as humans would ... 10 days rehearsal I know. But many many Encores productions in the past have appeared fully realized. We love RAGTIME because of what works, and music theatre nerds we are more than happy to push the parts that don't out of our minds. RAGTIME has always had a word of mouth problem because of Act 2 - the last thing in an audience's mind. I am VERY happy that this was a CC Gala, and not actually an ECNROES production at all, since when Mr Viertel left, Encores stopped reviving musicals so we could see what the were like, and started aggressively re-writing them into 'wokeness' - which is not the point. RAGTIME has, in 2024, what one could call a problematic ending. When the novel came out in the mis '70s, this didn't concern anyone. And NO I'm not saying it should be changed - this is the story - we have to tell it as it is because it tells us about the '70s. But even when I saw the original L.A. company (pre Broadway) with John Rubinstein as Tateh, the ending seemed cringeworthy to me. The happy ending is that Sarah and Coalhouse's child will be brought up by a progressive white family, with a Jewish dad and a Protestant Mom. Sure, but .... do neotehr Coalhouse nor Sara have any family at all? |
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