Wednesday, 5/28/97 Out of the shadows Boasting a publicity
campaign rivaling Hollywood movies, ‘Ragtime,’ which opens in June,
hopes to reach wider audiences with its message of tolerance and
optimism
By Cheryl Klein Daily Bruin Senior Staff Ragtime," it appears,
would very much like to be the Musical of the Century. Not that it
is an official title, but as the millennium draws to a close, the
trend is to reflect on the past 100 years and leave an artistic
mark that will carry over to the future. And why should musical
theater be any exception? While preview performances of the
theatrical adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s historical novel begin on
Thursday, the official American premiere at the Shubert Theater
isn’t until June 15. Yet, Livent, Inc., held a full-scale press
conference about the show in early February and – thanks to an
aggressive advertising campaign – most Angelenos are already
familiar with the "Ragtime" logo (the American flag billowing
around the Statue of Liberty) and syncopated soundtrack. And, it
seems "Ragtime" is set to fill the large shoes Livent created for
it rather nicely. Storywise, hypewise and talentwise, the musical
screams epic. "’Ragtime’ as a title has star power," says director
Frank Galati. The bearded, bespectacled Northwestern University
professor speaks poetically of the project. "It speaks of an age, a
musical form. It’s a word that has ambiguities and layers and
shadows in it. Rags, poverty. Something ragged, something jagged
… and the transformation that time brings." This is the aura of
"Ragtime." Accented by musical numbers who draw on jazz, gospel,
vaudeville and, of course, ragtime, the story chronicles three
American families at the turn of the century. There is Coalhouse
Walker Jr., a talented African-American pianist whose fierce love
for his wife and child drives him to violent activism against the
rampant racism of the time. There is Tateh, a Jewish immigrant who
lives the American dream, but not without seeing the nation’s most
nightmarish side. At one point, he lingers cold and hungry on a
street corner, trying desperately to sell one of the silhouettes he
draws to earn a living for himself and his young daughter. Finally
a passerby asks, "How much?" Tateh’s gratitude turns to horror when
he realizes the man is offering money for his little girl. Finally,
there is the upper-class, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant family known
only as Mother, Father, Little Boy and Younger Brother. They open
the show singing the praises of a deceptively blissful nation in
which "there were no negroes, there were no immigrants." They close
side by side with nearly 60 other cast members, their naivete
banished and replaced by determined optimism. It is not a
particularly unusual or risky plot. But, says UCLA alumnus John
Rubenstein, who plays Tateh, it may be exactly what America wants.
"It’s not an oddball musical like ‘Rent,’" Rubinstein says, citing
what is perhaps the stiffest competition against "Ragtime" for the
Musical of the Century title. "’Rent’ is a very good musical, but
still a musical about drug addicts and people who are very close to
being homeless. It won’t attract the widest audience. But ‘Ragtime’
touches American history and currents in American political thought
that strike very deep. Plus, the music is very mainstream, with a
lot of heart and wit." Garth Drabinsky, Livent’s chief executive
officer, adds, "The events and imagery of the novel were so vibrant
they insisted on being staged and set to music. ‘Ragtime’ also
touched my own Jewish roots and I think it probably explores in
varying ways each and every one of your families’ roots." Drabinsky
is clearly passionate about the message the musical sends and the
medium which sends it. Many reporters are anxious to hear any buzz
about a currently nonexistent "Ragtime, the Movie Musical." Here
Drabinsky and his colleagues grow defensive. "Right now we’re
really here just to give Los Angeles the best stage musical we can,
and that’s an enormous project right there," says playwright
Terrence McNally, who adapted the novel for the stage. Drabinsky
has considerable film background himself, but, if anything, his
experiences have made him more skeptical toward the industry. "One
of the things I got angry about so often was that there was this
great opportunity to deal impactly with critical subject matter.
