Ragtime
Ragtime: The Musical weaves together the stories of three diverse families in pursuit of the American dream at the turn of the 20th century.
Synopsis
The narrative explores the intermingling of African Americans, upper-class suburbanites, and Eastern European immigrants, highlighting the societal and cultural shifts of the time.
Central figures include Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Harlem musician; Mother, a woman of privilege who discovers her compassionate voice; and Tateh, a Jewish immigrant artist.
Their stories confront issues of race, class, and politics, culminating in a mosaic of American life.
With a score that blends ragtime, gospel, and traditional musical theater, the show captures the complexities and tensions of early 20th-century America, celebrating the resilience and interconnectedness of its people.
About the show
- Written by: Lynn Ahrens, Stephen Flaherty, Terrence McNally
- Premiered: 1996
- Genres & themes: 1990s, Drama, Historical, Two Act
- Setting: America, Early 20th Century
Songs from Ragtime
- Prologue: Ragtime
- Goodbye, My Love
- Journey On
- The Crime of the Century
- What Kind of Woman
- A Shtetl Iz Amereke
- Success
- His Name Was Coalhouse Walker
- Getting Ready Rag
- Henry Ford
- Nothing Like the City
- Your Daddy’s Son
- The Courtship
- New Music
- Wheels of a Dream
- The Night That Goldman Spoke at Union Square
- Gliding
- The Trashing of the Car
- Justice
- Till We Reach That Day
- Entr’acte
- Coalhouse’s Soliloquy
- Coalhouse Demands
- What a Game
- Fire in the City
- Atlantic City
- Buffalo Nickel Photoplay, Inc.
- Our Children
- Harlem Nightclub
- Sarah Brown Eyes
- He Wanted to Say
- Back to Before
- Look What You’ve Done
- Make Them Hear You
- Epilogue: Ragtime (Reprise) / Wheels of a Dream (Reprise)