34 — Friday, May 15, 1998 — North Shore News

THEATRE

From page 26

Uncle Sam costumes who.
use their over-size top hats
as stools) rather than its ~
tunes.

The younger brother in
the “WASP” family yearns
after the (in)famous girl-in-
the-swing. Whether this is
‘sufficient justification for:
shim to remain rootless and

ripe for revolution becomes
a moot point because we

“never Jearn anything else

about him.

Another example: Mother
(the WASP family members
are not named — presum-
ably standing for more than
themselves) finds an aban-
doned black baby in the gar-
den while Father is off
exploring the Arctic.

Coal jouse Walker Jr. and. .
ih, star in the: Livent prodiiction of
WP ng ‘at the Ford Theatre.

9!
Writing, Literature, Grammar
: ePronunciotion, Fluency
-, Social Studies, Math, Physics
. ‘French, Spanish, Russian

The baby’s mother is a
black washerwoman from
down the road named Sarah.
Mother takes Sarah and
child into her care.
Unwittingly she thus links
the family fortunes with
those of Coalhouse Walker
fr., the father of the child
and the musician who exem-
plifies ragtime.

Coalhouse comes a-
courting Sarah whom he had
lost withour knowing she
was pregnant. “he weekly
Sunday visits in his new car
spark jealousy in the racist
Tesh firemen down the road
and confroniation ensues.

wna hillside above the
rown of New Rochelle Sarah
and Coalhouse picnic in the
golden sun and sing Wheels
ofa Dream. It’s the only real
moment of happiness we will
see the two share and its
poignancy would be more
effective if Sarah hadn’t been
basically mute (apart fram
one song to her son) until
then.

But she has been reduced
to “representing” until this
point; denied a voice and
thus a character.

Other “characters”
receive even shorter shrift.
Evelyn Nesbitt, the taudevil-
lian beauty, Harry Houdini,
the illusionist, J.P. Morgan
and Henry Ford appear onty
as adornments to the age.

In fairness, Terence
MeNally’s treatment of E.L.
Doctorow’s covel already
borders on too long so it is
hard to conccive of how
these, and other, characters
could be more fulfilled.

Still, they offer wonderful
staging opportunities.

Houdini escapes trom in
frone of our very eyes and
then goes one better and
vanishes.

English Writing Skills program:
Literature from: Engiand, France,
Russia, Canada and America

eJournals and Newspapers: The
Guardian, Le Monde (in English),
The Washington Post

*Live Theatre, audio cassettes and
video library

#Curriculum for BC Schools and

-4, Universities

pho

Aigh schoo

OFF OLDER STOCK

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OFF 96 STOCK

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iLPING HEY WORLD
WRITE NOW

7
CODE
Self-sufficiency through
literacy in the developing world
For information, call 1-800-661-2633

x ap fo post Grid. level,

Marine Drive
North Vancouve
Bc Playthings

-986- 4141.
- Mon: Sat

J.P. Morgan, the richest
of capitalists, appears on a
catwalk as a crowd of work-
ers reach up to what he rep-
resents —- success. What that
success is based on becomes
apparent as the catwalk
descends to the point that ir
rests on the doubled-over
backs of the workers.

Meanwhile, over in the
Jewish corner...

If escaping the tyranny of

racism is not possible for
Coathouse, surviving the
ugliness and oppression of
poverty is possible for Tatch
and his daughter in the land
of opportunity.

Money brings upward
mobility and the necessary
happy ending to an
American musical. Hey, if
there was another 20 min-
utes to the show he might
even manage to join a golf
club,

IT have reservations
about the construct of
Ragtime, Uhave none about

its construction.

As noted, [ have not seen
a better overall package.
Eugene Lee’s production
design delights and occa-
sionally surprises. More
especially, the lighting
designed by Jules Fisher,
and Tegey Eisenhouer is fat-
ulous, seamlessly matching
or creating whatever is
required onstage.

This cast is the tops, tes.
It’s so nice Got to see
some faded Hollywood fig-
ure having scenes structured
around their strengths, or
worse, hiding their weak-

nesses.
No “box office” names
needed here.

From the presence of the,

Andrew Keenan-Bolger’s

Linde Boy to the energy and.

commitment of John ;
Rubinstein’s Tateh there is
not one weak link. :

Donna Bullock’s Mother.
created the only emotional
musical moment for me with:
her eloquent Back To Before,
but that’s not to belittle the’
passion of Kingsley Leggs’
numbers,

I found the vocal stylings .
of LaChanze’s Sarah called” .’
rou. much attention. to the
singer rather than the song
but, in fairness, she appeared
ro be a crowd favorite at the
{this time) deserved standin
ov ation curtain call,

Vould T buy the Cr
No,
Vould Is see the show . ;

- again’ Yes.

Would | become
American if I could? N

Do I wish Livent would
spend just some of this moi
on a Canadian musical? Yes.

A North Shore Youth Production of

Staring Emma Whibley as “Amie”

with Orla Adams Roisin Adams Mahdu Bagga Morgan Boker Emily Barnford
Scott Bames Natalie Bussey Vanessa Cardosa Zoe Connely Maegan Conway -
Leah Conway Alex Crabtree. Andrew Hay Caroline Hay ‘Nadia Hovaiy Blake Hoven
Tammy livine Leslie Kensah !an Kirby. Carley Laleuie Nicole Marsh Dave Morris
Samantha Reale Diana Rowat Mandy Ryan Ann Sullivan Lindsay Udell Emma Whibley

At The Centennial Theatre —

Friday May 29th— 8pm Saturday May 30th — 2pm & 8pm
All seats 512 through the Centennial Theatre Box Office. Cali 984-4484

Presented By

Sponsored By

2235 Jim Parison Tovota
‘765 Marine De, North Vancouver:

Nitels be Fiesorte
oe en
‘Vancatcve: Vernon Featictos Kelowna