Ragtime 15th Anniversary Concert

The 15th Anniversary Concert!!!

I am so mad I missed this concert last night. This one would have been so worth the cost over a quick flight to NYC & back. The original Broadway production of Ragtime was hands-down the best theatrical production I’ve ever seen (even though I can't believe it was 15 years ago). The cast featured Patina Miller as Sarah, Norm Lewis (from Side Show!) as Coalhouse, Lea Salonga as Mother, Howard McGillin as Father, Michael Arden as Mother's Younger Brother, Manoel Felciano as Tateh, Tyne Daly as Emma Goldman, Kerry Butler (from Bat Boy!) as Evelyn Nesbit, Matt Cavenaugh as Henry Ford, Jose Llana as Harry Houdini, & a chorus of over 100 singers from around the country.

On Lea Salonga as Mother:

First of all, no one will ever compare to the Marin Mazzie of the original Broadway cast: she acted with strength, femininity, & depth and sang with a voice equally comprised of beauty & belt. In the Broadway revival, they attempted to re-create Marin's magic with Christiane Noll, which was a fine choice physically, but she lacked the powerful presence that defined Ms. Mazzie. I love Lea Salonga, but this casting choice was too weird for me. Her voice kind of makes up for the fact that she was completely miscast. Her rendition of Back to Before was decent: she nailed the feminine lilting melodic sound that Ms. Mazzie had but lacked the same conviction. I get this was a concert & I get that Lea Salonga is a name that sells tickets. It just seems like they could have found a better fit for the role. 

See, I love Lea. Just not as Mother.