Lea Michele Joins RAGTIME Benefit Concert on Broadway

New York

Lea Michele | Photo: Michaelah Reynolds

By
Dan Meyer
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March 13, 2023 12:00 PM
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News

It’s time to go back to where it all started. Current Funny Girl star Lea Michele will appear at the Entertainment Community Fund’s one-night-only benefit reunion concert of Ragtime. As previously announced, the show will take place March 27 at the Minskoff Theatre, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the show’s Broadway opening.

Michele, who originated the role of Little Girl in the first Broadway production, joins Audra McDonald as Sarah; Brian Stokes Mitchell as Coalhouse Walker, Jr.; and Peter Friedman as Tateh. Kelli O’Hara will play Mother, the role originally performed by the late Marin Mazzie.

In addition to the special appearance by Michele, the role of Little Boy will be played by Jack Casey, with Addyson Evelyn Tabankin as Little Girl, and Kai Latorre as Little Coalhouse. Jack Emmett Baumrind will be the standby for Little Boy.

“At this 25th anniversary celebration, we’re thrilled to welcome and pass the baton to the next generation of our Ragtime family: Jack, Addyson, Kai and Jack. Having Lea join us—just a child herself in the Original Broadway Company—makes this evening all the more poignant,” said Ragtime lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty.

Rounding out the cast for the special event are Mark Aldrich, Shaun Amyot, John D. Baker, Darlene Bel Grayson, Dara Paige Bloomfield, Sandra M. Bonitto, Sherry Boone, Mark Cassius, Jamie Chandler-Torns, Albert Christmas, Jim Corti, Pierce Cravens, Larry Daggett, Bernard Dotson, Roberta Duchak, Donna Dunmire, Adam Dyer, Duane Martin Foster, Patty Goble, Elisa Heinsohn, David Hess, Adam Hunter, Mark Jacoby, Kimberly JaJuan, Anne Kanengeiser, Judy Kaye, Mary Sharon Komarek (Dziedzic), Joe Langworth, Joe Locarro, Dan Manning, Michael X. Martin, Mary McCandless, Allyson Tucker Mitchell, Anne L. Nathan, Lynnette Perry, Orgena Rose, Gordon Stanley, Steven Sutcliffe, Keith Thomas, Todd Thurston, Vanessa Townsell-Crisp, Rema Webb, Leon Williams, Bruce Winant, and Eric Jordan Young.

Based on the classic American novel by E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime has a book by Terrence McNally and a score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. The evening will be directed by Stafford Arima, with James Moore as music director and conductor. On the original Broadway production, Mr. Arima served as associate resident director, David Loud as musical director and conductor, and Mr. Moore as associate conductor. Additional credits for the one-night-only evening include Wendall K. Harrington and Shawn Boyle as projections designers, Peter Hylenski as sound designer, Don Holder as lighting designer, Tracy Christensen as costume designer, and casting by Arnold J. Mungioli of Mungiolo Theatricals. This evening is executive produced by Robert Pullen of Nouveau Productions.

The original Broadway production of Ragtime opened on January 18, 1998, at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (now the Lyric Theatre) and played for 834 performances. The show received 14 Tony Award nominations and won for Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Featured Actress in a Musical for McDonald, and Best Orchestrations for William David Brohn.

All proceeds from the benefit concert will support the Entertainment Community Fund. For more information, click here

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Dan Meyer

After 4 years in the biz, Dan swapped out theatre for sports and is now a researcher at NBC Olympics. Spectacle remains a key passion and is dedicated to building bridges between different forms of entertainment. He has worked as a writer and editor at Theatrely and Playbill, covering Broadway and beyond. In addition, he has been published in Rolling Stone, Spy, and others.