 Jim Corti as Harry Houndini | This show was fun for me on a lot of superficial, make myself feel important levels. :-) Stacy was working for Livent at the time, so she got us house seats, and gave us a backstage tour before the show. I can now say that I have stood on a Broadway stage, and I don't imagine that will happen any time again in the foreseeable future. :-) And the Ford Center is just such a beautiful theatre, so the whole thing was a real thrill for me. I was very excited to see the show, although I was kicking myself for not seeing the original cast, even though I had opportunities to do so. Sometimes I just don't think. :-) However, I think the real star of this show is the score (and the production, to a lesser extent), so I was still excited about seeing it. |  Janine LaManna as Evelyn Nesbit |
 LaChanze as Sarah | I believe that Ragtime has one of the most amazing opening numbers ever seen on the stage - both the music and the staging are incredible, and it gives me chills every time I hear/see/think about it. I actually cried watching it during this performance, for much the same reason I cried during the overture of Titanic, just because I couldn't really believe I was finally hearing it live. And the rest of the show was just as fantastic - one thing I'll say for Livent is that they sure know how to put on a show! This was a big, bold, brassy show, but with moments of real tenderness and quiet beauty. It is still one of my favourite scores - there are so many beautiful and moving and exciting moments. And the songs that I'm not as fond of when listening to the CD really came alive when I saw them staged. Particularly "Your Daddy's Son," which I always skip on the CD, but which was a heartwrenching and incredible scene on stage. |
 Scott Carollo as Mother's Younger Brother | Overall I was really impressed with the cast. No, they didn't live up to my image of the OBC (formed completely, of course, from the recording, which isn't really fair), but they were terrific. I particularly enjoyed Donna Bullock as Mother, Scott Carollo as Mother's Younger Brother, and John Rubinstein as Tateh. It was also great fun to see Janine LaManna as Evelyn and Jim Corti as Houdini (and how *did* they do his disappearing thing at the beginning of Act Two???), and I was thrilled that Judy Kaye and Tommy Hollis were still with the production as Emma Goldman and Booker T. Washington. I was disappointed to find out that LaChanze was out as Sarah, but her understudy, Monica Richards, was fantastic. Unfortunately, I felt the weakest link in the cast was Alton Fitzgerald White as Coalhouse, and that really hurt the production. I admit that I adore Brian Stokes Mitchell, the original Coalhouse, and that might have coloured my opinion of anyone else in the role, but I was willing to give Mr. White a chance. And honestly didn't think he was that bad. Until he *spoke* "Make The Hear You". Ruined the whole number for me, and I can't forgive that. :-) But other than that, I really loved this show, and am glad I got to see the "full" production (I later saw the tour, and while it was still terrific, it was very scaled down). A beautiful theatre, a beautiful score, a beautiful production, and free tickets to it! What could be better? :-) |  John Rubinstein and Danielle Wiener as Tateh and The Little Girl |
 Judy Kaye as Emma Goldman |  Donna Bullock as Mother |