Taking their tagline, “the Bard is only the beginning,” as seriously as they can, Austin Shakespeare presents an evening far from the Globe Theatre’s thees and thous. Here with director Ann Ciccolella and music direction by Brian Grothues, witness a tribute to ragtime – popularized from the 1890s to the 1910s and evolved in the Twenties to match styles on the border of jazz like stride piano. But this won’t just be a tickling of the ivories by Grothues; expect vocals by Roderick Sanford, Jill Holmes, and Rachel West as well as tap work by Acia Gray. Pano Kanelos emcees as songs from across the “first truly distinct and widely popular African American musical style to influence mainstream American culture” fill the air. – James Scott
