By Lindsey Kelstrom
Centerpointe’s Ragtime is a show-stopping, thought-provoking fountain of talent and beauty in Centerville that no one should miss. Celebrating its twentieth year as a musical, the story of Ragtime is adapted from a book about life at the turn of the twentieth century centering around three families from vastly different backgrounds- one the wealthy All-American upper-class family, the other an immigrant Jewish father and his daughter traveling overseas to live the American dream, and the third an African musician and his developing family.
The performance begins with a show stopping opening number introducing the characters and issues surrounding their times in a beautifully choreographed prologue song entitled, “Ragtime.” The ensemble is full of rich voices and the choreographer, Marilyn Montgomery, with Sarah Martin as assistant, manage the different classes and character distinctions masterfully and poetically with staged movement. The story continues, and we meet Mother (Angie Call, MWF) and Father (Jared Haddock, MWF), safe in a bubble of security and social expectations, until Father travels on adventures far away, and Mother undertakes to help an unfortunate African American mother, Sarah (Raven Flowers, MWF) and her infant child, along the child’s father Coalhouse (Tim Drisdom, TTHF), as he tries to win Sarah back. Racial tensions arise and Sarah is killed in a violent act of hate. Coalhouse turns mercenary in his grief, aided by Mother’s younger brother (Taylor Smith, MWF) until he remembers his son and the story of injustice and how to break the bonds of prejudice by ensuring his son is told the true story of what happened, in his father’s pursuit of equality and fairness. Meanwhile, an immigrant father named Tateh (Danny Inkley, MWF) struggles to thrive in America with his daughter (Isabelle Inkley) as they suffer prejudices and bad luck of their own, until Tateh’s ingenuity saves them and turns him into a successful movie-maker. Mother meets Tatah under these circumstances, and they learn they are both just parents trying to do right by their children and those they love.
This story is not for the faint of heart. A magnifying glass is put to pressing, oft-times disturbing issues that haunt the past, and find relevance still in our present day. Perhaps that is why there were few dry eyes Friday night during the song “Make Them Hear You,” when Drisdom as Coalhouse sings about standing for good and truth no matter the difficulty.
The cast of this productions is beyond talented and bring complex characters and voices to life. Stand-out performances come from McBride as Tateh and Call as Mother. Their voices are golden and so is their commitment to successfully portrays their kind-hearted characters. Call’s voice is effortlessly beautiful, and she exudes a kindness and thoughtfulness onstage that is commanding and attention-grabbing. One can easily sympathize with her and root for her success and happiness. Drisdom and Flower as Coalhouse and Sarah have some serious chemistry that flows during their duet numbers together. The soulfulness and harmonies achieved between the two in “Sarah Brown Eyes” and “Wheels of a Dream” instantly made them my favorite musical numbers of the night. Haddock plays a well-adapted Father, whom you both pity and grind your teeth at, Smith as Younger Brother plays his character passionately and energetically. Stephen McBride as Grandfather is a curmudgeonly comic relief and Ben Liljenquist as Little Boy portrays innocence and mischief as you would expect from a young boy.
It’s a large featured cast, but each role in this show enriches the setting of the storyline. Jeremy Botelho (MWF) as Houdini and Brandi Francis (MWF) as Evelyn Nesbit, as well as Harry Bonner (MWF) as Booker T. Washington, Natalie Haddock (MWF) as Emma Goldman, Dan Call (MWF) as JP Morgan and Ryan Zaugg (MWF) as Henry Ford effectively portray their roles as well-known people of history in the era of Ragtime. This is not an altogether easy task without a lot of stage-time, but these performers draw in the audience and create a believable and even, at times, humorous personification of each character. They round out the story and add even more depth to a fast-paced, intense storyline.
Director Emily Wadley must have had quite the project on her hands to take on such a large show, with so many important themes and characters whose stories converge, and I think she does a masterful job of it. From the constant, yet seamless movement from one scene to the next, to the depth of character development drawn from each character, Wadley’s hard work and experience show. A wonderful technical team has her back as well, led by Technical Director Derek Walden. Lighting Designer Mark Recher adds emotion and depth with thoughtful and timely light cues, Music Director Derek Myler has gotten the difficult and complex ensemble vocals to a top-notch quality of sound. And speaking of sound, great job there by Krista Davies. Costumes are so beautiful and time appropriate. They range in fashion and design for each social class portrayed, so hat’s off to Tammis Boam as Designer. The set is industrial and at times poignantly abstract and in the final number each individual set piece is pulled together to create one, massive bridge that the cast stands on to sing. It is absolutely breathtaking in its symbolism. Very well thought out design from Set Designer Ron Nelson and Scenic Charge Artist Cynthia Klump. Honorable mention to Hope Bird as well as Hair/Wig Designer. I kept ogling over Mother’s wig. So perfect and period appropriate. It looks so real and natural on her.
I could go on and on about this production. Each song, every moment, each line delivery adds so much meaning and emotional connection. In a word, I would say this production is inspiring; a touching and still relevant portrayal of family, hope, kindness and equality where prejudice, pride and fear are laid aside. Centerpointe’s Ragtime is a poignant reminder that love and compassion win the day and can stand the test of time. It’s a must-see performance that will motivate and inspire us to be better, to do more and to share the stories of the ill-treated, the plighted, and the suppressed, so that we will never forget.
Centerpoint Theatre presents Ragtime book by Terrence McNally, Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Centerpoint Legacy Theatre 525 N 400 West, Centerville, UT 84014
September 28-October 27th 7:30 PM, Saturday Matinees 2:30 PM
Tickets: $19.50-$27
Contact: 801-298-1302
CenterPoint Legacy Theatre Facebook Page
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