Review: TITANIC THE MUSICAL at Palm Canyon Theatre

It's hard to believe that the death of over 1,500 people could provide an amazing night in the theatre, but that's just what Palm Canyon Theatre's production of Titanic the Musical has done. With 45 cast members and an epic score and lyrics by Maury Yeston, the production goes from almost overwhelmingly powerful to touchingly intimate in moments, with variations from giant chords to delicate grace notes giving us a truly memorable evening in the theatre. In fact, this is a production against which those that follow will be judged, so it definitely should be seen.

First of all, although the movie Titanic and Titanic the Musical were both released in 1997, the only thing they have in common is that they were both set aboard the ill-fated ship in 1912. The musical does not feature Jack and Rose. Instead, it centers on the man who designed the ship, the man who financed it, and the man who captained the doomed vessel.

The evening starts with Mr. Andrews (Paul Grant), the man who designed the largest moving object on earth, standing down-center before a black curtain. With his feet and arms firmly planted he sings the backstory of how the ship was conceived and built ("In Every Age"). His incredible tenor voice is so powerful that the theatre walls seem to stretch, and his lack of gestures or movements until the end increases the power level.

Then the curtains open and we see two decks of the ship, seemingly vast. A couple of crew members in pea coats enter. Then a few more, still a few more, and soon there are a dozen or more men in matching blue uniforms. We then meet the officers of the ship, some of the third-class passengers, and then several first-class passengers are announced with names like the the John Jacob Astors, the Isidor Straus's, and Guggenheims - all society elites that history records as actually being on the manifest. Then, when all 45 cast members are assembled on stage, they sing together and the power of so many voices in PCT's 200-seat auditorium is incredible.

The next song, "How Did They Build Titanic," is sung by company regular Eric Stein-Steele, unrecognizable as a sweat-stained fire stoker from the engine room, but his rich, resonant voice quickly makes his identity unmistakable. In fact, Director/Choreographer Se Layne has assembled an incredible collection of the Valley's top singers and the music, accompanied by musical director Steven Smith, bass player Larry Holloway and drummer David Bronson, is some of the richest I have ever heard on a Valley stage. I'm also glad to see that sound designer Nick Campbell has returned this season.

I can't really single out individual actors with a cast of 45 but suffice it to say that many of the actors who have successfully held center stage in previous productions are used for single-song roles. I'm not suggesting a demotion; it's a sign of the quality of the production that even lesser roles are performed by top quality performers.

The highlights for me were 1) Anytime the entire company sang together; 2) A trio in Act 2 when the ship's designer (Grant), owner (Sheldon Safir), and Captain (Donald Kelley) blame each other for the ship's sinking; and 3) A powerhouse duet near the end when Ida (Jaci Davis) and Isidor Straus sing "Still," pledging that they would rather go down with the ship together than have either one continue on alone. These two powerful voices rendering one of the best songs in the show was almost as forceful as the fatal iceberg itself.

J. W. Layne's set conveyed a sense of great size yet was open enough (and strong enough) to accommodate 45 actors. Derik Shopinski's costumes are worth the price of admission on their own. The requirement of quantity with such a large cast, some with multiple costumes, in no way let any design element slide by. From the exquisite finery of the first-class passengers to the multi-patterned mufti of the third-class steerage guests, any one costume could be taken on its own and tell a complete story. His designs are almost certainly a Desert Theatre League winner, even though it's only the second month of the season.

My concerns were few. With 45 actors, not every one has a radio mic and there are instances of an amplified actor speaking with a non-amplified actor and it calls momentary attention to itself. Also, there were several instances where 10 or 20 actors were onstage and one was singing or speaking and it was virtually impossible to pick them out of the crowd. Director Layne could have given them a bit of staging focus and her brother, Lighting Designer J. W. Layne could have perhaps helped with a bit of extra illumination, but it's obvious that if I'm nitpicking about trivial matters, the show is 99% perfection.

Titanic the Musical runs through Sunday, October 16, 2022. Show times are 7 p.m. on Thursday, 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $38 for adults, $34 seniors, with a special rate of $17 for students - and this is a great learning opportunity for students. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, or other information, call the PCT Box Office at (760)323-5123 or order online at www.PalmCanyonTheatre.org. Palm Canyon Theatre is located at 538 North Palm Canyon Drive, at the corner of Alejo Road and Palm Canyon Drive. Box Office hours are currently Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Next up at Palm Canyon Theatre is Nunsensations! Running October 28 through November 13, 2022. Nunsense is a hilarious five-person show that opened off-Broadway in 1985 and has spawned six sequels. Nunsensations! is the sixth sequel and finds the Nuns visiting Las Vegas. Feathers, jewels, and rosaries collide as the Nuns agree to join a Vegas revue to make money for their little Hoboken convent. After all, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...or does it?

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