The new revival of the musical Ragtime, by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (book by Terrence McNally, based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow), is one of the big hits of the new Broadway season. Lincoln Center Theater has produced the latest rendition, and times have certainly changed since the musical's original Broadway production in 1998.

The new revival makes the show's characters and issues even more relevant for our present day. Along with the fictional character Coalhouse Walker Jr. and the archetypal characters Father, Mother, and Younger Brother, the show features several celebrities and power players from turn-of-the-century New York.

Anna Grace Barlow, who plays Broadway star Evelyn Nesbit, and Rodd Cyrus, who stars as iconic illusionist Harry Houdini, join The Gilded Gentleman for a behind-the-scenes talk about their characters and their experiences performing in the show.

This episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon.

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During the 19th century celebrations began to evolve from the once more popular New Year's Day to the beginnings of the Christmas celebrations we know today.

In author Becky Diamond's new book "The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook", Becky shares recipes, stories and historical notes to add glitter and sparkle to today's Christmas festivities. Becky discusses the origins of many of our favorite traditions, which were brought to America by waves of immigrants arriving during the 19th century.

And for modern readers and cooks, she shares some easy-to-make recipes for very special dishes of the Gilded Age that will be a treat for our modern holiday celebrations.

Ths episode was produced and edited by Kieran Gannon.

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Willa Cather, the beloved American novelist who lived during the height of America's Gilded Age, is perhaps best known for her insightful passionate writing about life on the Nebraska Plains where she spent her childhood.

But Cather's writing and life included much more than that. She spent a significant part of her adult life in Pittsburgh before coming to New York and establishing her life with her partner Edith Lewis in bohemian Greenwich Village. Her work is set in an astonishing array of locations from New York to London to the American Southwest. Cather's characters span the broad range of humanity and are deeply universal in their passions as well as their struggles.

Historian and educator Peter Cipkowski joins The Gilded Gentleman to share his insight on the work and life of the extraordinary and fearless American writer of the early 20th century.

For more information, please visit the National WIlla Cather Center.

This episode was edited and produced by Kieran Gannon

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