Ragtime may be set more than a century ago, but director Lorenzo Rush Jr. does not see it as a story stuck in the past.
“Ragtime is a contemporary story, wearing historical clothing,” Rush Jr. said. “Because everything in it is very relevant to today.”
That idea is at the center of the Beverly Arts Center’s first production of the Tony Award-winning musical, which opened Thursday in the Baffes Theatre. The cast includes about 50 performers, ranging from age 10 to their 60s.
The production is the fourth and final theater show of the BAC’s 2025-26 Centerstage season, titled “Make Them Hear You.”
Dr. Carla “CC” Carter, executive director of the Beverly Arts Center, said bringing Ragtime to the BAC has been a goal for the theater team.
“This production is a dream for the team,” Carter said. “We really wanted to put on Ragtime to culminate our 2025-26 Centerstage season, ‘Make Them Hear You.’ And it’s even more amazing to have it here, given that Ragtime won a Tony Award on Broadway.”
Set in the early 1900s, Ragtime follows three groups of people living very different lives in America. A wealthy white family lives in New Rochelle, a Jewish immigrant and his daughter are trying to establish a new life on the Lower East Side, and a Black musician in Harlem finds himself fighting for justice after racist attacks against his community.
Their lives eventually cross, bringing together stories of immigration, racism, class and the search for a better life. The musical also weaves in real historical figures, including Booker T. Washington, Henry Ford and Harry Houdini.
Matt McKinney, artistic director of the Beverly Arts Center, said the story goes beyond its historical setting.
“Not only is Ragtime a relevant musical about the pursuit of the American Dream, it’s also a beautiful story about what happens when people from different worlds collide, how empathy, courage and a true curiosity about one another can bring us closer to a shared humanity,” McKinney said.
That connection also comes through in the cast, which brings together performers from several generations. Erin Renee Baumrucker, who plays Mother, said the experience has been especially meaningful.
“Being a part of Ragtime has been such a dream for me,” Baumrucker said. “From the beginning, Lorenzo went out of his way to nurture a safe space while we navigated the show’s challenging themes. Because of that, I have felt so motivated to dig as deeply as I can to bring honesty and life to Mother.”
“This show is such a gift,” she said. “I am so lucky to work and sing with all of these incredibly talented people.”
The timing of the production adds another connection to the present. With the country celebrating its 250th anniversary this year, Ragtime looks at an earlier America that was also changing rapidly and struggling with questions of identity, equality and opportunity.
“The immigrant story is happening today,” Rush Jr. said. “The story of a man who believes in America, feels the pain of America, but finds the success of America, is happening today.”
Rush Jr. brings an extensive Chicago theater background to the production. A Joseph Jefferson Award and Black Theater Alliance Award-winning director and performer, he has worked at Goodman Theatre, Marriott Theatre, Court Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Porchlight Music Theatre and Paramount Theatre. His work also includes television and film.
Performances continue at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, and 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, and Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St., Chicago.
