Ragtime's final bow at Village Theatre

Village Theatre's run of Ragtime is coming to its final bow. The Tony Award-winning musical, based on E.L. Doctorow's 1975 novel, has been playing at the Francis J. Gaudette Theatre in Issaquah since September 15, and tonight, October 18, is the closing performance. If you've been meaning to catch it, this is the last chance.

The show is a big, sweeping piece of theater. Set in 1902 New York, it weaves together three very different lives: a daring Harlem pianist, a determined Jewish immigrant, and an affluent society woman, all bound by courage, compassion and a belief in the future. It's not a polite story, either. It deals head-on with racial tension and the American dream, and the production comes with a heads-up: there's racist and offensive language and moments of violence, including murder. It runs two hours and 50 minutes with an intermission, so it's an evening, not a quick stop.

Part of the draw is how the fiction rubs shoulders with history. The script drops in real figures from the era: Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington, J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, and several others. It's a clever device that grounds the personal stories in the actual upheaval of the early 20th century.

Behind the scenes, the creative team is well-regarded. Joe Calarco directs, with Tim Symons and Sheilah V. Walker supervising the music, Jimmy Shields on choreography, and a full design team handling the sets, costumes, lighting and sound. The score is the original nine-piece orchestration by William David Brohn, presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International. It's a strong, driving score that carries the show's emotional weight.

The cast is an ensemble piece, with many actors doubling up. Zachary 'Duke' Bruce III, Ari Hunter and Brianna Sims all take on the role of Coalhouse Walker III, while Jaden Dominique plays Sarah. Jed Resnick is Tateh, Jasmine Jean Sim plays Emma Goldman, and Arlando Smith takes on Booker T. Washington. It's a large company, and the doubling is part of the show's fabric.

For context, Ragtime has a long history on stage. It premiered in Toronto in 1996 before moving to Broadway, where it ran for over 800 performances and picked up Tony Awards for Best Original Score, Book and Orchestrations. A recent Broadway revival closed this past summer after winning Best Revival of a Musical, so this production arrives while the show is still very much in the conversation.

If you're planning to go, the evening performance starts at 7:30 p.m. One note worth knowing: the Saturday night show was cancelled due to cast illness, so tonight's closing is the final opportunity to see it in person. If you're already in the habit of catching Village Theatre's mainstage season, the next production, 'Come From Away', runs from November 10 to December 27, so the stage won't stay dark for long.