Austin Shakespeare presents an evening of stride piano and ragtime songs, featuring pieces from the musical Ragtime and Scott Joplin's Maple Leaf Rag.
Austin Shakespeare is taking a detour from the stage and heading to the Parker Jazz Club on Sunday, October 11, for Stride Piano & Ragtime Songs. It's a night dedicated to ragtime—the first truly distinct and widely popular African American musical style to influence mainstream American culture—and stride piano, the keyboard-improvisation style that grew out of it by the 1920s.
The program pulls from two different worlds. One half comes from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Ragtime, with songs like "Wheels of a Dream," "Make Them Hear You," and "Back to Before." The other half reaches back to the ragtime classics, including Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag" and "The Entertainer," along with solo piano pieces by the night's music director, Brian Grothues. Between the two, you get a look at how the style started and where it went.
It's a full ensemble on the bill. The evening is directed by Ann Ciccolella, with music direction by Brian Grothues. Vocals are handled by Roderick Sanford, Jill Holmes, and Rachel West; Acia Gray is on tap; and Pano Kanelos emcees the night. The whole thing is presented under the company's tagline, "the Bard is only the beginning," which is a fair warning that this takes you far from the Globe Theatre's thees and thous. The night also benefits the nonprofit theatre company's productions and programs.
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It all goes down at the Parker Jazz Club, 117 W 4th Street, #107b, starting at 5:30 PM. Tickets are $40 early bird through October 4 and $50 regular.
