Wow! What a Performance! Wow! What a Musical! Southwest - Ragtime

Ragtime, the Southwest Spotlight Musical, opened last night.  What an event of sight and sounds!

The evening opens with a fantastic pit under the direction of Reid Wixson.  After the wonderful monologue setting the tone and you hear that first musical phrase you knew you were in for a great evening of song and dance and spectacle.  

The costumes were beautiful!  With the guidance of Costume Designer Emily Meyer the audience was taken back to another time of fancy dresses and hats and crowns.  The show is a delight experience for the eyes and ears.

Staging was simple and complicated.  The background projections set the scene - all around Minneapolis almost 100 years ago.  Set Designer Kevin Murphy and Lighting Design by Kristin Mead push the limits of imagination and flare.  Another fantastic audience experience of make-believe and wonder.

Choreographer Kenna-Camara Cottman put a cost of over 100 performers through moves and positions that enhanced the wonder, tension and beauty of a different time in American history.  Anna Michel continued her stellar impact on the production as she has before.  As technical Director and Sound Design she made the transitions seamless.  The flow of the scenes in the background flowed magically through the evening.

The music under the direction Nathan Knoll and Jean Orbison Van Heel - in solos and through powerful choruses moved the story.  The number of performers on stage, around the audience and up and down aisle drew the audience into an evening of story, power, confusion and hurt.

Director Margaret Berg in the first pages of the program states "Producing Ragtime has its challenges and we all struggled with its portrayal of racism, classism and sexism."  A show that is right for our time explores America in its painful moments as well as those moments of truth and kindness.  An evening of learning and reflection and well as all the art forms at their finest.

You can't miss this performance.  You won't believe your eyes and ears and will have a delightful and educational evening of musical, song, dance and sights!

Performances:  March 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21 - curtain at 7:00 pm

March 15 and 22 curtain at 2:00 pm