Hudson County residents Paul and Staci Morin of Union City and Jessica Wigfall of Jersey City are to be featured in an upcoming production of “Ragtime.” Community theatre company Pleasant Valley Productions will present the epic historical musical Feb. 8-15 at The Theatre at Roosevelt Middle School in West Orange.
Performances are Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 13, Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. The production is directed by Camille Vecchio-DiLorenzo, with music direction by Ilene Greenbaum and choreography by Marcel Coleman, with Howie Tilkin serving as producer.
As part of Black History Month and the NJ 350 celebration, a special educational talkback will follow the Feb. 9 performance, discussing the show’s themes and historic elements.
Married couple Paul and Staci Morin will share the stage as they star as Mother and Father, a New Rochelle couple caught in turmoil in the early 1900s. Joining them will be Jessica Wigfall of Jersey City, who will be featured as a member of the Harlem ensemble.
History reborn
“Ragtime” is an epic musical, a nostalgic and powerful portrait of life in turn of the century America. Based on the 1975 E.L. Doctorow novel, and enhanced by a beautiful and lush score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty and a compelling book by Terrence McNally, “Ragtime” is a modern classic of American musical theatre.
Three distinct stories intertwine to depict life in the early 1900s for three drastically different classes of Americans – the new immigrants from Italy and Eastern Europe, the African-American working class of Harlem, and the already established and affluent Anglo-Americans. The memorable score combines the haunting music of the European immigrants with the exciting ragtime music of the Harlem jazz clubs to result in an award-winning score that delights audiences.
Roosevelt Middle School is located at 36 Gilbert Place in West Orange. For tickets and more information, please visit www.PleasantValleyProductions.org or call (800) 838-3006.