Review - Ragtime Revival on Broadway

What exactly is a "modern classic"? I mean, it's a contradiction in terms, right? An oxymoron if ever there was one. People who use this phrase tend to be either morons themselves or marketers, the latter of whom seem forever bent on destroying the English language, or at the very least disregarding its every tenet.

And yet, it's the phrase that springs to mind when I think of Ragtime. I guess by "modern classic" I mean that the show is so strong, so powerful, so seemingly timeless that it appears destined to enter the upper pantheon of musical theater. So although Ragtime is not technically a classic, I feel confident that, in time, it will be.

Which is why I was thrilled to hear that the well-received recent production of Ragtime at Kennedy Center would be moving to Broadway's Neil Simon Theater. The show was famously overproduced in its original incarnation, which forced the show to close prematurely, at least in the estimation of its legion admirers.

I saw the current Broadway production very early in previews, the third performance, in fact. And while all of the elements seemed essentially in place, and the performances were solid, the show seemed to be missing an emotional center. The proceedings were thoroughly professional, to be sure, but the overall effect was often flat and bloodless, especially during the sequences with Coalhouse (Quentin Earl Darrington) and Sarah (Stephanie Umoh). It's possible that, in the weeks since I saw Ragtime, the production has coalesced into the affecting amalgam it deserves to be, but I've heard conflicting accounts: some people have said that the production is nothing less than astonishing, while others have repeated my hesitation about the show not quite gelling. 

To be sure, this is a far more streamlined production than the original. The glorious score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens has been cut down a bit, but that only seems to have made the show stronger. "Crime of the Century" is shortened considerably, and the tag for "He Wanted to Say" is gone, neither of which really affects the impact of either scene. The score still features a few too many stirring anthems that end with re-e-e-eally lo-o-o-ong no-o-o-o-o-otes, but in truth, each seems to serve its individual function. And there are still some numbers of questionable significance, including "What a Game" and "Atlantic City." But nobody else writes opening numbers like Flaherty and Ahrens: within the first few minutes of each of their shows, you know exactly what the rest of the evening will hold in store, and Ragtime is fortunately no exception.

As for the book, I used to think that all the historical characters (Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, J.P. Morgan, Evelyn Nesbitt, etc.) weighed the show down, although there's little question that both Emma Goldman and Booker T. Washington, in particular, are crucial to the plot. But in the current production, director Marcia Milgrom Dodge and librettist Terrence McNally seem to have trimmed some of the context and focused more on the main characters. And the skeletal scenic design by Derek McLane provides a far greater fluidity to this production, removing much of the literalism that made the original bloated and slow.

Comparisons are odious, of course, and it's really not fair to compare any of the talented performers here to their counterparts in the original cast. Fortunately, the current cast members seem to more than hold their own. Particularly compelling is Ron Bohmer as Father, a rather difficult part to make three-dimensional and sympathetic, but Bohmer manages to do both quite handily. Another tough part is Younger Brother, which in the wrong hands can simply fade into the background. But the wonderful Bobby Steggert brings a fiery vibrancy to the role, and is certainly in no danger of blending in, and thankfully so. 

For me, the two most compelling characters in Ragtime have always been Tateh and Mother, and one of the chief delights of this production is watching Robert Petkoff and Christiane Noll embody these roles so thoroughly. It's gratifying to see Noll finally have some decent material to work with, after seeing her suffer through Jekyll & Hyde on Broadway and Frankenstein off. Her "Back to Before" was a knockout, full of honest emotional choices. And both Petkoff and Noll brought a charming simplicity and palpable subtext to "Our Children," a song that features a brilliant use of dramatic irony: the characters are talking about their kids, but what we're really sensing is the emotional connection that's growing between these two people. Simple, stunning moments like this are why I love musical theater. 

Based on my abiding love for Ragtime, I'm hoping to catch this production again, in the hope of seeing the show develop the solid emotional core that it needs, and settle in for the long and healthy run that it deserves.

Comments

[Drew J.]

I hope they make a cast recording for this production. It would be great to compare to the original. Although considering how good this original is, it might not be able to live up to it. If the show does not become a "classic", then I think the cast recording will at least. Its one of the best "put together" cast recordings I have ever heard.

[Esther]

Guess I'll have to swim against the tide on this one. Granted, I saw a very early preview but I'm one of those who felt an emotional center was lacking. I loved the music, the sweeping look at American history in the early 20th century but the individual stories didn't grab me as much as I thought they would. Part of it may be that I simply knew too much about the plot going in. Also, apparently I'm the only one who was bothered by this but the act of racism that's central to the story was depicted in a way that I felt was lame.

[Vance]

I think I was a bit more lenient on Stephanie Umoh since she's joining into a cast that has already been together for a while, but I can see the criticisms of her chemistry with Darrington. However seeing Darrington with Jennlee Shallow in DC, I know he has the charisma there to knock it out of the park and I think Umoh just needs a bit more time to settle in. (Too bad about Shallow though, she was a star to be born (she was already signed on to a Cirque show before the transfer was announced)).