Ragtime owes power to music, hard work
By ERIN AUERBACH / The Press-Enterprise
The moment the WASPs saunter onstage in their dapper white duds to sing "Ragtime," you're hooked. That stirring melody reminds you of a Scott Joplin tune with a wistful, solemn twist.
When the Harlem dancers strut to their own variation on the melody, followed by the immigrants stomping in loud desperation, it's clear that this show runs deeper than your average song-and-dance.
Performance Riverside began its 2005-06 season Friday with an ambitious, mostly successful production of "Ragtime." With this show, director Paul David Bryant makes his debut with the theater, the same week Diane Doyle becomes producer/artistic director of the company.
Playwright Terrence McNally crafted a script of E.L. Doctorow's 1975 book remarkably well, considering the complex mix of storylines involving African-Americans, a Jewish immigrant (solidly played by Eric J. Olson) and New Rochelle elitist families in New York in the early 1900s. But Stephen Flaherty's music and Lynn Ahrens' lyrics lovingly weave these stories. And while the music is its strength, the depth of storytelling may be its biggest weakness, as the three-hour performance has some extraneous scenes and songs that can tire, rather than enthrall, the audience. Bryant, who worked in two national tours of "Ragtime" as a swing for the Harlem characters, dance captain and assistant to associate director, clearly stays faithful to a show that's sunk deep into his system. His choreography is clever, if sometimes sloppily executed by the performers. He encourages actors to take their moments. And they create some very beautiful ones, such as when Coalhouse (Charl Brown) and Sara (Nicole Pryor) fuse their lovely voices together to sing "Sarah Brown Eyes" in the second act in a scene that's at once morose and magical. Matthew Rocheleau also stands out as the uncle who's initially enamored with real-life historical figure Evelyn Nesbit (blandly played by Barbara Chiofalo), a model, and one of several historical figures woven into the story to give it context. Chevon Corlew plays Sarah's friend and sings a glorious solo at the end of the first act. But the evening clearly belongs to Victoria Strong, who plays Mother, the Christian woman with a priceless heart. She manages to make a character that's written as almost too angelic to come across as human. Strong has played the role in the national tour and with other civic light operas, but she's a gifted actress, having gloriously embodied other roles at Performance Riverside, including Desiree in "A Little Night Music" last season. The amount of labor poured into this production indicates that Performance Riverside remains dedicated to presenting quality shows. Let's hope the trend continues.
