![]() ![]() RELATED: Broadway classic connects with Texas State performersĪn unmistakable patriotism undergirds the couple’s anticipation of freedom, justice and happiness. Ahrens’ lyrics strike themes both panoramic and personal: “Yes, the wheels are turning for us, girl/And the times are starting to roll/Any man can get where he wants to/If he’s got some fire in his soul.” Flaherty’s sonorous melody - first hushed, then bombastic - ripens into the style of an anthem, recalling folk music and even the themes of movie westerns. The first of the cited scenes delivers hope. This summarizes the ambitious, intricate and, as we shall see, sometimes contradictory project of “Ragtime.” They aim to persuade us that the America of today reflects the America of the early 1900s, with its persistent optimism, deep cultural divisions and outbursts of social disruption. Distraught beyond measure, Walker promises to avenge Sarah by taking the life of Chief Willie Conklin and other firemen.Ĭlearly, the artists behind “Ragtime” intended more than mere distraction and entertainment in telling their story about three intertwined families - one black, one white, one immigrant. Believing that she carries a gun, Secret Service men beat her to death. Then, hoping for justice in the prolonged dispute, Sarah approaches a vice presidential candidate at a whistle-stop rally. First, racist firemen insult the proud musician and vandalize his car. Just a few scenes later, Walker’s mood has changed. Walker joins Sarah, his intended bride, singing about the America they intend to explore with their infant son. In “Ragtime,” the burnished Model T belongs to Coalhouse Walker Jr., an African-American pianist. Fictionally, the time is 1909, the place a hill overlooking New Rochelle, a suburb of New York City. Set against the backdrop of a spectacular sunset, an actor polishes a Model T Ford. The connections to contemporary life are even more self-evident 18 years later. In anticipation, we offer a look back through an edited version of our large-scale feature story about the show, published in July 2000. It recently was ranked ninth in the nation. It returns next week to Central Texas, staged by Texas State University in San Marcos, which has gained a reputation as the best musical theater training program in the state. It has also become a staple for high schools, colleges and regional theater companies. After that 2000 touring version, “Ragtime” electrified Austin audiences again during the grand opening of the Topfer Theatre at Zach Theatre in 2012. Since then, the epic invention from Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens and Terrence McNally has only grown in stature.Ī large-scale musical about the American experience - including ethnic tensions - in the early 20th century, it has been revived three times in New York and three times in London and has played the Kennedy Center. Almost 20 years ago, the breakthrough musical “Ragtime” first arrived in Austin by way of a road show at Bass Concert Hall. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |