Opening Night Sneak Peak: The Dramaturgy Note in the Program!

A Note from the Dramaturg

“It was the music of something beginning, an era exploding, a century spinning in riches and rags and in rhythm and rhyme. The   people called it Ragtime."

To lyricist Lynn Ahrens, rag music embodied the radical changes stirring at the turn-of-the-century.  Historical figures that we now highlight in history books stood side-by-side, cultures from around the world most literally clashed, and America was the epicenter for innovation and progress as everyone in this budding Industrial nation struggled to define exactly who they were and what they would mean to history.

Ragtime, however, was not written in the midst of its own setting. E.L. Doctorow published the novel Ragtime in another period of unrest: 1975, when the majority of America was disillusioned and disheartened by the Vietnam War, tirelessly fighting a war they could not win,  Doctorow maintained an extremely liberal outlook for his time, insisting on writing about social awareness and compassion and using the framework of an earlier time to address the still all-too-relevant issues of racism, classism, and controversial gender roles.

 Ragtime follows the journey of three different families from three vastly different cultures as they attempt to conquer the American dream. Through the eyes of a young boy, we are introduced to Harlem African Americans, Jewish Eastern European immigrants, and upper class white Americans.  While Doctorow employs non-fictional historical figures in his storyline to help personify his philosophical ideologies, they wind up in unusual and fictional situations.  On the brink of the Industrial Revolution and the emergence of rag music, everyone faces unique adversity and is forced to learn how to live with each other in a merging society, all the while consistently redefining the social norms and expectations of the time. 

The musical Ragtime debuted on Broadway Jan. 18^th, 1998 and ran for 834 performances earning Tony awards for Best Book and Best Score.  In 2011, Golden Performing Arts Center boldly decided to tackle the behemoth that is Ragtime. Rich with history, I was excited to sign on as dramaturg (researcher).  Without Broadway’s original $11 million dollar budget, we do not have actual fireworks and we do not have a functioning Model T Ford. We do, however, have a talented and diverse cast larger than any show in the history of the teen program.  We do have an incredible production team that was dedicated to delivering a touching, genuine, and historically accurate show.  And we do, above all, have heart.

While uploading research for the show to an online blog, many discussions took place between cast and crew, particularly about the issue of change. Working on this production brought everyone a closer realization of change: how to adapt, why we resist, the inevitability, the possibilities. Ragtime is not your run-of-the-mill generic musical.  I stood witness as this piece of art shook and transformed the teens in our program into the young adults you see today.  I invite you to visit our dramaturgy blog (including research, cast snippets, rehearsal photos, etc.) that can be found at: http://gpacRagtime.blogspot.com.