Theater Online - New York Theater Reviews

Jen Maufrais Kelly ©2025  Tateh: Mark Gerrard Little Girl: Jordan Bloom

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's Ragtime is an expansive exploration of the shifting social realities of turn-of-the-twentieth-century America. Astoria Performing Arts Center's production, currently running at the Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, is not to be missed.

At the center of story are three parents: Mother, a sheltered New Rochelle homemaker who turns her life upside-down when she takes in an illegitimate African-American baby; Tateh, a Latvian Jew who immigrates to America to give his daughter a better life only to become trapped in squalid tenements and factories; and Coalhouse Walker, a gifted Ragtime pianist who goes vigilante when he discovers that there is no justice in America for men of his complexion. These three characters' lives wind together with the stories of prominent figures of the era: radical Emma Goldman, illusionist Harry Houdini, manufacturer Henry Ford, vaudeville personality Evelyn Nesbit, and others.

Ahrens, Flaherty, and book-writer Terrence McNally have translated E.L. Doctorow's sweeping novel into an effective, tear-jerker of a musical which nevertheless maintains its playful sense of humor. Director Tom Wojtunik has staged the show beautifully, using every inch of the performance space to paint evocative stage pictures. Wojtunik is particularly adept at surprising the audience with clever transformations of stage properties – turning a car to a coffin, for instance. He is aided in his work by choreographer Ryan Kasprzak, who effectively articulates a different kind of movement for each ethnic group in the play and has created memorable and energetic dances, particularly in the "Gettin' Ready Rag."

Jen Maufrais Kelly ©2025  Jordan Bloom

Flaherty's compositions can sound bombastic on recordings, but in this production the music never overwhelms and always seems appropriate to the world of the play. The five-member band, seated out of audience view and led by Daniel Feyer, has a great sound, although it occasionally overwhelms the performers' voices (most noticeably Younger Brother's in "New Music").

Ragtime is an ensemble piece. Fortunately, the entire cast at the APAC is strong. The chorus fills the house with their voices and gamely create a number of small but memorable roles. Particularly notable performances include those of Stacie Bono, who lights up the stage as temptress Evelyn Nesbit; Carmel Javaher as a crazy-eyed yet compelling Emma Goldman; and Matthew D. Brooks as a grave Booker T. Washington. Chorus member Vanessa Robinson – who stepped in at the last minute to sing for Marcie Henderson -- gives a rousing rendition of the solo in "Till We Reach That Day."

Two performances rise above the rest: Mark Gerrard as Tateh and Anna Lise Jensen as Mother. They have the advantage of playing the two characters who change the most over the course of the musical; Tateh's trajectory takes him from penniless immigrant to disillusioned striker to successful filmmaker. Gerrard's searing rendition of “Success” is a perfect portrayal of Tateh's disillusionment during his darkest moment. Jensen is blessed with a strong, clear voice and an expressive face; her journey from yielding wife to an independent thinker with a social conscience is arresting.

Ragtime's creative team seamlessly conjures the spirit of early twentieth-century America. Set designer Michael P. Kramer has transformed the church's small proscenium stage into a modified thrust, allowing Wojtunik to extend the action of the play into the audience. The simple set -- a sky-high construction of doorways, stairs, and curio-like cubby-holes filled with antiques -- towers in front of a huge, faded American flag. Travis Walker creates striking effects with his lighting design, notably a moody back room in Harlem and a live-action rendering of a segment of a silent film. The costumes, designed by David Withrow, are beautiful and clearly delineate the many ethnic and social groups jostling for their piece of the American dream.

Jen Maufrais Kelly ©2025  

Wojtunik observes in his program note that Ragtime's characters have two choices: to adapt to the waves of change or to resist and be swept away. It is not difficult to draw parallels between our own time and the tempestuous years at the dawn of the twentieth century. Hopefully, we will learn from Tateh and Mother and begin to make a better world for our children.