'Ragtime' Redux on Broadway

Stephen Schwartz called it "the best American Musical of the last 25 years." In 1998, it won Tony Awards for Best Book, Best Score and Best Orchestrations, though it lost Best Musical to Disney's The Lion King.

"It," of course, is Ragtime, a musical adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's book by writer Terrence McNally, lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty. And it is headed back to Broadway this fall after a successful restaging at Washington's Kennedy Center last spring.

Marcia Milgrom Dodge is directing this version, and Kevin McCollum is the lead producer. The show begins previews October 23 at the Neil Simon Theatre with the opening set for November 15.

This is a great musical, no doubt. And anyone who likes musical theater should be looking forward to hearing "Journey On," "Make Them Hear You" "Back to Before" and a whole lot more. I can't wait.

Image of the original cast CD courtesy of PriceGrabber