Terrence McNally’s book and Lynn Ahrens’s lyrics are based on E L Doctorow’s sprawling novel, a turn-of-the-century ¬epic, covering the years 1895-1915, which traces the lives of three interlocking families: rich Protestant whites, poor Jewish immigrants, and down-trodden blacks. Fictional characters mix with real personages, such as Henry Ford, J.P. Morgan, Houdini and anarchist Emma Goldman. The story-lines, which celebrate and criticise America, have a strong social conscience and become a heart-felt plea for justice for the millions of blacks and whites, who found only poverty and intolerance.
Stephen Flaherty’s tuneful score, haunting and taunting, a fusion of African and American traditions, has a superb Act One choral. There are splendid performances by Louisa Lydell as the selfless white mother who adopts a black baby boy, by John Barr as a Jewish silhouette artist who becomes a movie mogul, by Kurt Kansley as a ragtime pianist, who, when he cannot get justice, turns arsonist and by Rosalind James as his wife. Robert McWhir and his choreographer Matthew Gould, with George Dyer as musical director, achieve a small miracle. This truly wonderful production manages to be epic in the tiniest of acting areas. There are 23 (yes, 23!) actors, amazingly, singing and dancing at the same time; the cast’s total commitment and focus is palpable. The songs carry a terrific emotional punch and the over-crowded stage is actually a definite plus.