The epic sweep of Ragtime is captured in its opening prologue, a nine-minute kaleidoscope of fictional characters mingling with historical figures from the early 20th century as originally captured in E.L. Doctorow's sprawling novel. As the story continues, we meet pianist Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Brian Stokes Mitchell) and his child's mother, Sarah (Audra McDonald), who has been taken in by a respectable family (including Marin Mazzie as Mother). Parallel story lines of the Latvian immigrant Tateh (Peter Friedman), the entertainer Evelyn Nesbit (Lynnette Perry), and even Harry Houdini (Jim Corti) and Emma Goldman (Judy Kaye) eventually mingle and merge. Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Once on This Island) mix marches, cakewalks, and of course ragtime to create a rich, compelling score, including Sarah's song to her baby, "Your Daddy's Son," her soaring duet with Coalhouse, "Wheels of a Dream," Mother's self-revealing "Back to Before," and numerous set pieces, all performed by a perfect cast. Ragtime was nominated for 12 Tony Awards in 1998, with wins for McDonald, original score, book, and orchestration. The CD also includes an eight-minute symphonic suite conducted by Paul Gemignani and a booklet with photos, full lyrics, and a history of how the score was written. Tragic, touching, and ultimately triumphant, Ragtime is an American classic.
DISC 1:
1. Prologue: Ragtime
2. Goodbye, My Love
3. Journey On
4. Crime Of The Century, The
5. What Kind Of Woman
6. Shtetl Iz Amereke, A
7. Success
8. His Name Was Coalhouse Walker
9. Gettin' Ready Rag
10. Henry Ford
11. Nothing Like The City
12. Your Daddy's Son
13. Courtship, The
14. New Music
15. Wheels Of A Dream
16. Night That Goldman Spoke At Union Square, The
17. Gliding
18. Trashing Of The Car, The
19. Justice
20. President
21. Till We Reach That Day
DISC 2:
1. Entr'acte
2. Harry Houdini, Master Escapist
3. Coalhouse's Soliloquy
4. Coalhouse Demands
5. What A Game
6. Fire In The City
7. Atlantic City
8. Buffalo Nickel Photoplay, Inc.
9. Our Children
10. Harlem Nightclub
11. Sarah Brown Eyes
12. He Wanted To Say
13. Back To Before
14. Look What You've Done
15. Make Them Hear You
16. Epilogue: Ragtime / Wheels Of A Dream - (reprise)
17. Ragtime Symphonic Suite, The
Ragtime
