The Coeur d'Alene Summer Theater's recent production of "Spamalot" pointed out a detail about Broadway musicals: They always end in a wedding.

Well, it's usually true. For the giddy, syrupy kind of show, anyway.

But there's another kind of musical, too. The kind that tries to teach us something, about history, about civil rights and the great battles within ourselves.

Even about mortality, because these shows end with a death.

The summer theater's current production "Ragtime" fits into that second category, offering a sobering peek into the battles over civil rights and the uncertainty of the American Dream in the early 20th century.

It's an expansive plot to break down, with enough characters to fill a town and pivotal historic events scattered throughout. Suffice to say it follows the lives of three families, one immigrant, one African American and one upper-class white, as they interact and struggle to find happiness.

Each faces their own obstacles as national discourse on civil rights continues and World War I looms ahead. In the midst of all that, historic figures like Booker T. Washington and Henry Ford duck in and out, briefly showering influence on characters, much as they did on the country in real life.

The actors have their work cut out for them, handling such weighty fare. Not to mention this musical is stuffed with larynx-straining, show-stopping numbers about every five minutes.

But everyone in the massive cast nicely hits the emotional tone without overacting, following the typical stellar professionalism of the summer theater.

All brandish beautiful, powerful voices, too. Joann Coleman, playing an African American woman caught up in her lover's plight, effortlessly belts a number of songs with dizzying range. Dane Stokinger playing Tateh, an eastern European immigrant searching for success in America, tackles his character's disappointment and uncertainty with a soft croon.

Jessica Skerritt and Christian Duhamel, playing the upper class mother and her brother, also bolster the show with impressive pipes.

It's worth mentioning that the whole production has a Broadway feel. The stage props and backdrops are at different times massive, mechanical and lovely, enhancing the effects of what's happening between the characters.

The show fills three hours, and audience members should be patient with all the information and characters introduced in Act I, all necessary to establish before things really get rolling in Act 2.

The final musical of this year's summer theater, "Ragtime" is a worthy and important show to see.

"Ragtime" runs at 7:30 tonight, 7:30 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday at Boswell Hall on the North Idaho College campus.

Tickets at the door are $28 for children, $42 for adults and $38 for seniors. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.cdasummertheatre.com with a $2 handling fee.

The show is not recommended for kids under 13.

Alecia Warren is a staff writer for The Press. She can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2011, or via email at awarren@cdapress.com.