The Beverly Arts Center is pleased to announce auditions for its upcoming production of Ragtime (9-piece orchestration), which serves as both our annual Southside Summer Stage community production and as the capstone of our 2025-2026 theatrical season, "Make Them Hear You." The Beverly Arts Center eagerly invites participants of all ages and identities to partake in this community production directed by Lorenzo Rush, Jr.

About the Production
Team
Director: Lorenzo Rush, Jr.
Assistant Director: Miciah Lathan
Music Director: Michael Barr
Choreographer: JayMarie Turner

Important Dates
Auditions: Tuesday, May 26th & Wednesday, May 27th from 5:00-10:00pm

OR video submission (bacproductions@beverlyartcenter.org, submissions will not be accepted past Tuesday, May 26th).

Invitation-Only Callbacks: Thursday, May 28th & Friday, May 29th from 5:00-10:00pm

Written by the award-winning composer/lyricist team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Once on This Island, Seussical and Lucky Stiff), noted playwright Terrence McNally, and based on E.L. Doctorow's distinguished novel, Ragtime is the winner of the 1998 Tony Awards for Best Score, Book and Orchestrations, and both the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Musical and Best Score. Called by TIME Magazine "A triumph for the stage," and by the International Herald Tribune "the best musical in twenty years," this acclaimed musical is filled with pageantry, emotion and hope, bursting onto the stage like no other musical.

At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing... and anything is possible. Set in the volatile melting pot of turn-of-the-century New York, three distinctly American tales are woven together - that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician - united by their courage, compassion and belief in the promise of the future. Together, they confront history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and what it means to live in America.

The Tony-winning score is just as diverse as the melting pot of America itself, drawing upon many musical styles, from the ragtime rhythms of Harlem and Tin Pan Alley to the klezmer of the Lower East Side, from bold brass band marches to delicate waltzes, from up-tempo banjo tunes to period parlor songs and expansive anthems. A truly unique and powerful portrait of America, Ragtime is sure to inspire actors and audiences alike!

Character Descriptions
Pay: No pay. This is a community production.
Note: The listed genders and age ranges describe the character, not the actor. We encourage actors of all gender identities and ages to submit for characters of their choosing. If a character is described with a certain ethnicity, we are specifically looking for actors of that ethnicity for that role. Character descriptions provided by Music Theatre International.
Ages: 10 & Up (with the exception of Coalhouse Walker, III). We are adding a youth ensemble and would love to have actors of all ages represented on stage.

COALHOUSE WALKER, JR.
A proud and talented pianist. A Black man who believes that he can take part in the new America and will be treated fairly.
Gender: Male / Age: 25-35 / Vocal Range: G2-A4

SARAH
Washwoman. Sarah is a young Black woman, beautiful and filled with a strong will to live, fueled by an innocent spirit. Falls deeply in love with Coalhouse after much resistance.
Gender: Female / Age: 18-25 / Vocal Range: G3-F5

MOTHER
The consummate wife and mother. A kind woman with incredible moral fiber. Refined, intelligent, graceful and open minded.
Gender: Female / Age: 25-35 / Vocal Range: G3-E5

FATHER
Mother's professionally successful husband. Fancies himself an amateur explorer, he is commanding and attractive. Enjoys being the family breadwinner, a traditionalist.
Gender: Male / Age: 30-45 / Vocal Range: A3-F5

YOUNGER BROTHER
Mother's younger brother. He is an erratic and passionate soul, a firework waiting to be lit. Influenced by Goldman's teachings.
Gender: Male / Age: 20-30 / Vocal Range: B3-F5

LITTLE BOY
Mother and Father's son. He is open-hearted and curious with inexplicable clairvoyance. Never passes judgement on others.
Gender: Male / Age: 8-12* / Vocal Range: E4-D5
*We are seeking actors ages 10+ to play 8-12 for this role.

GRANDFATHER
Mother's patrician father. He is a retired professor, and easily irritated by nearly everything.
Gender: Male / Age: 50-65

TATEH
A Latvian immigrant. He wears the trials and tribulations of his past on his sleeve, but remains optimistic that he will be successful. Full of genuine drive and heart. He lives for his little daughter.
Gender: Male / Age: 30-40 / Vocal Range: A3-F5

LITTLE GIRL
Tateh's daughter. A vulnerable child in a brand-new home, she has lost her mother and is guarded and shy. She clings to her father.
Gender: Female / Age: 7-10* / Vocal Range: C4-D5
*We are seeking actors ages 10+ to play 7-10 for this role.

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
Brilliant Black social activist. He is an eloquent and articulate gentleman with no patience for Black Americans leading less than exemplary lives.
Gender: Male / Age: 45-55 / Vocal Range: D3-Eb4

EMMA GOLDMAN
Social activist. Originally from Russia, she is a leader, a fearless advocate for the oppressed.
Gender: Female / Age: 30-40 / Vocal Range: B3-D5

EVELYN NESBIT
The beautiful Broadway performer, famous for the murder of her high profile lover by her rich husband.
Gender: Female / Age: 18-25 / Vocal Range: B3-D5

HENRY FORD
An American industrialist and founder of the Ford Motor Company.
Gender: Male / Age: 35-45 / Vocal Range: D4-F5

HARRY HOUDINI
The famous magician, originally from Hungary. With notable physical ability, he stands as a symbol of the 'American Dream.'
Gender: Male / Age: 25-35 / Vocal Range: C4-G5

J.P. MORGAN
The rich, famous financier
Gender: Male / Age: 60-65

SARAH'S FRIEND
A friend of Sarah's who attends her funeral
Gender: Female / Age: 18-25 / Vocal Range: D3-D5

WILLIE CONKLIN
A racist volunteer fireman who destroys Coalhouse's car
Gender: Male / Age: 25-40 / Vocal Range: D4-F5

ENSEMBLE
Baseball Fans, Coalhouse Supporters, Firemen, Immigrants to America, New Rochelle Citizens, Reporters, Vacationers, Coalhouse's Laywer*, Harlem Citizens*, Henson,* Coalhouse Walker III**
*Specifically seeking Black actors for these roles
**For Coalhouse Walker III, we are specifically seeking a black actor around age 5.