Encore!

In 2008,

students at Pacifica Christian High School in Santa Monica, California,

performed a story about America's journey.

The people call it Ragtime.

(SINGING) Beggar and millionaire Everyone, everywhere

Moving to the Ragtime

Since their time together onstage,

life has taken these former classmates down varied roads.

But they're all coming together once more...

(SINGING) Now it's the Crime of the Century,

Crime of the Century Giving the world a thrill!

...because this cast of Ragtime is reuniting for one encore performance.

This is Encore!

One of the things I love about my job is every night's different.

You don't know what to expect.

In the end, you're helping people and that's what I love to do.

It's a musical called Ragtime that I did in high school.

There's an opening monologue introducing my character, Father.

And then, we kind of come out singing like...

The days are blue and hazy Barely a storm

Barely a chill, la, la, la, la, la

I totally just killed the patient with my singing.

My brother cannot sing.

He can try, he can have fun, but he...

God bless him.

-Can you bring Mommy some food? No, dinner.

-Dinner's ready? Yeah.

Woo-hoo!

I think I've changed in the fact I'm not as outgoing as I used to be.

I'm a mom, and a wife, and a preschool teacher.

I'm a lot more reserved now.

Okay. You wanna pray?

I grew up in the Christian church.

I've always wanted to follow Christ's example

and show love to others.

It's always been something that's very important to me, and...

that I now hope to instill in my children.

I just really want you to keep

that breath flow going consistently.

Okay. -(SINGING)

I played Harry Houdini

in Pacifica Christian's 2008 performance of Ragtime.

Look, Houdini! It's Houdini!

Ooh, ah!

I was always a little bit different.

I grew up in a very conservative Christian household.

I wasn't your typical Malibu girl because of that.

Since leaving Pacifica, I've already started

to kind of have an image. You don't wanna come back

and have it be like, "Yeah, I'm kind of doing stuff,"

but not really. I like to come back with a bang.

In high school, I was very much a perfectionist.

I wanted to do great in theater.

The house on the hill in New Rochelle was Mother's domain.

She took pleasure in making it comfortable for the men of her family...

I feel like the type-A personality side of me is like,

"I really don't wanna mess up."

If I work hard, it'll just fall into place.

Hi. -Hello.

How are you?

Good.

-It's good to see you. (LAUGHS) -Good to see you. (LAUGHS)

Pacifica Christian definitely gave us the opportunity

to create really close friendships with other people

because our class sizes were so small.

-I work here now. (CHUCKLES) -Oh, at school! (CHUCKLES)

-So, you are here often? -Yeah, I'm here very often.

Jackie played Mother.

She was always very poised to me, so I remember that

seeming like it fit very well... ...for her.

-Oh, my God. Asiah! Asiah, hi. -(ALL LAUGHING)

I went to Pacifica Christian High the very first year that it opened.

And I was a part of the first graduating class

that was there for four full years.

The radical anarchist, Emma Goldman, fought against the ravages

of American capitalism...

Everyone knew everyone and it was us who were shaping the culture.

Is anybody else feeling kind of nervous or is it just me?

-Yeah... No. I feel nervous.

-Okay. (LAUGHS) -(ALL LAUGHING)

Because, uh... -I feel rusty.

-That's for sure. -Yeah, right?

-Okay. That's the word. That's the word. -I feel a little rusty, that's for sure.

'Cause the last time I sang a song...

-Right. -...I can't tell you

-when it wasn't in the shower. (LAUGHS) -Right? (CHUCKLES)

Asiah is such a sweetheart.

She has always been kind of the older, wiser person of the group

even though she's... she's our age.

There was a lot of us in that play.

Yeah. So...

-Oh, my God. He has a beard. Okay.

What? (LAUGHS) Okay.

Okay. Okay.

-Okay, facial hair. -You know, I gotta be growing.

-I... Yes. -You know? I gotta be... What's up?

Jonathan in 2008 definitely have braces, so let's just put that out there.

So, you know, the grill wasn't what it is now.

You know, it was the clunky kid,

pretty nerdy because he was in some musical theater

way more than sports. And definitely a class clown, for sure.

Sarah, I miss you so Sarah, I did you wrong

Sarah, where did you go?

