Here’s something you don’t hear from bloggers very often:  “I was wrong!” 

Back in January I wrote about the announced revival of “Ragtime” at the Kennedy Center.  I described the extreme leftist views of E. L. Doctorow upon whose novel the musical is based.  I also described the central character’s story arch which follows his path from hopeful, young and talented African-American to spiteful, vengeful domestic terrorist. 

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to see the production and I was delighted that although the script remains unchanged form the original, some slight nuances in staging, focus and character inter-action has softened the radical nature of Doctorow’s dogmatic cynicism and has illuminated truly hopeful and inspiring visions of an America to be proud of.  (more…)

Playbill is announcing a revival of the musical “Ragtime” this Spring at the Kennedy Center.  I love “Ragtime.” It’s a great piece of theatre.  And it’s a completely, totally and entirely a left-wing wacko propaganda piece.  

Brian Stokes Mitchell and the original cast of "Ragtime"

“Ragtime” is based on E. L.  Doctorow’s 1975 novel of the same name which examines the cultural shifts in America at the turn of the last century.  It cleverly uses real-life historical figures and intertwines their stories with a fictional family in New Rochelle, NY.  The tensions between the influx of Jewish immigrants and the growing black population with the conservative white upper-class frame the plot and serve as representative of the integration of the culture in the 20th century.  If you’d like a taste of Doctorow’s opinion of America circa 1907, you should read this speech he gave reflecting on America of 2007. It will be enlightening, if you can get through it.   (more…)