How did the Titanic sink on Broadway? — Page 2

CatsNY is right. It doesn't HAVE to be all that elaborate. In fact watching the Broadway production I wished they had gone with a minimalist staging (thing GRAND HOTEL at sea and you'll get the idea.)

Trouble was the set was huge but some of the drops looked cheap and scenes such as the first class dining room cried out for an opulence that was missing.

Also director Richard Jones seemed so concerned with the technical aspects he wasn't giving more than general direction to the cast. (Jones was not even nominated for a Tony that year.) Fortunately most were able to develop some kind of characterization from Peter Stones' very thin script.

But the show had moments. The tableau at the end of act one when the set cleared away and se saw the mighty Titanic off in the distance sailing across the ocean and off stage to a crash. Blackout. I thought it was brilliant. But when I first heard about it I must admit it sounded chintzy. Then I saw it and saw how effective it was.

Maury Yeston's score was (as any who have heard the cast album know) gorgeous. The show was helped by first by Rosie O'Donnell constantly plugging it, then winning the Tony award, and finally when the phenomenally successful movie coming out 8 months later. Unfortunately the movie was so huge that within a year there was Titanic backlash and audiences grew weary of hearing about it. The receipts for the show fell off rather dramatically in the winter of 1999 and the show closed still in the red. It was a flawed show but certainly interesting. I know at least two community theatre groups here are planning to mount it next spring.

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Wait, was the movie story based off the musical? I always thought the show came after.

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When I saw the show on Broadway I laughed (as many did in the mezz, where I was sitting) when the little boat came out. It was really, really cheesy.

Half of the score was decent, half was a mess IMHO. And the book paper thing. Not a show I'd rush back to, but it does have its followers.

Did the small boat looked like the one in Phantom?

When our director mentioned we might do this, one girl said "I call being Rose" and another said "I hate Celine Dion, so I won't try out"

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I once sat in on local auditions for a Regional production of the show and some 16 year old girl came in, sang "my heart will go on", and did one of Gloria Stewart's monologues from the movie. It was a laugh.

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Ehh, I'm very mixed about Titanic. It was my senior show, and a big dissapointment to many of us. Personally while I do enjoy most of the score, there are some not so good songs within it. I really think the music is a little difficult for high schools to be attempting, especially with many of the male roles needing to sing at least an F or G.

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The boat was like a model you'd buy in a store.

HAH! You're so right.

In both the Dutch touring, and the German sit down in Hamburg, the little boat that moves across the stage at the end act 1 was...thankfully....cut. I am not sure if the sound effect of ice scratching against the hull was in the Broadway production ( cannot remember). But act 1 in the German production I saw ended with a black curtain/scrim with stars coming down during the final strains of the music..the music swelling with the sounds of ice ripping a hole in the ship under it. It was a nice effect, and from what I remember much better than a toy ship being pulled across the stage.

The sinking itself was similar BUT at least in the German production, there were some actors who jumped from the ship during the chaos. You could see them climbing up on the back railing, with others trying to stop them...and then jumping off (kinda like when Raoul jumps into the lake in Phantom). It looked cool.

We were very disappointed with the sets for TITANIC! We travelled from the UK especially to see the show and already loved the music (big Maury Yeston fans)so were really looking forward to seeing the staging. Unfortunately we went to FORBIDDEN BROADWAY the previous evening and they had several TITANIC moments including SHIP OF AIR (instead of SHIP OF DREAMS) and "BOTTOM, SHALL WE ALL MEET ON THE BOTTOM (instead of AUTUMN!).

Ship of Air was hillarious as the cast made fun of the fact that there is no ship for the opening boarding scene but rather the audience is in the space the ship should be and the cast are imagining they are looking at the ship. When we then saw TITANIC the joke really hit home.

Many of the backdrops looked very stylized and rather home made. The small ship was a real mistake. We were sitting dead centre orchestra and when the ship appeared there was an intake of breath from the audience as they expected something wonderful and you could hear the gasp then an "aw" of disappointment as this little toy chugged along the stage. It sent us all to the bar laughing.

We still loved the show as the music and performances transcended the staging. IMO you don't go to the theatre to see the sets but when they are fantastic it does add to the enjoyment. Titanic's staging is best forgotten.

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God, I despised this show. A huge lumbering bore.

singtopher: Did she get a part in the show? Lol.

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