RAGTIME: A Musical Collaboration at Dallas City Performance Hall, offers two more concert-style performances today, February 9, 2013 at 2:30pm and 8pm. Don’t miss your chance to experience one of the finest performances on stage NOW in the region.
Do you want to witness a seamlessly executed collaboration between two of the region’s most outstanding performing arts organizations? Yep. Do you want to tune into superb singing with rich tones, fabulous diction, timely tempos and soaring vocal blend by the Turtle Creek Chorale, under the musical direction of Trey Jacobs? Yep. Do you want to admire the sterling acting/singing lead performers from Uptown Players, directed by leading regional stage director Michael Serrecchia? Yep. Do you want to attend and appreciate the absorbing, heart-breaking, 1998 Tony-winning tale of turn of the century immigration, adapted from E.L. Doctorow’s novel Ragtime by award-winning creative team Terence McNally, Stephen Flaherty, and Lynn Ahrens? You do. Do you want to see it all at Dallas’ City Performance Hall facing Flora Street next to Ross Avenue downtown? You have no choice. Endure its challenges (lousy parking with no proper attendant, wind tunnel swept expanse leading to dimly indicated entrance far on the ‘back side’ of building, excessively heavy doors, overpriced libations, etc.) to thrill to this evocation of “Ragtime”. But its seats have plenty of legroom and cush for the tush, unlike venues nearby, and acoustics satisfy. The show is a divine celebration of music, theatre and social commentary, a perfect primer for President Obama’s upcoming State of the Union address. “We can never go back to before”…not while we’re rolling forward on “the wheels of a dream”. Amen, brothers and sisters. “Till we reach that day”!
Most notable performances: Jonathan Bragg, Mary Gilbreath Grim, Markus Lloyd, Feleceia Benton and Caroline Rivera. Deep bows to principal and associate accompanists Scott Ayers and Rebecca Lowrey. What a rare delight. Get there if you can.
Tickets, if available: 214-526-3214 or buy online at http://www.TurtleCreek.org.
PHOTO: L to R — Feleceia Benton, Markus Lloyd, David Meglino, Mary Gilbreath Grim, Quinlin Sandifer
criticalrant.com Alexandra Bonifield 