Titanic: The Musical

[Trent Pheifer]

I would just like to say how much I enjoyed the Titanic the Musical I enjoy musicals very much the music really brings to life that these were real people like you and me...and some were going for a new life that would ubruptly end ...I would recommend the play for anyone who wants to really grasp the realness of the story. Has anyone else seen it???
_trent

 

[Jason D. Tiller]

Hi Trent,

I've heard that the musical is very good, but I haven't seen it though I would love to. I'm hoping that it will come to Toronto one of these days!

Best regards,

Jason

 

[Steve Arnold]

I haven't seen it either, but I know the show well. The music is quite excellent and often very moving. Unfortunately, the script contains many weak elements and unnecessary factual errors. Still, I'm sure it provides a good evening's entertainment and is a worthy tribute to the ship and her passengers.

 

[KAREN ANGSTADT]

I saw it in New York and thought it was very good. A few obvious mistakes in reference to peoples' ages etc., but overall enjoyable.

 

[Robert M. Himmelsbach]

We saw it when it played in Philadelphia this past January - on a suitably cold night!
The music is excellent; the costumes were well done, although the big 1st class dining room scene had most of the females in outfits that were more Erte-of-the-20's than 1912.
Overall, the show is an excellent example of using very spare sets to sybolically represent things rather than trying for elaborate re-creations a la Cameron's Titanic.
It was a little annoying to see the liberties taken with character's - the Beane's made American social climbers, rather than English, for example. And the final fates of many characters was given for dramatic, not historical reasons, and counter to what any titaniphile knows to be true (Mr. Beane and Barrett dying, the wrong Irish living, etc.)
Still, as a piece of theater, it is excellent, and did a very good job of giving the sense of the folly and the tragedy.

 

[Nienke B]

the musical is starting in holland as well! im definitely going to see it. but the companie which is producing it is very commercial and big, so i hope they make it something worth looking out for!

Nienke

 

[David Bass]

Hey everyone! Our high school (myself included) recently performed Titanic the Musical. If anyone is looking for info, E-mail me at [email protected] It was very good... Thanks!

 

[Kyrila Scully]

David, the only high school I'm aware of that got cleared to perform this musical was King's Academy in West Palm Beach. Is that where you performed it? If so, I was there every night. I was the lady in the lobby in costume with all the Titanic stuff on the table.

Kyrila Scully

 

[Sandra LaHair]

"Clearance" is not needed to perform a play. Clearance is used for planes at an airport; by the military for security purposes; or Macy's and Burdines for their sale days.

All that is required is:
1. You write for and purchase scripts and musical score (if it's a musical).
2. Audition and select cast.
3. Rehearse.
4. Prior to Opening Night, Royalties must be paid for every performance. Example: $20.00 for one or $100.00 for 5 performances)

 

[Steve Arnold]

Kyrila and Sandra, I need to correct both of you. Sandra, it's not quite as simple as you describe for producing a major musical. For most of these shows materials must be rented, not purchased, and all fees paid up front before anything is shipped. The royalties are based on your number of performances, ticket price, and seating capacity. For our group, producing a major musical runs between $1500 and $2000 just for the rights, royalties, and materials. (This for 6 performances in a 210 seat theatre.)

Many shows are restricted from productions in certain areas or not available to amateurs, or have other restrictions limiting productions. For recent musicals like TITANIC, these restrictions apply if the show is currently running on Broadway, and in some cases if a professional company is touring the show.

TITANIC until recently has been a restricted show. However, Kyrila, it HAS been released during the past year for amateur productions. This announcement was made in the TAMS-WITMARK catalog for this season. If you visit the TAMS-WITMARK website you will find a "testimonial" from a high school other than the one you name.

We considered the show for this season, but it has a large cast including many young tenor roles, (Bride, Farrel, Barrett) so we decided the show is a bit out of our reach right now. I'll keep hoping, though!

 

[Bob Cruise]

Of course, if you happen to know the playwright - or make an especially compassionate plea to him/her/it regarding your theatre company's finances - you can forego the royalties altogether. ;-)

Bob

 

[Mark Baber]

Peter Stone, whose book for the Broadway musical "Titanic" won a Tony award in 1997, died Saturday. Here's his obituary, from The New York Times.

 

[Eric Paddon]

Peter Stone was a talented author with the rare gift to excel in the different mediums of both stage and screen. In film, his script for the 1974 crime thriller "The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three" vastly elevated a so-so novel, and he made a classic in "Charade" in 1963. On stage, he was responsible for not only "Titanic" but another classic "1776" as well.

The gift of a Peter Stone is what Cameron's movie sorely lacked.

 

[Deborah Kogan]

The musical Titanic is playing at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania from June 18 to July 6, 2003. That is in southeastern Pennsylvania, not far from Trenton, NJ. I just saw it today, and it was EXCELLENT! Look for Bucks County Playhouse as a web search term for more information.

 

[Eric Paddon]

Deborah, since I only saw the musical during its New York run, I'm curious as to how the staging is done for a smaller theater? How elaborate do they make the sets or do they keep them more to a minimum?

I'm glad to see that the musical has been able to become a standard for local theater groups across the country.