Review: TITANIC at Fulton Theatre

The Fulton's Titanic is luxurious, first-class entertainment. The ship's 2230 passengers and crew are represented by a very talented and diverse cast of 28. The show truly is a collaborative effort. Similarly to a show like A Chorus Line, Titanic has no true lead parts. Jack and Rose are nowhere to be found. Instead the story is about the sinking of an unsinkable ship, and how it impacted everyone aboard.

David Girolmo is the beleaguered captain E.J. Smith. Girolomo gives the captain a quiet dignity and allows him to absorb all the chaos going on around him with courage and grace. Eric Jon Mahlum played Ismay, one of the shipline's greedy owners, only interested in publicity and the bottom line. Mahlum received a high compliment from the audience when his character was enthusiastically booed at curtain call.

Charis Leos brings (yet another) delightful character to life on the Fulton stage. Leos plays Alice, a second-class passenger who takes every opportunity to hobnob among the rich and famous on board. Leos dazzles in whatever role she plays, and adds some well-received comic relief to an otherwise solemn affair.

Many of the show's numbers are sung by the full ensemble. While there may have been 28 singers on stage, it sounded, at least, double that number. The rich choral arrangements blew the roof off of the joint, and it was a great thing to experience. The six piece orchestra enhances the vocals but never overhwhelms.

The period accurate costumes credited to Jane Alois Stein keenly reflect the disparity of wealth among the different groups of passengers. While not all were elegant, they were all both accurate and visually interesting.

Director and choreographer, Marc Robin had a definite vision for this show. My understanding of the original Broadway show is that it included a very elaborate , complex (and expensive) ship deck that shifts, shakes and eventually sinks. Robin, along with designers Paul Black and Jorge Cousineau sidestep some of the spectacle for the more practical effects associated with digital projection.

While I am not always a fan of digital projection, for this show it was the right choice. The scenes were realistic and did not distract from the action. It was the best way to convey both the scope and the elegance of the boat without a titanic budget.

Due to Covid, this show has been put on Futon's back burner for quite some time. Gratefully, this is one more sign that theater is not only surviving, but thriving in our area.

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