You’ve got three more chances this coming weekend to treat yourself by attending “Ragtime: The Musical,” which has gotten rave reviews from members of the local community, as well as from a Triangle-based theater critic.
Kurt Benrud called the performance “phenomenal” in a review that appeared in the Triangle Review, a weekly email newsletter that covers theater and the arts in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area. The play is based on a 1975 book by the same name by E.L. Doctorow. The story takes place at the turn of the 20th century and weaves connections among three very different cultures and backgrounds.
He said “both the venue and McGregor Live! Series’ production of ‘Ragtime’ are first-rate and well worth attending.”
“The acting, the singing, and the choreography are all so excellent and so tightly integrated that it is nearly impossible to address them as separate aspects of the production,” Benrud wrote.
“Director Mark Hopper has skillfully plotted the entrance of the characters in the opening scene, establishing the distinct groupings as well as their interrelatedness. The opening song (and movement) by the full company — “Prologue: Ragtime” — was so well performed that it took my breath away.”
The vocalists were accompanied by a 17-piece orchestra, also conducted by Mark Hopper. There is a lot of local talent in both the orchestra pit and on stage, but McGregor Hall also is drawing talent from farther afield to perform.
Benrud noted the smooth, professional transitions from scene to scene. “The transitions, …while distinct, are smooth and seamless. The ensemble always blends beautifully with the principal cast in terms of the action, the song, and the dance.”
He said every song (and singer) was “spot-on” every time, but he singled out Kelley Keats (as Mother), Kamerin Hull (as Coalhouse), Karen-Leigh Albert (as Sarah), and Joshua Glasscock (as Tateh) for delivering “hauntingly beautiful” renditions of one or more selections.
This is Keats’ first time performing at McGregor Hall, but she has extensive experience as a stage actor. Likewise, Hull makes his debut as Coalhouse Walker, Jr. He is a student at UNC-Greensboro. Albert, who has performed at McGregor Hall before, lives in Woodbridge, VA. And Glasscock has been in numerous McGregor Hall performances during his almost 20 years of theatre work.
No doubt the actors are key to a successful performance, but the stage and scenery are an important aspect. Of the set design, Benrud said “The platform at the back of the stage makes a convincing deck of a ship at key moments, a bridge at others, and a second floor of a residence at still others. It also serves nicely to frame background silhouetted activity, as a street for a marching band, and many other functions.”
He gave kudos to scenic designer Matt Nowell and scenic artist Sarah Burns, too, noting that the “set pieces…are flown in subtly, often to and from shadowed portions of the stage, while the action is on another. Screens and banners are also used effectively.”
The costumes, which were coordinated by Sharon Hopper, were, in Benrud’s words, “amazing.”
The Friday and Saturday shows begin at 8 p.m.; the Sunday matinee begins at 2 p.m. Purchase tickets online at www.mcgregorhall.org or by calling the box office at 252.598.0662 Monday-Friday, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center is located at 201 Breckenridge St., Henderson.
