How Marriott's intimate 'Bridges' led to staging epic 'Ragtime'

Nick Bowling was directing one of Marriott Theatre's most intimate productions this past summer when the seeds were planted for staging something vastly different.

Nathaniel Stampley, the lead in Marriott's “The Bridges of Madison County,” was talking about auditioning for the American epic “Ragtime” for a different theater. The four-time Tony Award-winning 1998 Broadway musical, adapted from E.L. Doctorow's 1975 novel, features a massive cast and intersecting storylines involving communities of Jewish immigrants, African-Americans and privileged upper-class elites. It's a far cry from the personal love story of “Bridges.”

But Marriott's co-artistic director Andy Hite was intrigued, Bowling said.

“He was the first person who said, 'Should we talk about 'Ragtime'?' and I said, 'I didn't know we could talk about 'Ragtime,'” Bowling said. “And then we got (Marriott executive producer) Terry James involved and all of us have been excited and a little scared ever since.”

“Ragtime” begins previews Wednesday, Jan. 24, and the team has a right to be scared: There are potential pitfalls with staging the musical in Marriott's in-the-round theater space.

“It's one of those huge shows that has these enormous group scenes, and group scenes in the round are challenging especially when individual soloists need to be highlighted,” said Bowling, suggesting why Marriott was hands-off on “Ragtime” for two decades. “It's such an undertaking.”

The huge scope of “Ragtime” has prompted some opera companies to tackle it in recent years. Yet Bowling pointed out that “Ragtime” has succeeded in smaller productions like those staged by Chicago's own Porchlight Music Theatre and Griffin Theatre Company. Bowling says that's a testament to the strength of the musical's Tony Award-winning elements like its score by composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens and its script by Terrence McNally.

“They did a remarkable job of capturing the flavor of the novel,” Bowling said. “And really getting a huge swath of the story.”

“Ragtime” also serves as a reunion for Bowling and his “Bridges” stars Stampley and Kathy Voytko. He's playing Coalhouse Walker Jr. (a part Stampley previously understudied as part of a “Ragtime” national tour in 2001), while Voytko feels she has aged into the role of “Mother.”

Both stars see “Ragtime” as a historical snapshot that resonates today.

“We're dealing with the same issues of immigration, of class status, of civil rights and women's rights,” Stampley said.

“It's interesting to come at it from our 2018 lens that we've come so far and still have so far to go,” Voytko said. “This show has that exact message over and over again. It's completely timely whenever it's done.”

Yet Bowling wants to be careful about reductive “the more things change, the more they stay the same” outlooks to “Ragtime.” He's keen about delving into the different rates of progress for the characters and their communities.

“I want to explore that dangerous place where progress happens, because ultimately that's what I think the show is about,” Bowling said. “That's been my mission from the beginning, and that's what we're going to do our damnedest to find.”

“Ragtime”

<b>Where:</b> Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, (847) 634-0200 or marriott theatre.com

<b>When:</b> 1 and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday; 7:30 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday; from Wednesday, Jan. 24, through Sunday, March 18

<b>Tickets:</b> $50-$60. Discounts for students, seniors and the military are available, as are dinner-theater packages on Wednesday and Thursday.