A
For her first production as Artistic Director of Lincoln Center Theater, Lear deBessonet has basically imported last year’s City Center staging of Ragtime, with some enhancements, to the Vivian Beaumont Theater. In principle, this seems like a lazy way to start her new job, but the results are so satisfying that you won’t hear any complaints from me. The production is superb in every way – cast, musicians, costumes and set. The combination of Stephen Flaherty’s music and Lynn Ahrens’ lyrics is a match made in heaven. Terrence McNally’s book is a marvel at preserving the complexity of E.R. Doctorow’s 1975 novel for the stage. In a top-notch cast, Joshua Henry stands out with his powerful version of Coalhouse Walker Jr. Caissie Levy makes an excellent Mother and Brandon Uranowitz excels as Tateh. Colin Donnell as Father, Nichelle Lewis as Sarah and Ben Levi Ross as Mother’s Younger Brother are all fine. Shaina Taub as Emma Goldman, Anna Grace Barlow as Evelyn Nesbit, John Clay III as Booker T. Washington and Rodd Cyrus as Houdini all make the most of their small but important roles. Nick Barrington as The Little Boy holds his own with the adults. Tabitha Lawing as The Little Girl doesn’t get much chance to shine. The large orchestra, under James Moore’s baton, makes the score sound wonderful. Ellenore Scott’s choreography understatedly adds much to the production. Linda Cho’s period costumes are a visual treat. David Korins’ set design makes good use of the power of suggestion: the house in New Rochelle is captured in a fragment of façade, a doorway and a staircase. Rolling stairways become multipurposed props. Backdrops and projections are used sparingly but effectively. I felt no sense of watching a bare-bones concert version. The bottom line is that this is a wonderful addition to the New York season and bodes well for deBessonet’s tenure. Running time: two hours, 50 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.
