Enraged at a stranger’s proposition to sell his daughter, Tateh appeals to god in a passionate outcry. Mother’s nurturing spirit is matched by Tateh-a fiercely loyal father determined to find success in America, despite poverty and discrimination. ![]() As Mother, Elizabeth Stuart is exquisite throughout, but the lament for her lost illusions, “Back to Before,” is perhaps the most moving solo in the musical. Sheltering a black single mother, Sarah, and her baby boy, Mother demonstrates moral courage. ![]() His wife, Mother, is initially grateful for his protection, but as time goes on, she grows increasingly aware of the gulf between them. Father, a complacently successful businessman from New Rochelle, came here on an immigrant “rag ship,” but now looks down on more recent immigrants for their guttural accents, even while sometimes admiring their bravery. The dynamic succession of multiple storylines is woven smoothly to show the interconnection of unlikely individual fates. This PCPA production, which just opened its Solvang run, has successfully blended poignant lyricism with the dramatic events of the early 20th century in this complex tale, transforming a grand, ambitious story into a cohesive musical narrative.ĭown from the original Broadway cast size of 59 to a still large group of 45, the ensemble nevertheless brimmed with vitality-the kind of raw energy needed for success at turn-of-the-century America. Doctorow, Ragtime was adapted for both cinema and stage. ![]() “We’ll ride on the wheels of a dream,” sings the Harlem ragtime musician Coalhouse Walker Jr., echoing the longing of the many characters in this story who hope to fulfill the American Dream. in PCPA's production of the musical Ragtime.
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