Press Release: The Ritz Theatre Company brings “Ragtime” to their Main Stage
“Ragtime is a venerable stage favorite known for its outstanding music”, explains Ritz Theatre Co. Artistic Director Bruce Curless. “The show appeals to me on several levels. It’s a show that tells stories that are part of the American landscape, stories that need to be told and contemplated, about racism, anti-immigrant bigotry, income disparity and corruption, all issues that are as relevant today as they were when the show was written. Part of our mission here at The Ritz is to produce works that go beyond simple entertainment, providing our audiences with a view of the world that might be unfamiliar, and Ragtime certainly fits that bill!”
Based on the 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime tells the story of three groups in the United
States in the early 20th century: African Americans, represented by Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Harlem
musician; upper-class suburbanites, represented by Mother, the matriarch of a white upper-class
family in New Rochelle, New York; and Eastern European immigrants, represented by Tateh, a
Jewish immigrant from Latvia.
Many turn of the 20th century historical figures are featured including Harry Houdini, Evelyn
Nesbit, Booker T. Washington, J. P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Stanford White, Harry Kendall Thaw,
Admiral Peary, Matthew Henson, and Emma Goldman are represented in the stories.
The original 1998 Broadway Production earned five Tony Awards, and was nominated for Best
Musical and several other categories. The 2009 Broadway Revival was nominated for Six Tonys,
including Best Revival of a Musical.
Ritz Theatre Ragtime Cast
Kyrus Keenan Westcott as Coalhouse
Fernando Gonzalez as Tateh
Megan Ruggles as Mother
Tiffany Dawn Christopher as Sarah
David M. Mooney as Father
Taylor Darden as Younger Brother
Michael Wemer as Grandfather/JP Morgan
Nicky Intieri as Little Boy
Sara Chesnick as Little Girl
Julia Kershetsky as Evelyn Nesbit
Topher Layton as Harry Houdini
Terrance T. Hart as Booker T. Washington
Olivia West as Sarah's Friend/Ensemble
Analisa Wall as Emma Goldman
Michael J. S. Delflorio as Henry Ford/Ensemble
A.J. Klein as Willie Conklin/Ensemble
Lauren Krigel — Ensemble
Brianna Marsh — Ensemble
Natasha Truitt — Ensemble
John Clark — Ensemble
Mariel Rosati — Ensemble
Alexa Wilder — Ensemble
Jamie Talamo — Ensemble
Will Brock – Ensemble
Elexis Morton — Ensemble
Peter John Rios — Director/Choreographer
Collin Maier — Music Director
Hillary Kurtz — Stage Manager
Matthew Weil — Production Manager
Dalton Jetter — Prop Designer / Spot Operator
Kris Clayton — Set Designer
Will Bryant — Tech Director
Brendon Figueras — Lighting Designer
Tina Heinz — Costume Designer
Mary Jane Murphy-Bowne — Assistant to the Costumer
Matt Gallagher — Sound Designer
Bruce Curless — Producing Artistic Director
Craig Hutchings — Assistant Producing Artistic Director
Sara Viniar — Group Sales
Brian Bathurst — Managing Director
The Ritz Theatre Company was founded over thirty years ago to bring live, quality, professional productions
to our region … and we’re still doing it today.
Throughout our history, we’ve aspired to make theatre accessible to everyone, to entertain our audiences
with favorites, to challenge them (and ourselves) with complex works, to provide on-stage training for
actors, to introduce kids to the magic of live theatre, and to help restore the historic building we call our
home. Managed by our staff, supported by a dedicated volunteer base, bolstered by our loyal subscribers, and sustained by our generous sponsors and donors, the Ritz remains a gem in the community we gratefully
serve.
Please join us! http://www.ritztheatreco.org/
