Ragtime, the powerful musical version of E. L. Doctorow’s pithy novel of early 20th-century America, is the biggest production ever staged by Porchlight Music Theatre in 13 years, and also the most successful. The initial run at the 150-seat Theatre Building Chicago is over, but Ragtime will re-open June 9 at the Apollo Theater Center, with 461 seats. With book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Chicago favorite Stephen Flaherty, Ragtime intertwines three stories that confront the issues of race, immigration and technology that shaped—and continue to shape—modern America. This is the first time Porchlight has transferred a show. Apollo Theater Center, 2540 N. Lincoln; 773-935-6100; $46.50. Photo by Michael Brosilow