(RED BANK, NJ) -- Phoenix Productions presented Ragtime, the Musical at the Count Basie Center for the Arts from March 1-3, 2024. Based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow, this musical tapestry follows the journeys of an African-American family, a Jewish immigrant family, and a wealthy white suburban family in turn-of-the-last-century America, who collide in pursuit of their American Dream. Photographer John Posada was on hand to take photos.

Nominated for 13 Tony Awards® including “Best Musical,” and winning for “Best Original Score” (including the songs Back to Before and Wheels of a Dream) and “Best Book of a Musical,” Ragtime is a powerful portrait of life during the turn-of-the-last-century, exploring America’s timeless contradictions of freedom and prejudice, wealth and poverty, hope and despair.

The production was directed by Darrell Lawrence Willis, Sr.

Up next for Phoenix Productions is a one night performance of Jesus Christ Superstar on Saturday, March 16 at 8:00pm. To celebrate the company's 35th anniversary, they are bringing things back to where they first started! The very first Phoenix Productions show was a run of Jesus Christ Superstar at Christian Brothers Academy’s Henderson Theater in the summer of 1988. 35 years later, they’re happy to celebrate on the Count Basie Center stage with a special symphonic concert performance of Jesus Christ Superstar, featuring a 35-piece orchestra. The show will serve as the Count Basie Center’s Winter Gala, honoring SoVonna Day-Goins and Joe Wajda, longtime Phoenix supporters and chairs of the Basie Center’s Phoenix Operations Committee. 

Phoenix Productions will close out their 2023-24 season with The Prom (May 3-4, 2024). A delightful musical about an end of the year high-school dance. Four eccentric Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So, when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue... and themselves. The town’s parents want to keep the high school dance on the straight and narrow—but when one student just wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, the entire town has a date with destiny. On a mission to transform lives, Broadway’s brassiest join forces with a courageous girl and the town’s citizens and the result is love that brings them all together.

Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical, this show expertly captures all the humor and heart of a classic musical comedy with a message that resonates with audiences now more than ever. Click here for ticket information.

For the 2024-25 season, Phoenix Productions will present West Side Story (July 26-28), Rent (September 27-29), The Color Purple (November 15-17), Mary Poppins (February 28 - March 2, 2025), and Kinky Boots (May 2-4, 2025).

Here are more photos from the production of Ragtime.

For over 35 years, Phoenix Productions has been dedicated to the mission of providing quality theatrical experiences on both sides of the footlights. Since its first production in 1988, they have produced over 100 main stage shows providing on-stage and back stage opportunities for thousands of talented volunteers. In 2023, Phoenix Productions merged with its home of over 3 decades, the Count Basie Center for the Arts, combining and solidifying its regional impact on the performing arts.

The Count Basie Center for the Arts (99 Monmouth Street in Red Bank) is New Jersey’s premier center for the cultural arts, dedicated to fostering powerful, inclusive artistic experiences and creative exchange of ideas. The Basie mission is to inspire, educate and entertain through its distinct and engaging cultural and artistic offerings that embrace and amplify the diversity of the region. As a nonprofit organization, the Basie is committed to enriching the community’s quality of life by generating opportunities for participation in the arts, partnering with schools, collaborating with other mission-based organizations and driving regional economic prosperity. The Basie Center has hosted an array of world-class artists, including Bruce Springsteen & the E-Street Band, Jon Bon Jovi, John Legend, Crosby Stills & Nash, Tony Bennett, Sophia Loren and Ringo Starr. Count Basie Center programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

John Posada is a New Jersey based photographer specializing in photographing live theatre and music performances. For more than 15 years, John has photographed live events where he mastered the techniques of timing and capturing fast moving action under challenging lighting conditions. Currently, John has spent the last 3 years concentrating on photographing almost 200 theatre productions for over 70 different theatres. Click here for John's website.