We can say all we want about how great Ragtime was, how big it was, how many people it reached, and on and on. I think we can all also say that Ragtime truly lived up to its hype and potential. However, there is one stark feeling I got after the show that really made me realized how tremendous this musical was. Simply put, after the show, I was not tired of Ragtime. I loved it. I listened to the whole musical again on my iPod as I went to bed that night, thinking of what happened during each song and what happened between the songs. It didn’t bother me that I hummed “Wheels of a Dream” all next week. This never happens after I perform a musical.
While it was sad that I did not get to ever see the performance in full length, I was definitely fun watching everything from down there. I was sad I never got to see the Model T, Houdini and Evelyn frolicking on stage, or when Booker addressed Coalhouse at the end before one of my favorites “Make Them Hear You”. However, at the same time, the experience from down there was unforgettable. The first weekend I would say I wasn’t able to experience the musical as much—at lot of it entailed counting measures and making sure we didn’t miss any entrance. By the second weekend, however, I was relaxed and comfortable during every performance and was able to look forward to certain lines, playing certain measures of music, and listening for what kind of response the audience would have.
One thing I would regret was not getting to know the cast while I still had the chance during the classes at the beginning of the semester. During our last class, it was so refreshing to be able to put names to faces in the class. What made me even more proud was what we had accomplished together, looking at where we were at the beginning of the semester. Let this only be the beginning.
You have consistently written great journal entries Ivy. Thank you for sharing in such detail your process. It all showed up on stage. I loved watching you every minute you were up there. You earned your right to be there. Thank you for your attention to detail. Its been lovely to get to know you and your work and I hope we have the opportunity to work together again sometime soon. I loved your work in RED DRESS.
PM, I regret that I was not more proactive in designing more interaction between cast and pit (though it already felt like most of our schedules were stretched to the limit as it was!). I imagine that such an experience could have multiplied the depth of investment in the show that was already in place. I am happy that students like you and some of the other class members who were in both the class and the pit got to observe more perspectives than just the view from “down there,” as you so succinctly put it. With such a heavily scored orchestral role, though, I’m positive that the overall experience of the show most often had the orchestra ” up there” with the rest of the stellar elements of the production.