Ragtime to debut at Hangar Theatre in Ithaca

The beloved, award-winning musical Ragtime is the highly-anticipated next offering at the Hangar Theatre. With its passionate, sweeping score, peppered with unforgettable songs, Ragtime delivers a thrilling and memorable night in the theatre. Performances begin June 23rd, running through July 10th.One of the most acclaimed musicals of the past 25 years, Time Magazine called Ragtime “A triumph for the stage”. Ragtime is based on the landmark E. L. Doctorow novel and features a Tony winning score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Once on this Island, Seussical) and a book by Terrence McNally (Master Class, Love! Valour! Compassion!). This thrilling turn of the century tale intertwines the stories of three diverse American families, played out against the background of actual historical celebrities like Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, Emma Goldman and Evelyn Nesbit. With a score that celebrates an eclectic mix of American styles, Ragtime offers a truly panoramic view of American life. Directed by Sidney J. Burgoyne, with musical direction by Stephen Gross and choreography by CJay Philip (Hangar’s Once on this Island), Ragtime is a thrilling and haunting night of theatre. Director Burgoyne states, “The audience will feel that they are a part of it. It is their story.”With a cast of 22, Ragtime features a gorgeous array of remarkable songs including “Wheels of a Dream,” “Getting Ready Rag,” “Your Daddy’s Son,” “Till We Reach That Day,” “Back To Before,” and “Make Them Hear You.”Regular tickets range from $18 t0 $45. Subscriptions – packed with added benefits – are also available. Associate Artistic Director Tickets can be purchased at: www.hangartheatre.org or by phone at (607) 273-8588. The recently renovated theatre is located at 801 Taughanock Blvd. Ithaca, NY 14850. The Hangar business office is 171 East State Street, Suite 230 in Center Ithaca. Ithaca, NY 14851The Hangar Theatre is committed to providing exceptional theatre experiences of high professional quality to enrich, enlighten, educate, and entertain the diverse audience in the Finger Lakes region and beyond. Strong education and training programs are central parts of our commitment to the local and national artistic communities. Visit our website at www.hangartheatre.org.BiographiesLAURIE WELLS (Mother) was most recently seen in the Broadway hit Mamma Mia! and starred as Donna on the National Tour. Other credits: Swing! (National Tour), Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street at Goodspeed, Mona Kent in Dames at Sea at Bay Street, Our Sinatra (Off-Broadway), My Fair Lady (Eliza), Oliver! (Nancy), A Few Good Men (Joanne), Trip of Love (World premiere in Osaka, Japan). JOSH TOWER (Coalhouse) Credits include: Simba in Disney’s The Lion King (2002-2007, Broadway & original Gazelle Tour), Ragtime (Broadway & Chicago), Langston In Harlem (AUDELCO nomination), Parade, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Princess & the Black-Eyed Pea, Violet, Miss Saigon, Les Mis, Dreamgirls , Chess, The Bubbly Black Girl…, As You Like It, Once on this Island, Joseph…, Godspell, Baby, Avenue X, and Cymbeline. MFA, UNC Chapel Hill/ BA, Temple University.JOAQUINA KALUKANGO (Sarah) a recent graduate of The Juilliard School, returns to the Hangar where she first appeared in Once on This Island. Credits include A Raisin in the Sun, Henry V, and Merchant of Venice. She is from Atlanta, Georgia .DANNY ROTHMAN (Tateh) Recently won a Drammy for his performance in Ragtime at Portland Center Stage. Credits include The Signature Theatre, Old Globe, North Shore Music Theater, St. Louis Rep., Cincinnati Playhouse, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, Fulton Theatre, Pittsburgh CLO among others. B.F.A/Carnegie Mellon.JOANNE BAUM (Emma Goldman) Broadway and National Tour credits include: Bells Are Ringing, Les Miserables and Cats. Regional credits include: Falsettos at Hartford Stage and On the Town at Goodspeed Opera House. She was in the original NY and LA casts of the cult musical, Ruthless! A Cayuga County resident, Joanne has choreographed Seussical and Beauty and the Beast for Southern Cayuga High School as well as Schoolhouse Rock Live for the Hangar. For Merry Go Round Theater, she played Mme. Thenardier in Les Miserables.SIDNEY J. BURGOYNE (Director) is pleased to be directing his first production at the Hangar Theatre. Directing credits include Ragtime, Camelot starring Tony nominee Robert Cuccioli and A Little Night Music, starring Tony nominees Penny Fuller and Mark Jacoby at the White Plains Performing Arts Center. Other credits include the U.S. premiere of a new Canadian comedy, Romeo and Hamlet and the world premiere of Edward the King by David Brendan Hopes. As an actor, he starred as Fagin in Oliver! and the Padre in Man of La Mancha at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, Hello, Dolly! with Betty White, Showboat with Mickey Rooney and Fiddler on the Roof with Paul Lipson. Sidney is a graduate of LaSalle University in Philadelphia, a Fellow of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center Cabaret Symposium, a member of SDC and of Actors’ Equity Association since 1974.CJAY PHILIP (Choreographer) is the Artistic Director of Baltimore’s newest contemporary dance company, Dance & Bmore. www.danceandbmore.com DAB brings exciting new works to the stage and hope to the Baltimore city families they serve through community classes. Her Broadway and touring credits include Dreamgirls (Tour), Big: the musical (Broadway) Street Corner Symphony (Broadway) Legally Blonde (Tour) and Hairspray (Broadway) where she was a Dance Captain for the touring and Broadway companies. CJay has choreographed 100s of live and televised events around the world and theatre productions of Once on This Island, The Who’s Tommy, Your Arms Too Short to Box With God, Once Upon A Mattress, The History of Gospel Music, Oliver Twist and more.STEPHEN GROSS (Music Director) Broadway credits as conductor and/or pianist include: South Pacific, TheWedding Singer, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Urinetown (also M.Dir for the European Premiere), The Life (also M. Dir for the European Premiere), Saturday Night Fever, Cats, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd & Candide (all at City Opera). Numerous Off -Broadway, regional theater, European and other international credits as music director & conductor. Lortel Nomination for the Off–Broadway production of Pirates of Penzance. His musical about the ballet dancer Vaclav Nijinsky has been performed in Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna and will have upcoming performances in Paris. Also work as an opera and symphonic conductor as well as numerous credits as an arranger and orchestrator.