Better hurry, musical theater lovers: The best production of Starlight’s 2007 season, “Ragtime,” plays only through Sunday, Sept. 23 at the popular Balboa Park venue.
It’s the best for several reasons. First, it’s a great musical, based on E. L. Doctorow’s panoramic novel, with a wonderful book by Terrence McNally and music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens. Second, the orchestra under the baton of Parmer Fuller plays with great tone and verve. And third, and most important, some of the performances are splendid.
Customarily seen at Lamb’s Players Theatre, Deborah Gilmour Smythe is “” in this theatergoer’s experience of the work ” the best Mother ever heard and seen. Her 11th-hour anthem, “(We Can) Never Go Back to Before,” is the show-topper. Marje Harmon, who starred in “Aida” earlier this summer, contributes a vocally luscious, vulnerable Sarah, who is the mother of Coalhouse Walker’s child. Coalhouse, a ragtime musician, is one of the work’s three protagonists, along with Mother and Tateh. Eugene Barry Hill performs creditably as Coalhouse, the role originated by Brian Stokes Mitchell, who set the standard generations to come.
In the role of the Jewish immigrant, Tateh, Luke Adams, who was wooden and totally beastly as Beast in “Beauty and the Beast,” proved he is a capable actor and singer. Sue Boland was outstanding as Emma Goldman and so were John Grzesiak as Younger Brother and David Beaver as Houdini. The children, Ian Brinenstool and Halle Hoffman, were adorable and articulate. Brian Wells staged the work ably.
Sadly, there were numerous microphone failures, none so unfortunate as Chondra Profit’s when hers failed completely as she began to sing the soulful dirge over Sarah’s coffin.
One gets goosebumps just thinking about musical numbers and their vast interplay in this story of social foment and change: “Ragtime,” “New Music,” “On the Wheels of a Dream,” “He Wanted to Say,” “Our Children” and “Make Them Hear You.” Truly, this is one of the great American musicals of the second half of the 20th century.
“Ragtime” plays at 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday through Sunday, Sept. 23 at Starlight Bowl, 2005 Pan American Plaza (off Park Boulevard at Presidents Way). Children 12 and under free Thursday and Sunday with paid adult. For tickets and information, call (619) 544-7827.
