Any CD that boasts a cast headed by Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marin Mazzie and Audra McDonald is always worth getting by itself but this is not the only only reason to get Ragtime The Musical.

The luscious score in Ragtime by Stephen Flaherty (music) and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics) contains some of the most beautiful songs in musical theater. These songs are made all the more excellent by the wonderful vocals of Mazzie, McDonald and Mitchell.

From the soaring melodies and vocals in "Journey On" by the triumvirate of Mazzie, Mark Jacoby and Peter Friedman to other ensemble pieces like  "Look What You've Done" and the "Epilogue", there is a broad consistency in the quality throughout the score. Not all the songs are serious, emotional and solely indicative of the central themes of the musical such as racial discrimination and prejudice though. There are a couple of light-hearted songs that break up the somber mood at times. Personally, songs like "The Crime Of The Century" and "Harry Houdini, Master Escapist" do not appeal so much to me, although "What A Game" is a highly entertaining song about a father bringing his son to a baseball game and trying to wield out the bad influences associated with the game.

However, it is the somber and emotional songs that really excel. In one of the best mixed duets, Mitchell and McDonald sing about the dreams that they have for their children in "Wheels Of A Dream". Their other duet, "Sarah Brown Eyes", which I found a little oddly placed in the stage production, intertwines Mitchell's rich and confident baritone voice with McDonald's flexibly emotive range.

The singers perform just as well on their solo songs. McDonald's desperate plea in "President" makes the ending gunshot even more startling. The beauty of her expressive voice comes in full range in "Your Daddy's Son". The other female lead, Mazzie, perfectly complements her solos such as "Goodbye, My Love" and "Back To Before" with great emotional depth. Mitchell has the most singing parts in the musical and this musical seems to be a perfect showcase for  his vocal ability. All his songs such as "Justice" and "Coalhouse's Soliloquy" are of an exceptional quality but his powerful "Make Them Hear You", which combines a frightening level of emotional intensity with conviction, stands out from the rest.

Other songs that remain on my play list include "The Night That Goldman Spoke At Union Square" and "He Wanted To Say". The latter is a cleverly written song about an imaginary confrontation between Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Mitchell) and Brother (Steven Sutcliffe) which escalates to a crescendo when reality turns out so much differently.

Ragtime ranks as one of my all-time favorite musical cast recordings. It combines an outstanding cast, an amazing score and complete orchestrations, all of which make for a delightful cast recording. On one of those rare occasions, I actually found myself enjoying the orchestra pieces such as "Prologue: Ragtime" and the special bonus track on the second CD - "The Ragtime Symphonic Suite Orchestra". This double disc cast recording is something that I would strongly recommend to anyone who like that tinge of emotional intensity in their musicals. At the heart of it is a very powerful score.

Reviewed on 15 August 2004

Track Listings

Disc 1

Disc 2

(Libretto with lyrics is included)