Broadway revival of <cite>Ragtime</cite> plucks at the heartstrings, by Elysa Gardner
The musical <cite>Ragtime</cite> is based on E.L. Doctorow's sprawling historical novel, which offered food for thought by tracing the dawn of 20th-century American society through real and imagined characters. But those who plan to see the theatrical version, now in revival at the Neil Simon Theatre, are advised to put away their thinking caps and bring their hankies. As a work of social commentary, <cite>Ragtime</c…