Goodyear resident Miguel Jackson went to audition for the musical, Ragtime at Desert Stages Theatre in Scottsdale with one role in mind.

“I was hoping to get the role of Coalhouse Walker; it’s rich and has a lot of meat on it,” he said of the Harlem musician. “It’s a very important role in terms of race. And being so far away, it was [that role] or nothing.”

It turns out; the 31-year-old had nothing to worry about.

“There was no doubt,” Ragtime director Terry Helland said of who would land the part of Coalhouse Walker, one of the show’s three leads, after the audition process. “He [Jackson] was an obvious choice because of his stature and how well he sang. He got it right away.”

Since then, the recent Canadian transplant has become very familiar with Arizona freeways, making the 45-minute trek – the time it takes without traffic – at least four days a week to rehearse.

“I give full credit to my wife to put up with the three months it has taken,” Jackson said.

Jackson’s wife, Elissa, is a third-grade teacher at Sonoran Sky Elementary in Glendale. So by the time she gets home from school, Jackson is ready to head out for rehearsal.

“It is really a commitment for her as well,” he said. “She has been patient with me and the time it has taken.”

Fortunately for her, Ragtime opened Oct. 9 and all that is left for Jackson to do are the remaining 12 performances.

Turn-of-the-century America
Ragtime is the story of three groups in turn-of-the-century America: African-Americans, upper-class whites and European immigrants. The story also has appearances from several historical figures, including Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington and Evelyn Nesbit.

It is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow. It first appeared on Broadway in 1998, lasting two years. The musical is set for a Broadway revival Nov. 15, marking the first musical from the 1990s to be revived.

Desert Stages’ production runs through Nov. 1.

“It’s an important story,” Hellman said of Ragtime.

It tells of the “clash between the races and the conflicts that each American faced during those days,” the director said. “It will make you cry; men cry during the performance. It is pretty powerful.”

Jackson said he feels the story is relevant.

“Especially with the tension you see in everyday life,” he said. “It feels like there is a lot of tension out there and the show mirrors that tension, but there is a sense of relief.”

“[Ragtime] is one of the most beautiful shows I’ve seen in my life,” said Helland, who is also the artistic director for Desert Stages. “So I wanted to give it a try.”

The director placed Jeffrey J. Davey (Tateh) and Elizabeth Reeves (Mother) in the other two leads.

“They are all amazing,” Helland said, though his praise didn’t end with the leading actors.

“It has the most powerful vocals and incredible music of any show I’ve done,” the 30-year theater veteran said. “It’s a powerhouse.”

“There is a lot of talent in the cast, no question about that,” Jackson said. “The cast is incredible vocally and artistically, and I don’t say that a lot.”

Singing like nobody’s business
It appears Jackson picked a winner for his first Arizona performance.

The Canadian and his wife – who has dual citizenship – moved to Arizona in November 2008 from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, which is across the border from Detroit.

“I think we made the right choice,” he said of the move. “My friends are shoveling snow and I’m in shorts on my balcony.

“A lot of people warned me [of the heat],” Jackson said. “I was told for eight months of the year it is the Valley of the sun, and the other four months it’s the surface of the sun.”

He survived his first summer, though, and with a job working behind-the-scenes at a Phoenix TV station in place, said he is excited for his future in Arizona, which might include additional theater performances.

“My wife and I will have to sit down and discuss that,” he said of possibly being in other productions. He admits, “The [theater] bug, when it bites, is pretty hard.”

Jackson has been performing in theater for about four years, although he has been in front of audiences much longer, getting his start in church choirs as a youngster.

“I’ve always been very comfortable going in front of people making a fool of myself; whatever to get the job done,” Jackson said.

He is definitely getting it done for Desert Stages.

“He sings like nobody’s business,” Helland said of the Canadian, “Who doesn’t have much of a Canadian accent, so that helps, too.”

Plus, Jackson knew his lines, his music and is nice to work with, he said.

“That part needs a huge singer,” the director said of Coalhouse Walker. “It is one of the best roles for a male in a musical; it’s a role of a lifetime.”

Rich Ott, Assistant Editor
West Valley View
October 16, 2009

Rich Ott can be reached by e-mail at rott@westvalleyview.com.

