Lea Salonga, Norm Lewis and Tyne Daly Set for Avery Fisher Hall Concert of Ragtime

By Adam Hetrick
16 Nov 2012

Lea Salonga
Lea Salonga

Tony Award winners Lea Salonga and Tyne Daly and Tony nominee Norm Lewis will populate the Manhattan Concert Productions concert staging of the Tony-winning Lynn Ahrens-Stephen Flaherty-Terrence McNally musical Ragtime Feb. 18, 2013, at Avery Fisher Hall.

Salonga (Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Flower Drum Song) will portray Mother, with Daly (Master Class, Gypsy) as Emma Goldman and Lewis (Porgy and Bess, Side Show, Les Miserables) as Coalhouse Walker, Jr.

Additional casting is to be announced. Tickets will go on sale through the Avery Fisher Hall box office Nov. 30.

Stafford Arima (Bare, Carrie), who earned an Olivier Award nomination for staging the London premiere of Ragtime, will helm the concert that will feature a chorus of over 100 singers from around the country, as well as former Ragtime cast members. David Loud will serve as music supervisor, with Sheilah Walker conducting. The concert also features the New York City Chamber Orchestra.

Based on the E.L. Doctorow novel, Ragtime interweaves the stories of three distinct families with historical figures to offer a snapshot of America at the turn of the century.

Ragtime has a book by McNally, music by Flaherty and lyrics by Ahrens. The musical opened on Broadway at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Jan. 18, 1998, earning Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Book, Best Orchestrations and Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Audra McDonald. A 2009 revival played the Neil Simon Theatre.

For tickets phone (212) 875-5030.