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Ragtime

Ragtime: Based on the book by E. L. Doctorow, with a book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, this story follows the painful realities of a changing America at the turn of the century, exploring the treatment of immigrants flocking to Ellis Island, the black community still struggling to be treated as equals, and the white families who must choose to embrace the coming changes or push back against it.
For one wealthy WASP family, their world is turned upside down when a young black woman and her newborn child stumble into their lives, bringing with them an introduction to a world they’d never seen, and opening their eyes to the struggles of those outside their social circle. An immigrant father and his young daughter arrive in America with their eyes set on the American Dream, but find themselves struggling to make a living in filthy tenements and trying to fight their way to a better life. A young black man in Harlem plays Ragtime music and aims to make the world a better place for his son, only to be met with hostility and racism. Weaving the stories of these fictional characters into the tapestry of American history by incorporating historical figures such as Henry Ford, Booker T. Washington, Evelyn Nesbit, Emma Goldman, and Harry Houdini, this show shows the hopes and trials of moving forward into a brighter future and what it really means to live in America.


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