Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.—This weekend, Mississippi State’s Department of Music presents the turn-of-the-century musical, “RAGTIME.”

The family-friendly Opera Workshop production takes place Thursday, Friday and Saturday [Oct. 20-22] at the First United Methodist Church’s Connection Center.

General admission is $12 for performances at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; $8 for children, seniors and MSU students, faculty and staff with identification.

Ticket purchases may be made at the door or reserved in advance by contacting the department’s choral office at 662-325-3490.

The downtown Connection Center is located a short distance east of the church at the intersection of East Lampkin and South Washington streets in Starkville.

The Thursday evening production will be preceded by a ragtime music performance from self-taught jazz pianist Charles H. “Chip” Templeton Jr., director of the MSU College of Business’ Small Business Development Center. He also is son of the late Charles H. Templeton Sr., namesake of MSU Mitchell Memorial Library’s Charles H. Templeton Sr. Music Museum and annual Charles H. Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival.

A 1998 Tony Award-winning musical with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, RAGTIME is a powerful work that continues to be relevant and moving. Set in 1906, it tells the story of three very different families living in America—an African-American couple facing boundless racism and injustice; a Jewish immigrant father and daughter seeking success only to discover that they can barely earn a living; and a white upper class family that becomes involved in these struggles and realizes for the first time that there is a world beyond the one they know. 

The production’s ragtime, cakewalks and gospel music make for an incredible depiction of early-1900s America, according to Jeanette Fontaine, MSU assistant professor of voice and Opera Workshop instructor.

“Opera Workshop provides music majors and non-majors with the opportunity to perform in scenes and full productions of both operatic and musical theatre genres,” Fontaine said. “It is an excellent opportunity for students to become acquainted with the many facets of live theatrical performance.”

In addition to movement and gestures, acting, dance and choreography, and dialogue, Opera Workshop participants learn about behind-the-scenes aspects of stagecraft, including hair and makeup, costuming, set design, and construction and lighting. 

For more Opera Workshop information, contact Fontaine at 662-325-8775 or jfontaine@colled.msstate.edu.

Complete details on MSU’s nationally accredited Department of Music can be found at  www.music.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.