The sweeping story of immigration to America in the early years of the 20th century comes poignantly alive in the musical "Rags."

Performances of the fourth production in Music Theatre of Wichita's 29th season continue through Sunday.

With a book by Joseph Stein, "Rags" has been called a sequel to "Fiddler on the Roof," for which Stein also wrote the book. The central characters in "Rags" are Russian Jews, escaping persecution and hoping for a better life in America, not unlike those in "Fiddler."

Central to the story of "Rags" is Rebecca (Charleen Ayers) who arrives at Ellis Island with her young son David (Aaron Davis), in search of her husband, Nathan (Stewart Gregory), who emigrated six years earlier. When he is nowhere to be found, a fellow traveler, Avram (Joseph M. Gallo III) and his daughter Bella (M. Kathryn Quinlan) ask Rebecca and David to join them in his brother's apartment until Nathan turns up.

The immigrants' "rags to riches" dreams come face-to-face with the realities of life in the Lower East Side amid sweatshops, discrimination, corrupt politicians and just plain hardships. But the greatest challenge is Old World traditions and ways vs. New World assimilation.

Unlike "Fiddler," which gave us some much-loved musical theater music, "Rags' " music by Charles Strouse (and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz) is not well-known. That's not to say it shouldn't be. The music covers a wonderful wide range from ragtime to klezmer to ballads to anthems and more.

MTW producing director Wayne Bryan, also this show's director, has assembled a stage-filling cast of 75 for this spectacle to represent the waves of immigrants and the crowded conditions in the city. This is probably the largest cast ever assembled for a production of "Rags." Schwartz, who was at Wednesday's opening performance and participated in the pre-show talk with Bryan, remarked that the last production he saw had 11 cast members. In a show like "Rags," size does matter.

Clearly the show belongs to local favorite Ayers, whose Rebecca displays not only her fine operatic voice, but a character who transforms herself from a frightened newcomer to an independent woman, able to re-invent herself in a new land.

The supporting cast is the best so far this season. There's Gallo, a marvelous Avram, and Tamara J. Rentmeester as the charming widow who invites him to get over his loneliness by sharing her "Three Sunny Rooms," a lovely song. Young lovers Ben and Bella are seamlessly played by Caesar Samayoa and Quinlan, who is especially powerful in the title song "Rags." Brad Little is superb as the impassioned union organizer Saul. Young Aaron Davis, who charmed audiences last year as Winthrop in "The Music Man," presents a David who is willing and eager to learn the ways of his new country. Timothy L. Robu is noteworthy as Big Tim Sullivan, a wheedling politico.

J. Branson's set design takes the story and characters from Ellis Island through the factories and streets to rooftops, political rallies and the posh Upper East Side most effectively. (The factory fire didn't go off quite as planned opening night.) Patricia Mueller designed the beautiful array of costumes. Capping off the visual delights is the subtle lighting design from David Neville.

"Rags' " introduction to Broadway in 1986 was a disaster, and closed after four performances. In the intervening years there have been more than 100 productions around the country, including one in 1993 at the Wichita Center for the Arts. It keeps evolving. Here's hoping that with the inspired staging by MTW and perhaps an additional tweak or two by the creators, this musical will finally find the audience and the acclaim it deserves.