The Diva Directs

Master Class – Theo Ubique

Before the houselights even dim, diva Maria Callas steps onto the Julliard lecture hall stage (authentically recreated in detail by scenic designer Adam L.Veness) and speaks directly to her audience. Chosen from hundreds

A Wheels of a Dream Production

Ragtime

Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens’ epic musical, with a book by Terrence McNally, is based upon the sweeping, historical 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow that depicts the challenges and changes that America witnessed at the turn of the century, set against a newly evolving style of ragtime music. Doctorow created a cast of fictional characters drawn from three different ethnic groups who interact with several real historical figures of the period. The result is a musical valentine to the American Dream that paints a colorful portrait of the nation on the brink of change.

Coalhouse Walker, a ragtime pianist from Harlem represents African Americans; Mother, the matriarch of an upper class suburban family exemplifies the affluent Caucasian group; and Tateh, a Jewish widower from Latvia typifies the masses of destitute European immigrants pouring through Ellis Island searching for a better life in America. Their stories all begin in isolation from each other, but eventually they intersect until, by the final curtain, the three groups have melded into one. These imaginary characters and their families exist along side of famous historical folks, such as Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit, Booker T. Washington, Henry Ford, Emma Goldman, J.P. Morgan and other celebrities from 1906. Their journey toward change and understanding is what electrifies this much-accoladed musical (the 1998 Tony winner for Best Book, Score, Orchestrations and Supporting Actress), making it a popular choice for theatre companies the world over.