New images of the new London production of Ragtime, now playing at the Charing Cross Theatre, have been released. Photos by Annabel Vere & Scott Rylander.
This new production of Ragtime stars West End and Broadway stars Earl Carpenter and Anita Louise Combe at the head of the cast for Thom Southerland’s production, which is currently booking until the 10th December.
Ragtime led the 1998 Tony Awards with 12 nominations, winning 4 including Best Book by Terrence McNally and Best Original Score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.
It is the turn of the 20th Century in New York. An era is exploding. A century is spinning. And the people are moving in rhythm and rhyme to the music of Ragtime. Based on the novel by E.L Doctorow, Ragtime weaves together the story of three groups in America, represented by Coalhouse Walker Jr, a Harlem musician; Mother and her white, middle class family in New Rochelle; and Tateh, a Jewish immigrant who has come to America with his daughter seeking a new life. Their fictional lives become dramatically intertwined with one another as well as with historical figures including Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington, JP Morgan and Henry Ford.
Ragtime follows the critically acclaimed production of Titanic as the second in-house production at Charing Cross Theatre, directed by Artistic Director Thom Southerland and produced by Danielle Tarento, Steven M. Levy, Sean Sweeney and Vaughan Williams.
Earl Carpenter’s stage credits include playing the The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway and in the West End as well as Inspector Javert in Les Miserables. Meanwhile, Anita Louise Combe has played Tessie Tura in Gypsy at the Savoy Theatre and both Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly in Chicago.
The full cast are: Simon Anthony, Bernadette Bangura, Anthony Cable, Earl Carpenter, Anita Louise Combe, Valerie Cutko, Christopher Dickins, Nolan Frederick, Tom Giles,Joanna Hickman, Lemuel Knights, Martin Ludenbach, James Mack, Ako Mitchell, Sufia Manya, Seyi Omooba, Jess Ryan, Kate Robson-Stuart, Jennifer Saayeng, Jonathan Stewart, Gary Tushaw, and child actors Alana Hinge, Samuel Peterson, Ethan Quinn, Riya Vyas.
This musical production will also feature choreography by Ewan Jones, set design by Tom Rogers and Toots Butcher, lighting design by Howard Hudson ,sound design by Andrew Johnson and costume design by Jonathan Lipman.
Ragtime continues to play at the Charing Cross Theatre until the 10th December. For more information and to book tickets visit: http://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/theatre/ragtime.