Since its 1998 Broadway debut, Tony Award-winning musical “Ragtime” has been seen by millions worldwide.

The musical gets a new twist in Scottsdale Desert Stages’ “theater in the round” setting. A rectangular stage with rotating sets is surrounded by seating on all four sides, creating entrances and exits in all corners of the theater.

“The simple fact that we are doing it in this venue changes it so dramatically that it can’t be anything but new and fresh,” said director Terry Helland. “The challenge is to include 360 degrees of people.”

Based on E.L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel of the same name, “Ragtime” tells the stories of three families and their oddly intertwined lives at the turn-of-the-century.

After an upper-class housewife takes in a struggling young mother and her newborn baby, the infant’s father, Harlem musician Coalhouse Walker Jr., fights to win her back and survive in a changing world. Also chronicled is the struggle of a Jewish immigrant and his daughter to find a place in a strange new land. The three paths are all connected by dreams of a brighter future.

Filled with themes of hope and love in the face of social injustice and economic hardship, “Ragtime” has remained relevant.

“We’ve all been in situations where we’ve felt the whole world was against us,” said Miguel Jackson,who plays Coalhouse.

Handling difficult matters such as racism and hate, “Ragtime” forces audiences to evaluate themselves and the world they live in.

“It deals with the human condition,” said Elizabeth Reeves, who plays the part of Mother. “It deals with, unfortunately, things that will probably never go away.”

Helland said that with the 360-degree format, the fast-paced action and quick scene transitions made the production particularly challenging. Helland said it’s the hardest show he has ever directed.

“I strive to bring a level of energy from beginning to end that suspends the show in an unwavering state of believability,” he said.

With a Broadway revival of “Ragtime” opening in mid-November, Desert Stages’ production will be one of the last regional productions of the show for a few years. While a show is on Broadway, it cannot be produced nationally, Reeves said.

Tyler Lockman
The Arizona Republic
October 13, 2009 03:01 PM

Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre presents “Ragtime,” Oct. 9-Nov. 1, the turn-of-the-century tale of three families from different worlds who collide during an age of industrial enterprise and societal shifts.

The musical brings the year 1906 to life through a prosperous family, an immigrant father and daughter and a black musician.

“Ragtime” comes fresh off DST’s critically acclaimed “Jekyll & Hyde.”

In addition, a special “Ragtime” performance Nov. 6, benefits Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre and the American Diabetes Association in “A Night of American Hope.” Tickets are $150 through DST box office, 480-483-1664. A fine wine and food reception sponsored by Optima CamelView Village precedes the 8 p.m. show at Optima CamelView. Other sponsors include Posh Improvisational Cuisine restaurant, Prestige Wines and Desert Parking. A dessert reception follows the show in the DST lobby.

Among “Ragtime” cast highlights is Goodyear resident, actor Miguel Jackson, who plays the pivotal role of Coalhouse Walker Jr. and makes his Phoenix theater debut since moving here from Canada. Elizabeth Reeves stars as Mother. Mesa veteran performer Reeves has starred in “Smokey Joe’s Café” and “The Taffetas,” with other credits as diverse as a recent musical performance during High Mass at the Vatican for Pope Benedict XVI at St. Peter’s Basilica, among others.

Tickets for “Ragtime” are $22 in advance by phone, 480-483-1664; or $25 day of performance at Desert Stages box office, 4720 N. Scottsdale Road, north side of Scottsdale Fashion Square, next to Coco’s restaurant. “Ragtime” performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sundays. In anticipation of another blockbuster, DST has added Saturday matinees for the show, which will be 2 p.m. Oct. 17, 24 and 31.

Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre is a nonprofit organization that produces live, innovative theatrical entertainment, led by co-founder and executive director Laurie Cullity; business manager and cofounder Joan Thompson; and artistic director Terry Helland. Included in each DST season are children’s productions of original scripts, musical scores and lyrics by co-founder Gerry Cullity, whose work is still relished five years after his death. Upcoming for the Children’s Theatre in Cullity Hall is Cullity’s original adaptation of “The Snow Queen,” Nov. 20-Dec. 20. And in DST’s intimate Actor’s Café is “Arsenic and Old Lace” Nov. 6-Jan. 10.

Staff Report
Your West Valley
2009-09-30 12:13:33