December 31, 1999

LE'S CHRONICLE

The quintessential American musical

Jim Corti is having the time of his life in Ragtime

by Kaizaad Kotwal

Columbus-Modern American musicals differ from their predecessors in that they are now more pared down, and examine the microcosm as opposed to the macrocosm.

Refreshing, then, is a modern musical like Ragtime, which is not only quintessentially American but also panoramic in plot, character and spectacle. When Ragtime burst onto the Broadway scene in 1998, its epic qualities captured the hearts and minds of sold-out audiences on its way to four Tony awards.

Ragtime, based on E.L. Doctorow's book, touted as "a timeless tale of innocence lost and freedom won." It takes us on a voyage through the lives of three remarkable families-one upper-middle class, white Anglo-Saxon Protestant, one socialist immigrant Jewish and one Harlem black. While these families are fictional, albeit iconic archetypes, some historical characters are also peppered through the musical's landscape. The three families' lives intersect with luminaries like Harry Houdini, Henry Ford, J.P. Morgan and Booker T. Washington.

The early 20th century, which is the background of Ragtime, was a time of incredible upheaval, social transformation and cultural transitions rivaled perhaps, only by the current computer revolution. It was in this time, 100 years ago, that the American labor union was born, the industrial revolution was transforming every aspect of life and it was here that both the automotive and motion picture industries were taking root in the American consciousness.

Openly gay playwright Terrence McNally wrote the book for Ragtime for which he won a Tony award, previously having won the same accolade for the brilliant musical Kiss of the Spider Woman. McNally has also won Best Play Tony awards for Masterclass and Love! Valor! Compassion! While Ragtime doesn't specifically deal with gay issues, many of its social themes and personal tales will resonate across a wide demographic.

Jim Corti, who is also openly gay, plays Tateh, one of the leads, and he believes that this musical will speak to audiences about "how believing in yourself and not giving up is how the struggle is overcome."

In a phone interview from Hershey, Pennsylvania, Corti said that "it's really about being true to yourself and that the answers to all these struggles lie within us."

Gay and lesbian audiences, among others, will certainly understand and identify with this. Strongly present in the musical are the themes of resistance, hate and fear, issues that have, if nothing else, stuck through this tumultuous century.

Corti was born in New Jersey 50 years ago, and he has been a theatre professional for more than half of that time. He studied theater at Loyola University in Chicago and has acted on both coasts and everywhere in between.

At the age of 25 he moved to New York like many aspiring actors. His first New York gig was in the 1973 production of Candide, as a member of the musical ensemble. The show won five Tony awards and "at 25 being invited to the Tony Award show was indeed a very heady experience."

Jim Corti

From New York, Corti moved back to Chicago, where his network of professional connections from his college days would hold him in steady employment for 14 years to follow, as a director, actor and choreographer. Corti, by his own admission, "loves the city of Chicago, and the steady employment has allowed me a strong evolution as an artist."

Corti is also grateful that his career has allowed him to “always break new ground." His original association with Ragtime started with the Broadway run where he played Harry Houdini. That led to his current starring turn as Tateh in the touring version.

Corti says that he is having the time of his life playing Tateh, "which is such a rich role."

Tateh is a Latvian immigrant and a widower with a young daughter who arrives on Ellis Island in search of the American dream. But the dream never comes easily, and Tateh "has a tremendous struggle, and the poverty he left in Europe is certainly matched here." However, according to Corti, "Tateh does well and eventually meets up with an upper-class New England woman and their lives intertwine."

Tateh's role is very "challenging, both physically and because it has quite a vocal range."

Corti said that the role requires a lot of discipline, "and there is a strange

irony and paradox because while this role is exhausting it also regenerates me. The more I give to it the more I get out of it."

Corti said that his story as a gay man is where "I found my own way out, and it was never a big issue." He also claims that he is not much of an activist, but he has marched yearly in his share of parades.

"I am one of those people," Corti confesses, "who thinks that my sexuality is just one part of who I am and it doesn't define who I am." When asked if being openly gay has helped or hindered his career, Corti said that, "It is my ability that gets me my jobs and if indeed it has affected my career it has never been apparent to me.”

Corti admires Terrence McNally and his work. "I love his stuff because he is off the beaten path especially in the forms that he chooses and his pieces are always different.”

According to Corti, “McNally is having quite a life and has a lot to look forward to. Moreover, he a really sweet guy to hang out with."

Ragtime is one of those rare modern musicals which has a lot to say and manages to say it with clarity, compassion and candor. At the turn of the century (and even that ubiquitous millennium) it is both refreshing and somewhat saddening to watch a panoramic chronicle like Ragtime about the last turn of the century.

It is refreshing because it reaffirms the endurance of the human spirit and the American dream and disheartening because it reminds us of how slow social change can be and how much more work remains to be done in the coming millennium.

Ragtime comes to the Ohio Theatre in Columbus December 28 to January 2; Tuesday through Friday evening at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 2:00 and 7:30 p.m.

Jim Corti, as Tateh, with his stepdaughter, played by

Jenell Brook Slack.

CAROL ROSEGG