When I was in high school, I felt like I definitely wanted to be a singer.

I toured after high school as a vocalist. I worked in Japan, I worked in Europe.

It was a lot of fun, loved it. I was on the road for a few years.

I was traveling so much, I was going on gigs,

-I was coming back. -Yes, yeah.

I guess we're all adulting.

And it's like, I need something that's like, gonna be full-time or...

A consistent paycheck. A job. Right.

Like, you can't go to your landlord and be like...

The Ragtime

No, that's not.

Jonathan was my first boyfriend in high school.

Oh, gosh. It feels so weird to say it out loud.

First boyfriend ever, let's be honest.

I was looking for something that...

-What the heck? Oh, my God.

Yeah. Dude, how are you?

-How are you doing? -Good. How have you guys been?

-I love the man bun. Oh, thank you.

-It's working. -Yeah. I think my hair's even longer

-than yours if I had it down. Oh! Ooh. What? (CHUCKLES)

I think I was considered the bad boy in Pacifica.

I was hanging out with the "bad kids."

But even then, we weren't out getting into real trouble or anything.

We were just the kids who would sometimes not show up for class.

-But also because it was such... -I recognize that voice

-from a mile away! What the... (CHUCKLES)

Oh, my God! -(CHELSKO LAUGHS)

The fact that I'm a singer full-time as my career

means the pressure is on, 'cause I have a lot more to prove than anyone else.

-What in the Malibu Barbie? What? What is that?

Like... Okay.

-What's up, Malibu? -Having a little fun with my outfits.

Growing up in a very strong Christian home,

my clothes were my way of expressing myself.

-So happy to see you. -Oh, my God.

Play with my hair, love me.

Chelsea Thompson, she was your very typical Malibu,

you know, girl with the blonde hair and the big smile.

And she was always happy and bubbly, and just a really good friend.

I freaked out, you followed me on Instagram and I was like...

-(GASPS) ...I was so happy. Oh, I did.

Something tells me she's the same person.

But I was like, "Okay, Chelsea Thompson," but you had some name now.

-Do you go by... -Chelsko.

Okay. Knock, knock.

Oh. -Hi.

: Hello. Hi.

We're your creative team. Will you follow us?

-Oh, yes! Of course. Come on.

Oh, my goodness. -Oh, my gosh. The chapel.

Oh, I haven't been in here since high school.

I literally have not been in here since high school.

Ragtime came at a special time because it was junior year,

the year before we dominated, you know, ruled the school.

Rehearsals were intense, the songs were intense.

So, it was something that served as a distraction

to all the extra stuff that was going on

that came with the pressures of being a junior in high school.

So, I'm Marcia. I have a great relationship with Ragtime.

I directed the Broadway revival in 2010.

Amazing. Wow.

-And got a little Tony nomination. Okay.

And I've had the pleasure to be Marcia's associate director

and associate choreographer on the Broadway production.

We're so excited to share it with you and work on it together.

-So, welcome. Thank you.

I actually just finished a production of Ragtime here in California

at the Pasadena Playhouse. And I'm excited to do this production with you.

Thank you. -Awesome.

So first things first, we have to hear you sing.

In honor of your show, which was in 2008,

we found a song that was at the top of the charts at that time.

"Love Song" by Sara Bareilles.

Um, so who wants to go first?

I'll do it, I'll do it. Rip off the Band-Aid, let's get her done.

-And that's what... That's what I looked

-in high school. Oh, my God.

No. -That's little Chelsko.

Five, six, seven, and one.

-What did Jackie look like back then? Oh!

Aw, you look the same! The same.

So, I graduated on this stage.

I got married here last summer.

-And I also work at the school. -And her bedroom is back...

All right.

Miranda's our Evelyn, right?

-Yes. -Is that what you played, Evelyn Nesbit?

-Mm-hmm. Believe it or not. -I can't wait to hear your "whee!"

And now I'm the girl on the swing Whee!

-That was a problem in high school. -(ALL LAUGHING)

-And sweet little Jonathan. -Oh, no.

Yes! Cutie-patootie.

So, those pictures were taken right in this backroom here.

-Yeah. -In a very creepy photo lab studio.

Okay. When did you find music in your life?

I mean, I had to be like three or four. My mom was a background vocalist