U-of-I grad finishes long run in "Ragtime"

The musical “Ragtime” opens tonight at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, but it also marks the end of a successful run for a University of Iowa graduate.Mary-Sharon Dziedzic has sung and danced on stage for nearly a decade since getting her degree from the U-of-I in 1991. She’s spent five years performing in “Ragtime,” including two years on Broadway, but Sunday night will be her last night on the cast.Dziedzic isn’t sure what’s next. She’s headed back to New York to get an agent and pursue more dreams in acting. After five years in “Ragtime,” she estimates she’s heard and performed the songs nearly two thousand times, so it’s time for a change. She asks, jokingly, can you imagine listening to the same C-D every day for five years?Dziedzic is a native of southern California but chose to attend the U-of-I for its communications studies and dance programs. She and “Ragtime” are in Des Moines through Sunday night.