Theater Thursday - Ragtime & In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot

We received complimentary tickets to Ragtime for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Ragtime

Where: New York City Center 

             131 W. 55th St.

             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

When: Through November 10. 2024

Ragtime is the story of three families during the early 20th Century, a Black piano player and his girlfriend, a wealthy white family, and a Latvian immigrant family consisting of a father and a young daughter. Several historical figures also appear in the show. They include Emma Goldman, Houdini, and Evelyn Nesbit. Written by Terence McNally with songs by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the show is based on the novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow. It originally appeared on Broadway in 1998 and then again in 2009. 

Despite the catchy pleasant lilt of the title number which opens the show, this is definitely not a light happy musical. It involves some very dark themes including racial prejudice, police violence, and more and there are some really heartbreaking moments. These things make it extremely timely but also unsuitable for young children and others who are triggered by these things.

Of course, there are lighter happier moments and some fun songs too. There are also quite a few heartfelt ballads. Some of the most well-known songs from the show in addition to the previously mentioned title number include "Wheels of a Dream", and "Back to Before".

The current production of the show at City Center is exceptional and well worth seeing. Populated with talented veteran performers like Joshua Henry, Caissie Levy, Brandon Uranowitz, and more plus gifted young up-and-comers like Nichelle Lewis and Matthew Lamb, this show seems a sure bet to be up to the usual excellent caliber of City Center productions. However, it is even better than that. It goes beyond their normal level of excellence and takes things up yet another notch. The vocal performances are incredible. The performers are at their peak. Almost every one of the main cast members has at least one show-stopping moment leaving the audience in awe of their talent.  It is a show that is definitely not to be missed!

And that's our view. For more about Ragtime or to purchase tickets, go to www.nycitycenter.org/pdps/2024-2025/ragtime 

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We received complimentary tickets to In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot

Where: Playwrights Horizon

             416 W. 42nd St.

              New York, NY

What: Recommended for Ages 12 and Up

When: Through November 17, 2024

In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot, imagines a world where the country is shrinking as the oceans rise.  Yet, Amazon still manages to survive and thrive. A group of queer workers band together traveling from warehouse to warehouse trying to find work and stave off annihilation.

Despite its bleakness, this play is surprisingly hopeful. It is not so much about the world ending as about the way these characters come together and form a family despite their wretched situation. Some even manage to find love. It's both poignant and bittersweet that these people have found each other in the middle of all this despair.

The characters are all women, nonbinary or trans, and mostly over 50. This is both important and significant. Those who are usually on the edges of the story, if they are at all a part of it, are instead at its center.

The cast really gels and works well together, and the performances are quite good. They really make you feel for these characters. In the end, there is not a lot of closure, which may be frustrating for some people who like their endings neatly tied up, but the sense of hopefulness remains.

And that's our view. For more about In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot or to purchase tickets, visit www.playwrightshorizons.org/about/production-history/2020s/2425-season/in-the-amazon-warehouse-parking-lot

Tune in tomorrow for this week's Sunday Scoop. 

Photo credits:

All Ragtime production photos by Joan Marcus

All In the Amazon Warehouse Parking Lot production photos by Valerie Terranova

Images used in this post have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms and are used by permission. If there is a problem with the rights to any image,  contact us here, and we will look into the matter.