To: James Strauss who wrote (1482 ) 1/21/1998 2:42:00 PM From: James Anderson Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 2377
Jim, I just found this article on lvntf, Tuesday January 20, 11:31 am Eastern Time Company Press Release Ragtime Is A Hit U.S. $2.267 Million In Tickets Sold The Day After Broadway Opening NASDAQ STOCK SYMBOL: LVNTF TSE STOCK SYMBOL: LIV TORONTO, Jan. 20 /CNW-PRN/ - Livent Inc.'s new Broadway production of RAGTIME opened Sunday evening, January 18, 1998, at the new Ford Centre for the Performing Arts to rave reviews and critical acclaim. Yesterday, U.S. $2.267 Million worth of tickets were sold to the show, increasing the Box Office advance to U.S. $17.5 Million. A new block of tickets was put on sale yesterday for performances through September 27, 1998. American and international critics cheered RAGTIME's achievements. Here's what some of them had to say: New York Post ''Wow! RAGTIME is a colossal hit, firing on all cylinders like gangbusters. It swept onto Broadway like a tidalwave - unstoppable, irresistible. No one in their right mind will want to miss RAGTIME.'' -- Clive Barnes New York Daily News ''A mesmerizing, triumphant and enthralling musical. The essence of RAGTIME's originality is its boldness and stunning power. A vast kaleidoscope with a brilliant book, breathtaking sets, big stirring numbers and gorgeous melodies. RAGTIME is thrillingly entertaining.'' -- Fintan O'Toole TIME Magazine ''A brilliant work of musical storytelling, social comment and canny staging that marks a glorious culmination for the American musical at the end of its first century.'' -- Richard Zoglin USA Today ''**** (Out of Four) RAGTIME is almost too good to be true. Broadway musicals often put American dreams on stage, but usually we can only dream of a musical that brings as much realism and poetry to the picture as RAGTIME.'' -- David Patrick Stearns The Chicago Tribune ''In the reach of its ambition and in the grasp of its achievement, RAGTIME stands as one of the great American musicals. A majestic work for the theatre... it expands and broadens the frontiers of musicals even while it celebrates and stays faithful to the song-and-dance traditions that have marked our musicals at their best.'' -- Richard Christensen The Philadelphia Inquirer ''RAGTIME is a brilliant musical. An all together thrilling show in both conception and execution. A supremely intelligent score, ranging from meltingly gorgeous ballads to stirring anthems. The company of actors is first rate from top to bottom, the direction is superb.'' -- Clifford Ridley The Star Ledger, New Jersey ''A genuine masterpiece, RAGTIME is one of those rare musicals that can be mentioned in the same breath as Show Boat, Porgy and Bess and Fiddler on the Roof. RAGTIME conjures up an unforgettable musical of breathtaking scope and achievement. Likely to be the most memorable musical that you will ever experience.'' -- Michael Sommers The London Evening Standard ''Broadway's biggest night of the season brought a gala audience to its feet for a 10-minute standing ovation and launched a new era for the American musical! Already hailed as the musical for the millennium, RAGTIME is the show New York has been waiting for and is a guaranteed hit!'' -- Michael Owen The London Guardian ''Not since Les Mis\006rables has a musical tried to be this intelligent, and succeeds on a grand scale.'' -- Joanna Coles James.