Rags

Rebecca Hershkowitz and her young son David arrive on the shores of America in 1910, hoping to find a better life than the one they left behind in Russia. However, New York City is not as welcoming to Jewish immigrants as Rebecca was hoping. A single mother in search of new opportunities, Rebecca finds a community of Jewish immigrants and other social outsiders who come together to find a sense of community in their new home. Rags is a heartwarming and dramatic tale that depicts the struggles and triumphs of the American Dream. Featuring the beautiful music of Stephen Schwartz and Charles Strouse, Rags is sure to captivate audiences as they follow a community of immigrants, looking towards a hopeful future.

This guide is based off of the 2020 London Cast Revival of Rags. Currently, the 2020 Revival is the version available for licensing through Music Theatre International.

Act One

• Overture/I Remember - Company
• If We Never Meet Again - Bella, Rebecca
• Greenhorns - Americans, Ensemble
• Brand New World - Rebecca, Bella, Avram, David
• Edge of A Knife - Rebecca
• The Fabric of America - Jack, Bella, Ben, Rebecca, Ensemble
• Penny a Tune - Klezmer Musicians
• Greenhorn (Reprise) - Americans, Ensemble
• Bella’s Song - Part One - Ben
• Meet an Italian - Sal
• Friday Night Prayers - Company
• If We Never Meet Again/Edge of A Knife (Reprise) - Rebecca, Bella
• Little Lady - Bronfman, Rebecca
• Cheer Up, Chaimlet - Ensemble
• Take Our City Back - Americans, Ensemble
• Blame It on the Summer Night - Sal, Rebecca
• For My Mary - Anna, Ben, Irish Man
• Take Our Country Back - Americans, Ensemble
• Rags - Rebecca, Bella

ACT TWO

• On the Fourth Day of July - Americans, Ensemble
• Yankee Boy - Ben, David, Bella, Ensemble
• Uptown - Bronfman, Rebecca
• Wanting - Rebecca, Sal, Ensemble
• Rags (reprise) - David, Rebecca
• Three Sunny Rooms - Rachel, Avram, Bella, Ben
• Kaddish - Avram, Company
• Bella’s Song - Part Two - Ben
• If We Never Meet Again (Reprise) - Rebecca
• Bread and Freedom - Rebecca, Sal, Protestors
• Children of the Wind - Rebecca
• Finale - David, Rebecca, Company

Many songs were cut or rearranged from the original production. Songs that were cut from the revival are “Easy for You”, “Hard to be a Prince”, “What’s Wrong with That?”, “In America”, “Nothing Will Hurt Us Again”, “Cherry Street Cafe”, “The Sound of Love”, “Democratic Club Dance”, and “Dancing With the Fools”.