Synopsis
Ragtime is a tale of history repeating itself. The musical centers on figures from three communities — Black Americans, immigrants and upper class whites — in New York at the dawn of the 20th century and what the American dream means to them as they intersect and, at times, clash. Company members from the Tony-nominated, Lincoln Center Theater revival stop by the Tiny Desk to share a bit of that American dream. The musical by Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty addresses the fraught topics of racial injustice, workers’ rights, immigration, women’s autonomy, technological innovation, celebrity worship and capitalism. Moreover, Ragtime explores the complexities of love, family, and community and what we owe each other. For a musical set in the early 1900s, these themes still ring loudly.