Review: TITANIC THE MUSICAL at Landestheater Linz

AN UNSINKABLE SENSATION

The Tony Awarded Musical from Maury Yeston ( Music and Lyrics) and Peter Stone ( Book) brought back on stage at the beautiful Landestheater Linz, one of my favorite modern theatres in our hemisphere. A show with many different stories, full of tragedy and sadness, all about a supposed to be, unsinkable ship, created to write history. History was written on April 14, 1912, but not how J.Bruce Ismay ( Karsten Kenzel) hoped. It went out to become a historical tragedy, remembered even after more than a hundred years as the fatal collision with an iceberg, and many lost souls in the Atlantic Ocean.

Simon Eichenberger ( Director/ Choreographer) used every inch of the Landestheaters huge stage to present the show's real star, the ship itself. Unique set designs ( by Charles Quiggin) combined with all those different stories, from First Class to the Commanders Bridge down to the Third Class, many of them seeking a better world and aiming for their personal American Dream. A heartbreaking moment to witness these passengers boarding the ship, full of hope and joy, already knowing that most of them had to find death instead of the new world. Of course, everybody knows how it has to end, but you are still on the edge of your seat, hoping for a surprising turn-around.

Putting on a show like TITANIC is a challenge in many different ways. The plot's essence is directing a massive cast through various stories without boring your audience out. Eichenberger maneuvered his ensemble during ACT One's struggles to evoke the show's tragedy touchingly. The drama unfolded, intelligently presented by a Cast, filled with well-known names like Daniela Dett (Winner 2021Broadwayworld Austria Award Best Performer In A Musical playing Alice Beane), David Arnsperger ( Thomas Andrews), Christian Fröhlich ( Frederick Barrett), Dean Welterlen (E.J. Smith), Luzia Nistler ( Ida Straus), Martin Berger ( Isidor Straus), Judith Jandl (Caroline Neville), Hanna Kastner ( Kate McGowan), Gernot Romic ( Jim Farrell) and many others, supported by the phenomenal Bruckner Orchestra under the Baton of Tom Bitterlich.

We can still learn from the most tragic maiden voyage in maritime history. Simon Eichenberger created something bigger than just a musical. He gifted the audience with a lesson about humankind. TITANIC finally found its Austrian harbor at the Landestheater Linz, as the first Austrian In-House production of this gigantic Epiphany.

You must get on this ship!

For further information visit: www.landestheater-linz.at

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