Ragtime

Ragtime is the 1998 musical that tells the story of three American communities faced with change and redefining the American dream. The story has three protagonists and three ensembles: Mother, a wealthy WASP living in the all-white New Rochelle, Tateh, a Jewish immigrant trying to find his footing and provide for his daughter in the Lower East Side, and Coalhouse Walker, Jr., a black Harlem musician-turned-activist when racist attacks damage his community. Though separate communities, their stories interweave through encounters with American history makers, including Booker T. Washington, Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, and more. As the story reaches its conclusion, the protagonists learn that the real 'American dream' is bringing communities together, not keeping them apart.