Explore this Show

Overview

Synopsis

Based on the novel of the same name by E.L. Doctrow, Ahren’s and Flaherty’s Ragtime is a compelling epic capturing the American experience at the turn of the 20th century. Tracking three diverse families in pursuit of the American dream in the volatile “melting pot” of turn-of-the-century New York, Ragtime confronts the dialectic contradictions inherent in American reality: experiences of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair. Over the course of the show, the worlds of a wealthy white couple, a Jewish immigrant father and his motherless daughter, and an African American ragtime musician intertwine. Together, they discover the surprising interconnections of the human heart, the limitations of justice and the unsettling consequences when dreams are permanently deferred. Featuring many of the historical figures that built and shaped turn-of-the-century America, including J.P. Morgan, Emma Goldman, Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit and Henry Ford, this musical sweeps across the diversity of the American experience to create a stirring epic that captures the beats of the American experience: the marches, the cakewalks and - of course, the ragtime.

Note: this study guide is based on Ragtime (Version 2) which has been produced on the West End, the touring Broadway production, and in regional theatres around the world. It features a somewhat smaller cast and orchestra and less elaborate scenery than the Broadway production (called “Version 1” on the Music Theater International website.) It is still grand and epic in scale, with a cast of 19+. One of the most significant differences between the two versions is in the vocal ranges of the characters, which change pretty substantially to accommodate the difference in orchestration.

Show Information

Music
Lynn Ahrens
Category
Musical
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
2
First Produced
1996
Genres
Drama, Historical/Biographical
Settings
Multiple Settings
Time & Place
new york city and environs (especially new rochelle), 1902 - 1906
Cast Size
large
Dancing
Musical Staging
Ideal For
College/University, Diverse Cast, Professional Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult, Child, Late Teen Characters, Large Cast

Context

Plot

Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Coalhouse Walker, Jr.

Lead

Male

Baritone

Tateh

Lead

Male

Tenor

Mother

Lead

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Father

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Sarah

Supporting

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Little Boy (Edgar)

Supporting

Male

Alto

Younger Brother

Supporting

Male

Tenor

Booker T. Washington

Featured

Male

Baritone

Emma Goldman

Featured

Female

Alto

Evelyn Nesbit

Featured

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Grandfather

Featured

Male

Spoken

Henry Ford

Featured

Male

Tenor

Harry Houdini

Featured

Male

Baritone

J.P. Morgan

Featured

Male

Baritone

Little Girl

Featured

Female

Soprano

Sarah's Friend

Featured

Female

Alto

Willie Conklin

Featured

Male

Tenor

Ensemble

Ensemble

Either Gender

Songs

Act One

  • Prologue: Ragtime – Company
  • Goodbye, My Love – Mother
  • Journey On – Father, Mother, and Tateh
  • The Crime of the Century – Evelyn Nesbit and Company
  • What Kind of Woman – Mother, Kathleen, Little Boy, Younger Brother
  • A Shtetl iz Amereke – Immigrants
  • Success – Tateh, J.P. Morgan, Harry Houdini, Emma Goldman, and Company
  • His Name Was Coalhouse Walker –Coalhouse and Company
  • Gettin' Ready Rag – Coalhouse and Company
  • Henry Ford - Henry Ford and Company (this song was cut from the 2009 revival)
  • Nothing Like the City – Mother, Edgar, Tateh, and Little Girl
  • Your Daddy's Son – Sarah
  • The Courtship – Mother, Younger Brother, Grandfather, Brigit, and Company
  • New Music – Father, Mother, Younger Brother, Coalhouse, Sarah, and Company
  • Wheels of a Dream – Coalhouse and Sarah
  • The Night that Goldman Spoke at Union Square - Younger Brother, Emma Goldman, and Company (this song was cut from the 2009 revival)
  • Gliding – Tateh
  • The Trashing of the Car – Orchestra
  • Justice – Coalhouse and Company
  • President – Sarah
  • Till We Reach That Day – Sarah's Friend and Company

Act Two

  • Entr'acte – Orchestra
  • Harry Houdini, Master Escapist – Harry Houdini and Edgar
  • Coalhouse's Soliloquy – Coalhouse
  • Coalhouse Demands – Coalhouse, Booker T. Washington, and Company
  • What a Game – Father, Edgar, and Men
  • Fire in the City – Orchestra
  • New Music (Reprise) – Father
  • Buffalo Nickel Photoplay, Inc. – Tateh
  • Our Children – Mother and Tateh
  • Harlem Nightclub – Orchestra
  • Sarah Brown Eyes – Coalhouse and Sarah
  • Back to Before – Mother
  • Look What You've Done – Booker T. Washington and Company
  • Make Them Hear You – Coalhouse
  • Epilogue: Ragtime / Wheels of a Dream (reprise) – Company

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

All monologues are the property and copyright of their owners.. Monologues are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this monologue, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

Key Terms

Videos

Quizzes

Themes, Symbols & Motifs

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Quote Analysis

Sorry! We do not currently have learning modules for this guide.

Guide Written By:

Emma Houlahan

Emma Houlahan

Canadian vocalist and actor now based in London.