PRINCETON, NJ Restaurant Dining Guide Announcement

The Rhythm and Rhyme of RAGTIME Comes to Kelsey Theatre June 4-13, 2010 at Kelsey Theatre

At the beginning of the 1900’s everything was changing and everything was possible.   RAGTIME, set in the volatile melting pot of turn-of-the-century New York, weaves together three distinctly American stories -- that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician -- who are brought together by circumstance and united by their courage, compassion and belief in the promise of the future.  Their compelling stories are set to the glorious, Tony Award-winning score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens and an extraordinary, Tony Award-winning book by Terrence McNally.   The Pennington Players’ production is directed by Frank Ferrara, with musical direction by Shannon Ferrara and choreography by Nicole Farina-Machin and features a vibrant cast of 37.
 
RAGTIME will be presented Fridays and Saturdays, June 4, 5, 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m.; and Sundays, June 6 and 11 at 2 p.m. at Kelsey Theatre.   Kelsey Theatre is conveniently located on the West Windsor campus of Mercer County Community College at 1200 Old Trenton Road.  A reception with the cast and crew follows the opening night performance on June 4th.   
 
Based on the 1975 novel by E.L. Doctorow, RAGTIME is set in the opening years of the last century.  It mixes historical figures including J. P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Emma Goldman and Harry Houdini with the interconnected but fictional stories of three very different families: represented by Mother, the matriarch of an upper class family in New Rochelle, NY; Tateh, a Latvian Jewish immigrant; and Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Harlem musician.
 
The talented cast is lead by Vicky Czarnik of Hopewell, as Mother, Brian Meltzer of Pennington, as Tateh and Kyrus of Hamilton as Coalhouse Walker, Jr.   Also starring are Michael Schiumo of Clarksburg as Father, Williams Kamps of Burlington as Younger Brother, Matthew Blazejewski of  Trenton as Little Boy, Salena Qureshi of Columbus as Tateh’s Little Girl, and Cathryn Hardy of Matawan as Sarah.  Other featured cast members include Wayne Irons of Princeton as Grandfather, Michaela Alyse Tomcho of Hamilton as Evelyn Nesbitt, Shawn Doremus of Philadelphia, PA as Harry Houdini, Laurie Gougher of Newtown, PA as Emma Goldman, Lynn Baskin of Lambertville as Booker T. Washington, Alan Naidoff of Princeton as J.P. Morgan, Christopher Kamps of Marlton as Henry Ford and Tom Bessellieu of Lawrenceville as Willie Conklin.  The members of the ensemble play various roles throughout the production including Admiral Peary, Matthew Henson, firemen, policemen, factory workers, immigrants, vaudeville dancers, and many others. 
 
The Tony award winning score skillfully mixes the musical genres of ragtime, marches, gospel, among others and includes the exuberant opening number and title song “Ragtime,” the vaudeville number “Crime of the Century,” the powerful “Wheels of a Dream,” and the touching “Sarah Brown Eyes.”   RAGTIME was originally produced on Broadway in 1998 and ran for 2 years.  It recently enjoyed a critically acclaimed revival on Broadway.
 
Tickets are $16 for adults; $14 for seniors, and $12 for students and children. Free parking is available next tothe theater. Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.kelseyatmccc.org/ragtime.shtml or by calling the Kelsey Box Office at 609-570-3333.  Kelsey Theatre is wheelchair accessible.