Ragtime at CPT

Last night my Mom and I went to see my niece Tashena perform in the ensemble in Ragtime at CenterPoint Legacy Theatre. Of course I thought she was amazing! I really like this musical and seeing Tashena perform made it even more memorable. Ragtime tells the story of America at the turn of the 20th Century. Mother (Annie Ferrin) is the matriarch of an upper-class family living in the suburb of New Rochelle. Everything changes when Father (Dan Frederickson) leaves on a voyage to the North Pole forcing her to make decisions for the first time in her life. Tateh (Shelby Ferrin) is an Eastern European Jew who brings his daughter to America for a better life. Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (Timothy Drisdom) is a Harlem piano player looking for justice after the death of his fiance Sarah (Olivia Lusk).  Their stories converge along with those of the most notable figures of the day: the illusionist Harry Houdini (Nick Morris), a showgirl named Evelyn Nesbitt (Janessa Zech) who gets caught up in the Crime of the Century, the African-American leader Booker T. Washington (Everett Spencer), the financier J.P. Morgan (Rob Severinson), the inventor of the Model-T Henry Ford (Brett Sloan), and the anarchist Emma Goldman (Katelyn Johnson). Through it all ragtime music is used as a metaphor for the changes taking place in American life before World War I and it is a compelling story filled with wonderful songs. My favorite songs in this show have always been "Sarah Brown Eyes" and "Back to Before" and they were performed beautifully last night but "Till We Reach That Day" was especially beautiful and very affecting. I also really loved "Gettin' Ready Rag" because the choreography is spectacular and my niece can really dance!  It was so much fun for my Mom and I to watch her in that number! This is a big and complicated show so I really appreciated the understated sets, which mimicked industrial iron girders, as they could be configured and reconfigured very quickly. I was especially struck by the iron gate which held the immigrants back as they entered America from Ellis Island in "A Shtetl in Amereke" because it is very dramatic.  The entire cast is outstanding but Drisdom as Coalhouse and Ferrin as Mother are particularly strong. I highly recommend this show (and not just because my niece is in it) which runs until Oct. 27.  You can purchase tickets here (if you want to see my niece, she is in the T H S cast).