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TwoTwelve The globally renowned inch loss treatment that guarantees 6 on your first body wrap treatment or you dont pay! The Universal Contour Wrap delivers instant results - making it the perfect solution to looking your best! GEORGETOWN 905-702-5212 twotwelve@cogeco.ca WHAT WILL YOU LOSE? LOSE INCHES IN ONE SESSION! Georgetown Dial a Bottle 905-873-4565 www.ipikup4u.com Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, February 6, 2008 19 As Georgetown Globe Musical Productions opened their winter offering Ragtime, Thursday night at St. Pauls Parish Hall, in Norval, the stage came alive with a slice of life during 1906 America. The show followed the trials and tribulations of the various fictional char- acters, Mother, Father, Younger Brother, Coalhouse Walker, Sarah and immigrant Tateh, as their lives intertwine within the several small plots. In addition, there are others, real his- toric characters like activist Emma Goldman, industrialist Henry Ford, illu- sionist Harry Houdini, educator and African American civil rights leader Booker T. Washington and floozy Evelyn Nesbit all adding a sense of history to the show. The show incorporates vignettes of life during 1906 the discrimination, the influx of immigrants, the inequality and class structure. All of the characters, both fictional and real, have speaking parts in this ren- dition of the musical Ragtime, and the music serves to illustrate, and in doing so, further tell the stories of the protago- nists on stage. There are 14 cast members, and all take their turns acting as narrators, telling their stories and relating the circum- stances of their view of society. The music is addictive, that piano playing ragtime feel seems to get inside ones head. Although there were numerous char- acters in Ragtime, a few stood out as they performed, many of them longtime Globe veterans. Mark Llewellyn played the love sick Coalhouse Walker, who faced a volatile situation in 1906 society as he was black and his white girlfriend gave birth to his baby. Llewellyn gave a fabulous perfor- mance as the black ragtime piano player. Kelly Baker and Joe Gomes were strong performers as Mother and Father, an upper middle class couple who were slightly removed from the reality of dis- crimination on the streets, yet found themselves drawn into it. Travis Paul, playing Younger Brother, gave a fabulous performance, as he illus- trated the void between his fathers gener- ations world and attitudes, in stark com- parison to his own free-spirited world that was opening up to him. The immigrant Tateh was well por- trayed by Paul Meisner, giving his charac- ter a quiet, yet proud aura, who seemed sincere and determined to make it in America through honest work ethics. The costumes were quite well designed, making the show a visually attractive show, while musical accompa- niment by Haydn Evans (keyboards), Chris Udell (bass) and Miles Gibbons (drums) added nicely to the show. Ragtime is unlike most shows that Globe produces. It incorporates lots of music and choreography, but this show also speaks to social issues, showing on one side how things were in 1906, and on the other hand, making the audience conscious of how much values in society have changed or not in the past 102 years. Ragtime might not be a show for every- one, but from the viewpoint of this reviewer, it was an evening of musical entertainment, but also one of consciously thinking about social values and injustice that new people arriving in a vast land must endure to become one of those already there. Its a powerful message. The show continues this week Feb. 7, 8, 9, at 8 p.m. TED BROWN Staff Writer Cast stands out in Globes Ragtime Georgetown Choral Society under the direc- tion of A. Dale Wood presents Chocolate & Roses, 8 p.m., at Georgetown District Christian School on Saturday, Feb. 16. It s a hospital benefit concert for Georgetown Hospital. Tickets $20, at Bergsmas Paint & Wallpaper, The Freckled Lion, Alexandre or at www.georgetownchoral.ca. The choir will be performing a collection of songs of love, show tunes and lighthearted songs, sure to make you laugh! Choral Society presents hospital benefit concert