Ragtime

New York City Center, NYC, November 3, 2024

Reviewed by Chip Deffaa

Over the past 20 years, New York City Center has mounted revivals of more than 100 musicals. Its current offering, a gala presentation of Ragtime that I caught on November 3, was about as great as any presentation I’ve ever seen at City Center, and that’s saying plenty. This is a limited engagement, running through November 10, and a way must be found to bring this revival to Broadway. More people should be able to see it.

Seeing this presentation was the most satisfying theatrical experience I’ve had in many years, and I choose my words with care. My eyes welled up repeatedly throughout the production; I kept wiping away tears. It’s rare for a musical to affect me like that. This show, which I’ve always loved, has never felt timelier, and this revival offered many more rewards than I can list in the limited space of a review, but let me name a few.

Joshua Henry, whom I’ve appreciated since his standout performance in Kander & Ebb’s The Scottsboro Boys, made an outstanding Coalhouse Walker, Jr. He didn’t just brilliantly carry off the challenging vocals (which would be impressive enough); he played the role with just the right combination of strength and vulnerability. We felt for Walker; he badly wanted to believe in the American dream, and he wanted to be treated fairly and with dignity. He was pushed to a breaking point. It’s a tough role, and I’ve never seen it played better.

Brandon Uranowitz, who knows how to make the most of any role, was a most engaging Tateh. He played the role of an Eastern European immigrant turned filmmaker with flair. (He is no stranger to Ragtime; he played the role of the Little Boy during the show’s early development, nearly 30 years ago.)

Ben Levi Ross, whom I enjoyed so much when he starred in Jason Robert Brown’s musical The Connector, was wonderful as Mother’s Younger Brother. He found much more in that role than most actors have, and gave a quirky, nuanced, very human portrayal. He’s such an interesting and underappreciated artist, who also sang beautifully. Cassie Levy was splendid as the mother; she was well cast!

Nichelle Lewis made a fine Sarah, and she sang well, but overall she was not as strong as would have been ideal. She was in a difficult spot, of course, competing with the memory of Audra McDonald, who originated the role. McDonald is a once-in-a-generation kind of talent, and she brought a sublime, incandescent quality to the role that I’ve never seen anyone else equal. She was compelling and every inch a star; she’s a tough act to follow.

There were other good performances, but the real star is the show itself. Ragtime is a masterwork. If anyone has written a greater musical during the last 40 years, it doesn’t come readily to mind. It has always been far more ambitious than most musicals, telling several interweaving stories at once. Terrence McNally’s libretto preserved the key elements of E.L. Doctorow’s masterful, densely packed 1975 novel on which it was based. The score by Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) is exceptional; it is by far their most fully realized score, and they’ve created many good scores over their partnership of four decades.

It was a joy to hear William David Brohn’s original orchestrations again, played by a 28-piece orchestra conducted by James Moore. Ellenore Scott’s choreography was brilliant; it held me from the first number to the last. She has a great feel for the ragtime era. Lear deBessonet staged the show with respect and understanding.

There were missteps here and there, and not every role was ideally cast. Every theatrical production will have some imperfections, but this production as a whole was cohesive and powerful, and it was a reminder of what great musical theater can be.

I’ve seen Ragtime a number of times over the years. I even attended the recording session for the original Broadway cast album, which meant a lot to me. I know this musical about as well as any musical out there, and yet I continue to find more in it; it’s that rich.

New York City Center has done a very good job with this revival. I hope they make a cast recording, and I hope they can find a way to bring this production to Broadway.