Signature Theatre’s latest offering is a stellar production of Ragtime, a musicalization of E. L. Doctorow’s sprawling 1975 novel, in which a variety of real and fictional characters from the turn of the 20th century are woven into an epic American tapestry. Presenting a panoramic view of the dawning of the twentieth century, Ragtime addresses such issues as immigration, racism, socialism, women’s rights, industrialization, and the labor movement. Seeking to identify the forces that have shaped America over the past century, it utilizes such loaded images as the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Model T, the railroad, the boardwalk, the ballpark, and the assembly line to jog our collective memories. The show’s book is by Terrence McNally (Master Class; Love, Valour, Compassion!) with music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Once on This Island). The musical made its Broadway debut on 18 January 1998, with a stellar cast including Audra MacDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie, Judy Kaye, and Lea Michele, and has become a classic. We weren’t certain whether it was time for the musical Ragtime to be restaged, yet after seeing this delightfully innovative production at Signature, we can say yes!
In its staging in the MAX Theatre, Ragtime’s design team (scenic design by Lee Savage, costumes by Erik Teague, lighting by Tyler Micoleau, and sound by Eric Norris) effectively brings the large-scale musical into intimate proximity to the Signature audience. Flanking both sides of the proscenium are cast-iron staircases, framed above by a steel-lattice 2nd level which allows for both musicians and actors. As a piano begins to play a ragtime tune, we meet a white, upper-middle class New Rochelle family posed in Edwardian costume, and within the next 10 minutes, all the essential themes of Ragtime are established with theatrical eloquence. The gentle rhythms of the opening melody are disrupted with jagged jazz syncopations and Jewish folk inflections: the shifts herald the arrival of two other groups of performers representing the black underclass of Harlem and the newly arrived swarm of immigrants.
The ensemble’s uneasy dance and the increasingly dissonant music become an image of a melting pot whose ingredients remain unassimilated. The characters who break out of the dance to introduce themselves, in the third person, represent three separate story lines that will intersect and mesh. There is the generic white New Rochelle family of Father (Bill English), Mother (Teal Wicks) and their son (Matthew Lamb), plus Mother’s restless Younger Brother (Jake Loewenthal). Then there’s Coalhouse Walker (Nkrumah Gatling), the charismatic jazz pianist, and his lover, Sarah (Awa Sal Secka), who with her illegitimate child is taken in by Mother. The third story line belongs to Tateh (Bobby Smith), a Jewish immigrant who, inspired by hopes of a better life for his daughter, turns a knack for creating animated silhouette picture books into a career as a movie director. Also on hand are such iconic figures as Henry Ford (Douglas Ullman, Jr), Emma Goldman (Dani Stoller), Harry Houdini (Edward L. Simon) and Evelyn Nesbit (Maria Rizzo).
The staging here, under Matthew Gardiner’s direction, is admirable, and much more than a mere frame for the work’s momentous events. Appropriately for a piece about the velocity of change, the mood is enhanced by liquid segues from one scene into another and the ever-shifting, emotionally coded choreography by Ashleigh King. Perhaps the intimacy of this staging allows its characters a greater chance to register: almost all the main characters connect with the audience, and several ensemble members shine. If there is an issue with the musical, it is that it often feels like every number is trying to be the “big” number of the show. While this is a flaw in the writing, it is handled deftly by the director.
Nkrumah Gatling plays Coalhouse Walker, the character who drives most of the plot after he seeks revenge on white racists. Gatling creates a well-rounded character who knows how to love and laugh but can also reach the depths of despair with his pain and suffering. My favorite number of his (and there are many) is “Wheels of a Dream” – a duet with Sarah (played by Awa Sal Secka). Awa Sal Secka features heavily in the first act: her Sarah is a woman of intelligence and love, and after her solo, “Your Daddy’s Son,” that voice of hers will haunt you for days to come. Mathew Lamb as The Little Boy carries a lot of the show on his young shoulders and rises to the occasion in every moment. Whether he is center stage singing or walking a toy ship across the stage in the background, he is always in the moment.
Mother’s Younger Brother, as played by Jake Loewenthal, was a revelation. Loewenthal manages to connect to the audience in a simple way that makes him feel like an old friend from school. His journey to find himself and make a difference in the world feels like a dream we all once had and may have lost along the way. Mother is portrayed by Teal Wicks. The role demands a lot vocally and Wicks delivers. She delivers something else as well, an empathetic character who grows into a strong independent woman who cannot and will not go back to what she was before. Her solo “Back to Before ”, which is often over produced, is kept simple and straightforward, allowing her to act the song, not just belt it.
The always brilliant Bobby Smith is still brilliant as Tateh. He knows when to take a scene and make it his and just as importantly when to allow another actor their own time to shine. The chemistry he has with the actress playing his daughter is delightful and believable. Likewise, when paired with Wicks in the song “Our Children ” they create a moment of intimacy with just a few casual looks and shared thoughts.
Among the ensemble, Maria Rizzo appears to be having so much fun playing Evelyn Nesbit, it is completely infectious. When teamed up with Edward L. Simon who plays Harry Houdini, they steal the show for a few brief moments. Dani Stoller also gets her fair share of brilliant moments playing a very down-to-earth Emma Goldman.
As downbeat as the story of Coalhouse and Sarah may be, we do get one happy ending: Mother and Tateh get married, each changing with the times, adapting and learning and progressing towards the future. The happy endings in this world, as the novel and musical suggest, belong to those who embrace ambition and multiculturalism. Perhaps.
All in all, this exceptional mounting of Ragtime makes for an incredibly delightful and moving night of theatre. Signature Theatre is shining again.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes with one intermission
Ragtime plays through January 7th 2024 in the Max Theatre at Signature Theatre— 4200 Campbell Avenue in Shirlington, VA. For tickets call the box office at (703) 820-9771 or purchase them online.