And yet, you continue to see the erosion and dilution of that story
because there was an element of fear within certain people’s
decision-making capacity," Drabinsky says. Part of what makes
"Ragtime" so timely is indeed its harsh yet poetic treatment of
racism, immigration, the labor movement and women’s rights. It is a
lot for one musical to tackle. A story with easily a dozen themes,
no central character and myriad historical events interwoven with
fiction could quickly fall victim to the chaos it documents. But
both cast and creative teams have done their homework. "The main
thing I did was read Emma Goldman’s 1,000-page autobiography," says
Judy Kaye, who plays the orator and strike leader. Goldman, Kaye
learned, was an adamant believer in workers’ rights, birth control,
free love and anarchy. "She was way ahead of her time in a lot of
ways. And she was sort of universally loathed because of that."
Kaye got a firsthand account of social protest during her years as
a UCLA student in the late ’60s and early ’70s. "We had the
biggies," Kaye says. She refers to the free-speech movement and
student protests against the Vietnam War, recounting silent vigils
held outside Ackerman every day. "While I was absolutely opposed to
the war in Vietnam, I didn’t see how striking our classes and not
going to school was going to stop the war. I was shouted down a
whole lot because of that," Kaye says, reflecting on the irony of
her part. "In a way, I think the ’60s and ’70s were very much like
the time that this play is set," Kaye continues. She recalls seeing
a teaching assistant step out of Macgowan Hall to get a cup of
coffee, only to be beaten down and have his jaw broken by
overzealous police officers standing guard. The incident is eerily
reminiscent of the central turning point of "Ragtime," when
Coalhouse’s wife, Sarah, is beaten to death by paranoid guards at a
political rally. "The show is so apropos to be done at the end of
the 20th century because it really is about the 20th century," Kaye
says. It is hard not to notice that "Ragtime" is in some ways a
grittier, more painful version of "Showboat" – or that "Ragtime"
opens in Los Angeles just as Livent’s revival of the 1927 musical
ships out. Livent is a shrewd marketer, relying on a stirring
score, sweeping themes and massive publicity where he lacks
big-name stars. "Reviews and word of mouth sell the most tickets,"
Rubenstein observes. "But publicity is a close third." The
combination of strategies is working. Riding on the popularity of
the current Toronto production, "Ragtime" is set to open Livent’s
new theaters in both Chicago and New York. As of February, the
soundtrack album, released prior to the original cast’s final
rehearsal, was selling 1,000 copies a week. "They can’t keep it in
stock in many of the stores (in Los Angeles). That’s probably
because all the actors are buying it, because they’re auditioning,"
Drabinsky laughs. But whatever the motives, the cornucopia of
emotional soliloquies, humorous accounts of public figures such as
Henry Ford and Harry Houdini and easy-to-dance-to songs has thus
far met the demands of an audience as broad as the musical itself.
"Standing anonymously in the lobby, I would ask people who didn’t
know who I was, ‘What do you like?’" says composer Stephen
Flaherty. "And the thing that made me really happy is that there
are many different tunes that strike many different people. It’s
definitely not, thank God, a one-song show." Lyricist Lynn Ahrens
adds, "We never set out to write hit songs. Ever." Perhaps not. But
chance, teamwork and creativity have boosted the musical’s
opening-number belt: "It was the music / Of something beginning /
An era exploding / A century spinning / In riches and rags / And in
rhythm and rhyme." And, America will soon discover, they may be
exactly right. THEATER: Preview performances of "Ragtime" begin
Thursday at the Shubert Theater. Ticket prices range from $35-$75.
For more info, call (800) 447-7400. Cathrine Ashmore The "Ragtime"
score combines jazz, gospel and ragtime. Michael Cooper A scene
from "Ragtime," a new musical which focuses on themes of racism,
immigration, the labor movement and women’s rights. Michael Cooper
The "Ragtime" creative team: (l. to r.) producer Garth H.
Drabinsky, choreographer Graciela Daniele, playwright Terrence
McNally (above), composer Stephen Flaherty, novelist E.L. Doctorow,
lyricist Lynn Ahrens and director Frank Galati. Previous Daily
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