Ogunquit Playhouse Presents "Ragtime" - The Best Show I Have Seen All Year - An Absolute MUST SEE!

Fasten your seat belts, for this will be a lengthy review of a show that is deserving of every accolade it can collect. The current production of "Ragtime," running through August 26th at the Ogunquit Playhouse, is the best show I have ever seen at Ogunquit, the best show I have seen this year on any stage, and the best production of "Ragtime" I have ever witnessed. Get to Ogunquit to experience this miracle of artistic perfection and timely political commentary.

Not only is this a production that shines in every creative and artistic aspect, but it is one that speaks clearly to many of the dilemmas that face our nation today. As we entered the theatre from the lobby prior to the show, I was struck by the large mask of a woman's face that was suspended above the darkened stage, taking up much of the space in the proscenium. I said to my sister, "What does that woman's face have to do with 'Ragtime'? Being the more perceptive sibling, Di answered, "That is the face from the Statue of Liberty." I gasped. For it was indeed her face, but she was bereft of her welcoming torch, and had been stripped of her majestic crown. As I sat to read the Playbill, the Director's Notes by Seth Sklar-Heyn made it clear that Lady Liberty and the current assaults upon her legacy and ethos are at the heart of Ogunquit's telling of this tale, originally penned in the novel of the same name by the brilliant E.L. Doctorow.

The Notes begin with a reminder of the Emma Lazarus poem, "The New Colossus," not in any manner a dead letter, but one that rings with timeless truth in today's world. Its iconic words, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," were the fodder for a lively contretemps last week in the White House. This story of immigrants' struggles at the dawn of the 20th century reverberates with poignancy in these early years of the 21st century. Current social and political themes that test our nation's resolve - such as White Privilege, Black Lives Matter, police brutality, the plight of immigrants, affordable health care, a living wage, caring for the downtrodden, and the question of how a terrorist is born - all are limned to dramatic effect in this musical that was spawned by the novel.

With a book by Terrence McNally, Music by Stephen Flaherty, and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, the original creative team were insightful in the ways in which they translated Doctorow's watershed novel to the musical stage. Ogunquit's creative team have been equal to the task of carrying that commitment to artistic excellence into this production. Director Seth Sklar-Heyn has made brilliant staging and blocking choices, using the gorgeous and malleable Scenic Design by Tim Mackabee to full effect. Lighting by Richard Latta is particularly effective, as is the Sound Design of Kevin Heard. The costumes, based on original designs by Santo Loquasto and Coordinated by Molly Walz are exquisite. Music Director Jeffrey Campos translates Mr. Flaherty's sumptuous score beautifully, coaxing lush sounds from the 8-piece orchestra. Choreography by Jesse Robb is outstanding.

Now let's discuss the stellar cast.

• Darnell Abraham commands the stage as Coalhouse Walker, Jr. Whether he is seated at a piano playing his ragtime tunes, driving his gleaming Model T ( a wonderful working model that is a nice touch), serenading Sarah, or confronting redneck Fire Chief Willie Conklin, he is in charge. This complex character is both a delight and a challenge to portray, and Mr. Abraham shows consummate skill in taking Coalhouse through a broad array of emotions and facial expressions as he traverses a path from delight, to pride, to concern, to rage, to despair, and finally to resolve and resignation. His nuanced acting is matched by his powerful vocal interpretations, especially in "Gettin' Ready Rag," "Wheels of a Dream," in which he is joined by Lindsay Roberts as Sarah, "Till We Reach That Day," and "Make Them Hear You."

Darnell Abraham as Coalhouse
"Ragtime"
Ogunquit Playhouse
Through August 26th
Photo by Gary Ng

• Lindsay Roberts as Sarah also conveys a vast spectrum of emotions. She is almost catatonic after trying to dispose of her unwanted child, resistant to Coalhouse's persistent courting, ecstatic when she realizes that he loves her and wants to marry her, and doggedly determined to help him find a way to receive justice after his Model T has been destroyed in an act of pure racial hatred and bigotry. She shines in "Your Daddy's Son, and "Sarah Brown Eyes."

• Kirsten Scott as Mother is a revelation. In the opening scenes she is bedecked in a gorgeous outfit of off-white, the very embodiment of a turn of the century stay at home patrician wife and mother. Ms. Scott brings a wondrous warmth to Mother's voyage from complacent help mate to a practical and bold feminist, making choices with her head and heart that Father never understands and seldoms approves. She turns song into story in "Goodbye, My Love," "What Kind of Woman," "Journey On," and especially in "Back To Before," a gentle feminist anthem. She pairs with Josh Young as Tateh in the deeply moving "Our Children."

