Gary Gisselman directs a cast that includes Harry Waters, Jr. as Coalhouse Walker, Jr., Dieter Bierbrauer as Tateh, Christina Baldwin as Mother, Brittany Bradford as Sarah, Lee Mark Nelson as Father, Noah Coon as Little Boy, Aleks Knezevich as Younger Brother, Fred Mackaman as Grandfather, Megan Fischer as Tateh’s daughter (Little Girl), Kersten Rodau as Emma Goldman, Caroline Innerbichler as Evelyn Nesbit, John Hegge as Henry Ford, Sasha Andreev as Harry Houdini, Shawn Hamilton as Booker T. Washington and Jay Hornbacher as J. P. Morgan.
The ensemble includes Traci Allen, Dan Beckmann, Adara Bryan, Paul R. Coate, Robert C. Droddy, Ben Goodlund, James Grigsby, Suzie Juul, Timotha Lanae, Celena Morgan, Brittany Parker, Suzanne Reyburn, Whitney Rhodes, James Rodriguez, John Rynders, Carl Schoenborn, Andrea Shoals, Emily Rose Skinner, Joshua Walker and Jamaka Young.
Based on the novel by E. L Doctorow, Ragtime features a book by Terrence McNally and music by the composer-lyricist team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens. The musical won four Tony Awards in 1998, including Best Score.
Here's how Park Square bills the production: "The time is 1906 and the air is filled with syncopated new music. A story of three families—a white family living the privileged life in New Rochelle, a disillusioned Jewish immigrant bent on achieving success and a handsome black piano man courting the woman he loves—who find their lives colliding against the backdrop of 'the American Century.'"
Other members of the creative team include musical director Denise Prosek, choreographer Michael Matthew Ferrell, scenic designer Rick Polenek, costume designer Andrea M. Gross, lighting designer Michael P. Kittel, properties designer Kirby Moore, sound designer Thomas Sandelands, assistant choreographer Cindy Milow Harloff, stage manager Terry Lynn Carlson and assistant stage manager Jamie J. Kranz. Following Ragtime, Park Square will present The Diary of Anne Frank, running March 1-Feb. 27, and American Family, running March 16-April 7.
Park Square Theatre is located at 20 W. Seventh Place in Saint Paul, MN. For more information and tickets, call (651) 291-7005 or visit www.parksquaretheatre.org.
