“RAGTIME THE MUSICAL” AUDITIONS

Auditions: Sunday, May 18th and Monday, May 19th from 6:00pm-9:00pm with possible callbacks on callbacks Wednesday, May 21st at The Keeton.

The Keeton Theatre, 108 Donelson Pike Nashville 37214.

Come prepared to sing 32 bars of a song in the style of the show (tracks or sheet music, no a cappella), learn a dance combination, and cold read from the script.

Performance Dates: Shows run August 15th - 31st. Rehearsals will begin June 16th, 2025. This is a volunteer opportunity.

Please sign up for an audition time on our Google Sign-Up Form HERE.

SYNOPSIS

Based on the novel of the same name by E.L. Doctrow, Ragtime is a compelling epic capturing the American experience at the turn of the 20th century. Tracking three diverse families in pursuit of the American dream in the volatile “melting pot” of turn-of-the-century New York, Ragtime confronts the dialectic contradictions inherent in American reality: experiences of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair. Over the course of the show, the worlds of a wealthy white couple, a Jewish immigrant father and his motherless daughter, and an African American ragtime musician intertwine. Together, they discover the surprising interconnections of the human heart, the limitations of justice and the unsettling consequences when dreams are permanently deferred.

Featuring many of the historical figures that built and shaped turn-of-the-century America, including J.P. Morgan, Emma Goldman, Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit and Henry Ford, this musical sweeps across the diversity of the American experience to create a stirring epic that captures the beats of the American experience: the marches, the cakewalks and - of course, the ragtime.

CONTENT WARNING: Ragtime the Musical contains the presentation and discussion of systemic racism and historical inequities for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), immigrants, and females in early 1900s America. It contains the use of racist and offensive language, including hate speech and physical violence.

Character Breakdown

Adult Casting

COALHOUSE WALKER, JR
(Male, 20-35, Black/African American, Vocal Range: Ab to G, with a sustained high F#)
A proud and talented pianist, confident and stubborn. Sophisticated with a romantic demeanor and a gentle heart. Should be able to move. Piano playing helpful but not essential. 

SARAH
(Female, 18-30, Black/African American Vocal Range: Lyric Soprano with strong mix, low G# to high F# on staff)
A washwoman, filled with a strong will to live fueled by an innocent spirit, falls deeply in love with Coalhouse after much resistance.

MOTHER
(Female, 30-40 Ethnicity: Caucasian Vocal Range: Lyric Soprano / Mezzo with strong mix, low G to high Eb on staff)
The consummate wife and mother, a kind woman who is gentle, compassionate, optimistic, and accepting of others.

FATHER
(Male, 35-50, Caucasian Vocal Range: Baritone, B to E on staff)
Mother's professionally successful husband, cautious, resistant to change, fancies himself an amateur explorer. 

YOUNGER BROTHER
(Male, 25-35, Caucasian Vocal Range: Tenor / Baritone with strong top range, B to high F#)

A passionate anarchist, he is intense, obsessive, and high strung, influenced by Emma Goldman's teachings. 

TATEH
(Male, 30-40, Eastern European / Jewish / Latvian-American, Vocal Range: Baritone / Tenor, Db to high F#)
An immigrant, intelligent, passionate, and creative artist. Full of drive and heart. Wears the trials and tribulations of hist past on his sleeve. Eastern European / Latvian dialect. 

SARAH'S FRIEND / ENSEMBLE
(Female, any age, Black/African American Vocal Range: Gospel Lyric Soprano or Alto, low G to stratospheric scat top note)
Passionate, soulful, sings the gospel number for Sarah's funeral.

EMMA GOLDMAN / ENSEMBLE
(Female 35-65, Caucasian, Vocal Range: Alto, low G# to Db)
Eastern European / Jewish immigrant, anarchist .

HARRY HOUDINI / ENSEMBLE
(Male, 30-40, Caucasian, Vocal Range: Tenor, middle C to high G)
Hungarian immigrant, internationally famous magician. 

EVELYN NESBIT / ENSEMBLE
(Female, 20-30, Caucasian Vocal Range: Soprano / Belter, middle C to Db)
Vaudevillian performer, the “Marylin Monroe of her time.” 

WILLIE CONKLIN / ENSEMBLE
(Male, 30-45, Caucasian Vocal Range: Tenor / Baritenor)
Irish-American fire chief who is racist and takes out his anger on Coalhouse. 

Adult Ensemble will include the characters of: Booker T Washington, Henry Ford, JP Morgan, Admiral Peary, Matthew Henson, Judge, Grandfather, Kathleen, Brigit, Attorneys, Bureaucrats, Reporters, Baseball Fans, people of New Rochelle / Harlem / Union Square, Factory Workers, Firemen, Demonstrators, Vacationers.
Ages 16+ and all ethnicities needed. This show requires a diverse cast!

Youth Casting

LITTLE BOY
(Male, 10-12 years old, Caucasian Vocal Range: voice not yet changed)
An earnest boy who has grown up in privilege. Open hearted to people that are different from him and has the precocious innocence of youth. 

LITTLE GIRL
(Female, 10-12 years old, Eastern European / Jewish / Latvian-American Vocal Range: Mezzo / Soprano)
Tateh's daughter. Her arrival in America is marked by sickness and hunger. She is scared of her new surroundings and loyal to her father, her only living relative.

YOUNG COALHOUSE JR
(Male, 4-6yo, Black/African-American)
Innocent and pure. Son of Coalhouse and Sarah. This role appears briefly at the end of the play and has no lines or songs