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
- Book
- Terrence McNally
- Music
- Lynn Ahrens
- Lyrics
- Stephen Flaherty
- 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
- Licensor
- Music Theatre International
- 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
Based on the E.L. Doctorow’s novel of the same name, Ragtime tells the story of three groups in the United States in the early 20th century - African-Americans, upper-class White suburbanites, and Eastern European immigrants. The show features many historical figures such as Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit, Booker T. Washington, J. P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Stanford White, Harry Kendall Thaw, Admiral Peary, Matthew Henson, and Emma Goldman.
Ragtime premiered in Toronto on December 8, 1996 at
to read the context for Ragtime and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
Set in the early 1900s, Ragtime tells the story of three intersecting lives in a rapidly changing America: a wealthy white family in New Rochelle - Mother, Father, Little Boy, Mother’s Younger Brother, and Grandfather; in Harlem - Coalhouse Walker Jr., an African American ragtime pianist; and at Ellis Island, a Jewish immigrant father from Latvia - Tateh, an artist who makes silhouettes, searching for a better life with his daughter, Little Girl. The show opens with a musical
to read the plot for Ragtime and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
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
Scenes
Key Terms
The belief that equality and opportunity is available to any American.
A period of rapid economic growth in America during the last thirty years of the nineteenth century.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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