Rags – The 4th Annual World AIDS Day Concert

On its 20th Anniversary, Rags is being presented as part of the 4th annual World AIDS Day Concert, presented by Jamie McGonnigal in association with The Joey DiPaolo AIDS Foundation.

Rebecca is an immigrant who finds herself and her young son, David, very much alone in the brand new world of America; through her encounters and relationships with others experiencing similar struggles, Rags tells of the American experience when the “melting pot” was an ideal many hoped to be a part of. In a time when immigration is a heavily debated topic, this play reminds us of the intense struggle so many of our immigrant ancestors endured to make this country what it is today.

With music by Tony Award winner Charles Strouse (Bye, Bye, Birdie; Annie), lyrics by Academy and Grammy Award winner Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Prince of Egypt), and a book by Tony Award winner Joseph Stein (Fiddler on the Roof, Zorba), Rags premiered on Broadway in August of 1986. Though short-lived on Broadway with only 22 performances, the show still garnered 5 Tony nominations and leading lady Teresa Stratas walked away with the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. The original cast featured several Broadway luminaries including Judy Kuhn, Terrence Mann, Lonny Price, Marcia Lewis, Dick Latessa, and Larry Kert.