• Josh Young! Never have I seen such a fine and evocative Tateh. His is another beautifully conceived complex character, a young widower who dreams of providing a safe home for his young daughter. This impoverished Jewish immigrant from Latvia, arriving in New York on one of the "rag ships," works his way up the ladder of the American Dream by hard work and imagination. He comforts his terrified little girl with the sweet "Gliding," and then celebrates his business success with "Buffalo Nickel Photoplay Inc." He scales the invisible wall that had been erected on the border of the socioeconomic chasm that separates him from Mother when he joins her in singing "Our Children," a wonderful foreshadowing of what is to come for them both. Ella Luke-Tedeschi is fragile and expressive as Tateh's daughter.

Josh Young as Tateh
Ella Luke-Tedeschi as Daughter

"Ragtime"

Ogunquit Playhouse

Through August 26th

Photo by Gary Ng

• As Father, Jamie LaVerdiere is the very quintessence of rigid rectitude and patrician cluelessness. Throughout the show, his light slowly fades. He expresses his bemusement when he returns from Arctic exploration with Admiral Peary to find that his white enclave in New Rochelle has been overrun with people that are not "our kind." The song is "New Music." Father does not understand the changes, while everyone else rejoices in them. It seems that the more he travels the world, the more distant he becomes from understanding those he claims to love.

• Julian Decker stands out in the difficult role of Younger Brother. He is trying to find himself, but like Prince Pippin, fails in several attempts. Smitten with Vaudeville sensation Evelyn Nesbit (a delightful Carly Hueston Amburn), he becomes embittered and turns to revolution  and support of the militant Coalhouse. His moments to shine are in "The Night That Goldman Spoke at Union Square," and "He Wanted To Say."

• Carly Hueston Amburn tickles the audience and the courtroom with her saucy "Girl on the Swing" routine in "Crime of the Century."

• The role of Emma Goldman is crucial in this show as the voice of social conscience. Klea Blackhurst is perfectly cast in this role, also standing out in the two songs she shares with Younger Brother, the aforementioned "The Night That Goldman Spoke at Union Square," and "He Wanted To Say."

• Rod Singleton stands out as Booker T. Washington, the voice of moral authority for the Negro race in the opening decades of the 20th century. He makes an impact near the end of the play in "Look What You've Done."

• Freddie Kimmel does not escape our attention as Harry Houdini, an immigrant who made a splash on the American stage. His big numbers are "Success," and "Atlantic City."

• Young Sol Thomas, making his professional debut, is excellent as The Little Boy. His plangent repetition of "Warn the Duke!" stills echoes in my ears.

• Galyana Castillo's powerful voice moves us in the heartbreaking "Till We Reach That Day."

• The excellent ensemble is comprised of Valeska Cambron, Darius Crenshaw, Amy Decker, Joseph DiPietro, Jack Doyle, Joey Elrose, Sam Hartley, Dion Montez Jarrett, Megan Lione, Lexi Lyric, Mary MAlaney, Anna Noble, Joel Robertson, Michael Santora, David Studwell, Nya Trysha, Kate Turner, Klton Washington, Eric R. Williams. In alternating performances, Ella Riley and Tyler Wladis play the role of the children.

Cast

"Ragtime"

Ogunquit Playhouse

Through August 26th

Photo by Gary Ng

The opening montage, "Ragtime," is one of the mostly brilliantly choreographed in all of musical theater. Three groups - the White ruling class, Black migrants to New York from the South, and Eastern European immigrants - intertwine and interact with each other. They bump up against one another in groups - foreshadowing coming conflicts in the narrative of the play. Individuals from the three groups come in contact with one another, giving a glimpse into relationships yet to come. I am in awe each time I see this sequence acted out and danced. This cast performs it with precision and exuberance.

Cast - The Three Groups

"Ragtime"

Ogunquit Playhouse

Through August 26th

Photo by Gary Ng

One final comment. At the emotional heart of this story is the love and shared dream that develops between Coalhouse and Sarah. As a Black man, Coalhouse is in awe that he is able to dream of success - "own a car, raise a child, build a life with you . . ." That dream is aborted - the wheels come off - when Willie Conklin desecrates the car. I could not help but think of our current POTUS as a modern day Willie Conklin, systematically taking a lug wrench to the wheels of the American Dream and dismantling it, in cahoots with his enablers and abettors in the Swamp in Washington. Coalhouse resists. Art, such as this show and this production, is a way to resist and to tell the story of a better way - a better American. Let's put the crown back on Lady Liberty's brow and hand her back her torch so it can once again shine brightly to welcome home those who need refuge.

Lindsay Roberts as Sarah
Darnell Abraham as Coalhouse
"The Wheels of a Dream"
"Ragtime"

Ogunquit Playhouse

Through August 26th

Photo by Gary Ng

Come to see this show - through August 26th, and then "Go Out And Tell The Story"!

Ogunquit Playhouse Website

I plan to return to see this show a second time. I hope to see you there.

Enjoy!

Al