Ragtime

We just got back from a three day visit to Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.  Now I know you have already heard quite enough about those two locations, but I just had to share with you our experience in seeing the play "Ragtime" at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake. As one of the persons sitting next to us commented at the intermission, one word suffices to describe the production, "Superb".  And he was right.

For those of you not familiar with the play, it is a musical set in the early part of the 20th century.  It chronicles the interactions of three very different families in New Rochelle, New York, the Lower East Side of New York City and Harlem.  There is the upper middle class family with the usual pretensions at the outset of the play. Next, is an immigrant family from Latvia that literally just got off the boat. Last, is a black family that is trying to make it into the middle class.  Based upon the book by E.L. Doctorow, the music  by Stephen Flaherty is haunting.  The singing, particularly that of the lead character, Coalhouse Walker (played by Thom Allison), is outstanding. The play lasts almost three hours but as my wife says, "It seems like 15 minutes."

"Ragtime"  will be playing all summer at the Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake.  If you love drama and music, this play is for you.

For more information about this and the other plays and for tickets, contact the Festival at www.shawfest.com or at 1-800-511-SHAW.