Inland, Dreaming of Waves

Ragtime

On May 23rd I saw the Boulder Dinner Theater's production of Ragtime, from the E. L. Doctorow novel. I wasn't expecting much, quite frankly. I had just seen a production of Romeo and Juliet by the Upstart Crow, and the quality of the acting in their productions is always uneven. (Though Mercutio was great, and Romeo's ass...was he wearing a thong underneath those tights? Well, I'm getting off topic, aren't I?) I was expecting the same from Ragtime.

But I was blown away by the show! All the acting was good, and the ensemble singing was wonderful. The main character, Coalhouse Walker Jr., had a lovely deep voice, and several of the women singers were also very good.

In fairness to the Upstart Crow, I suppose it's possible for a less-than-stellar actor to "hide" behind a wonderful voice in a musical. But there's no hiding in Shakespeare.

posted by Price of Silence @ 8:04 AM