Rag Dolly: The Raggedy Ann Musical -- OU SOT Lab Show

In Rag Dolly, a little girl Marcella is dying of a mysterious illness. Her father makes her a rag doll to comfort her, and his stories of the doll come to life in her dreams to guide her through her grief and fear. Marcella and her new friends confront wolves, witches, and incompetent doctors on their way to outwit death and mend her broken heart.

Rag Dolly: The Raggedy Ann Musical (book by William Gibson, music and lyrics by Joe Raposo), is a 1986 Broadway musical notorious for its run of only five shows— making it a certified “flop”. We refuse to let this be the end for this charming, surreal fantasy that speaks to the maturity in kids, and the kid inside all of us. As part of our long-term plans to revive the show, RARE Theatricals and Ohio University School of Theater are presenting a staged reading of the revised book and music of Rag Dolly this February.

And we need your support!

After its closure on Broadway, Rag Dolly has never been performed with the music and script intact. This is because originally, there was no licensing available— no licensing, no perusal script, no public sheet music, and no official cast album. RARE Theatricals has spent the last four years recovering material, culminating in our successful direct contact of William Gibson and Joe Raposo’s estates to make our bid for the licensing of this show.

Cost breakdown:

While they won’t be tied to any rewards, we want to recognize how much people have been willing to donate. All backers will be listed in the program in their respective tiers.

You can also support us by attending the workshop! You’ll be the first audience since 1986 to hear the script and score performed live in their entirety. Rag Dolly: The Raggedy Ann Musical will be presented as a staged reading with live piano accompaniment. Not to mention, tickets are free!

Show times:

February 6th, 7th, & 8th at 7:30pm

February 8th at 2:00pm

Address:

Putnam Playspace (Putnam Hall 227)

Ohio University - 96 E. Union St., Athens, OH 45701

More information and ticket reservations can be found at our website.

Who is RARE?

The Raggedy Ann Revival Effort (or R.A.R.E.) is an online volunteer effort dedicated to preserving, archiving, and eventually reviving the 1986 Broadway musical Raggedy Ann. Our goal is to restore and revive the show by recovering and revising the script, re-creating missing orchestrations, and recovering any lost content we can find, so that Rag Dolly will once again shine onstage! Beginning in February 2021, what started off as a group of starry-eyed theater kids with big (maybe somewhat absurd) dreams has now grown into a proper theater company ready to take on the impossible.

Thank you for your support!

Gwyneth Gaunt, Mckenah Rose, Notion, Presley Ellison

Artistic Directors,

RARE Theatricals