RAGTIME – MSUD

Welcome to Ragtime, one of the most beautiful and poignant musicals ever written. Based on E.L. Doctorow’s groundbreaking novel, this musical weaves together stories of three distinct American families at the dawn of the 20th century, capturing a moment of both great promise and great conflict. It’s a story of transformation, of dreams realized and dreams shattered, set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing America.

 

Ragtime — “melodies broken up into short, syncopated rhythms while a steady beat is maintained underneath.” This musical style reflects the themes of the show itself—there is a rhythm to the way America moves forward, yet the syncopation reminds us that this progress is often uneven, complex, and marked by struggle. The story of Ragtime is set more than a century ago, yet the themes of race, class, immigration, and the pursuit of the American Dream remain eerily powerful today. What does it mean to be an American? What silhouettes of our past are still affecting the stories of today?  Whose dreams are valued, and whose are denied?

 

Over the last 2 years as coordinator of the BFA in Musical Theatre program here at MSU Denver, I have had the responsibility and the honor to train the individuals you see onstage today. To see them bring to life a show as significant and difficult as Ragtime feels like a culmination of all our hard-work over the last 2 years and is a testament to the passionate and enthusiastic spirit of our program. I am so proud and honored to work with every single one of them.  Together, we have sought to honor both the beauty and the complexity of Ragtime, and I hope this production leaves you as moved and reflective as we have been in bringing it to the stage.

 

Thank you for joining us. I invite you to listen deeply to the music, to the stories, and to the rhythms of Ragtime. THIS is what it means to be an American.