Titanic:The Musical: Epic Tragedy, Epic Theatre

◊◊◊◊◊◊ out of five.  (Yes, six!)

J. Bruce Ismay, owner of the White Star Line was oft quoted as saying he wanted the RMS Titanic to become a legend in trans-Atlantic travel.  In fact, he was on board for the maiden voyage to make sure that happened.  History has given Mr. Ismay his wish, though even he might be awed by the sheer amount of material that has made that ship a legend.  There have been several films about it, including the highest grossing film of all time; countless books and no less than three musicals portray events of the fateful April night.  One of those musicals, Titanic: The Musical, opened last weekend at Toby's Dinner Theatre of Columbia, and only adds to that legend.  This production is also history-making.  Not only is it the local premiere of this Tony winner, it features the largest cast in Toby's 28 year history, and costumes from the original production.  It is also likely the first time the Titanic has sunk in the round.  But what makes this truly legendary on its own is the sheer brilliance of literally every aspect of this stunning, emotional production.  With Titanic: The Musical, Toby's had again raised the bar for quality musical theatre. 

Directed by Toby Orenstein and Lawrence B. Munsey, Titanic is both gigantic and intimate.  It is that intimacy that makes this production better than its Broadway incarnation.  And that is not even remotely hyperbole.  Being close enough to touch the actors and to realize that they are playing real people lends the entire evening an immediacy that would otherwise be missing, either by the passage of time or by a production where magnitude and special effects over take the personal.   

That is not to say that this version is given short shrift; no, it is just the opposite.  I cannot recall an ensemble of 25 actor singers with such a powerful communal voice.  The lush layered vocals demanded by Maury Yeston's award winning score are more than taken care of here.  The entire company singing as one is truly awesome in the truest sense of the word, and brought tears to my eyes for the sheer magnificence of the sound.  The insanely talented live orchestra under the skillful baton of musical director Christopher Youstra also deserves accolades, for this is no picnic of a score.  Also grand is the setting designed by Helen Hayes Award winner Richard Montgomery, who has filled the room with a photographic history of the ship, from first design through the crushing headlines and dead looks on the survivors' faces.  Each entrance also reveals a specific part of the ship, including the bridge, the third-class exit, the second-class deck and the crow's nest, while the central playing space is everything from the launching dock to a dance area deck, to intimate railings on the sprawling promenades.  Lawrence B. Munsey's gorgeous costumes, of which there must be at least a hundred, beautifully capture each class of passenger, and the detail of the White Star Line costumes on the crew is simply amazing. 

Nowhere in the evening does the scale of this production and the simultaneous intimacy come together so graphically than the opening twenty minutes of the show, which are truly amongst the very best minutes I have ever spent in a theatre.  It begins with the thematic, stirring "In Every Age" where builder Thomas Andrews explains that mankind continually strives to build bigger, faster, stronger, and continues with the arrival of the crew, who admire the sheer size and importance of this new liner to their lives ("There She Is"), and the arrivals of the stunned, appreciative third-class boarding, the resigned to their status second-class, and the pomposity of self-importance of the first-class ("I Must Get On That Ship").  Mind you, the majority of the company plays roles in multiple classes.  And then the inspiring (and somewhat ironic) optimism of the opening's finale, "Godspeed Titanic" comes at you full force as the entire company assembles on deck to bid us well as they embark on the voyage of their lives.  The attention to detail, the sweeping staging and the passionate acting gives me chills at even the memory of those last notes, and I am saddened by the beautiful look of excitement and happiness in their eyes, knowing that in reality, the end was near for so many of them.  And that is just the first twenty minutes of the show. 

The late, great Peter Stone really deserved the Tony he got for writing this tight, fat-free script.  Every single line is fraught with meaning, be it thematic or character-driven.  The story unfolds both in a linear fashion (boat sails, boat hits iceberg, boat sinks) and a simultaneous one.  We see a scene on the bridge, then one in the third class dining room, but understand that both are happening at the same time, for example.  While it is pretty self-explanatory within the script, Ms. Orenstein and Mr. Munsey, with the aid of the set design and the exemplary lighting by Lynn Joslin, have done everything possible to help us follow the action.  Their direction is brilliant.  With that much working for you, it is very easy to let this epic tale wash over you. 

There are several ensemble numbers that are striking, including "What a Remarkable Age This Is", an ode to self-congratulation and ego, presented by the first-class, "Lady's Maid" a soaring number about hope and dreams and everything good that America used to be about, presented by the third-class passengers, and "Dressed in Your Pajamas in the Grand Salon", which starts as a gripe session for the furious first-class, but degenerates into snobbery and ugliness as the second-class passengers arrive to share safe space.  The third-class, doomed to die, is not even given a thought. 

However rich and inspiring the larger numbers, the individual numbers are equally incredible, and speak to the quality of the performers themselves. 

David Bosley-Reynolds as Captain E.J. Smith is an interesting mixture of quiet leader, wisdom, and quiet resignation.  Russell Sunday as Thomas Andrews provides a strong departure from the roles he's played recently, and really shows the depths of his individual talent.  His Andrews is pragmatic, all business and with little trace of self-importance that such a man might have given his expertise.  The profound guilt which he wears on his entire body when he realizes that his miscalculations will mean hundreds of deaths is moving.  Lawrence B. Munsey, however, delivers one of his finest performances as J. Bruce Ismay.  His sheer arrogance and pomposity are unnerving, and when he shoved his way to the front of the lifeboat line, it elicited a noisy response from patrons all around me.  Later, when he "justifies" his actions saying, "If I hadn't taken the seat, it would have gone empty, anyway," gasps in the audience could be heard.  These three actors share much stage time together, as they weave all of the little incidents that combined to make this tragedy happen, and they reach their pinnacle in the powerful "The Blame", where each blames the other, screaming "You did it!  You did it!  You did it!"  The moment is chilling. 

Other crew members of note are Bride, the wireless operator, played with innocent delight and urgency by Byron Fenstermaker, and Stoker Fred Barrett, working below decks while thinking of his true love back at home, is played with gusto and fervor by Sam Ludwig.  His "Barrett's Song" is a rousing Irish-styled number, and when he and Mr. Fenstermaker sing "The Night Was Alive/The Proposal" their sound and passion are compelling.  And though they do not have individual numbers, Andrew Horn and Adam Grabau make significant contributions to the show.  Mr. Horn plays Etches, senior first-class steward who helps us navigate the picayune desires of those he serves, particularly in "Dressed in Your Pajamas".  Mr. Grabau, as First Officer Murdoch, offers a veritable study of acting with your whole body.  He, without saying more than a few words, conveys a heartbreaking case of insecurity, and later, a gripping case of guilt, as he realizes he was the one at the wheel when the iceberg was hit.  His stare and jaw-grinding, as he fights back tears, is very effective. 

Of the first-class passengers, Isidor and Ida Strauss (Robert Beiderman and Melynda Burdette) are given the guaranteed tear-jerker, "Still," a gorgeous duet, sung as they toast to their lives together as the ship slips into the icy sea.  Both Beiderman and Burdette resist the urge to get melodramatic, and that really ups the emotional quality. Both play their roles with such sincerity and depth.  Heather Marie Beck plays the very forward thinking mysterious lady passenger Charlotte Cordoza with a flair usually reserved for Auntie Mame, but completely appropriately.  And her scene in the men's smoking lounge where she confronts the "boy's club" is as humorous as it is biting.  Ms. Beck's exchange with Joshua D. Singer as John  Jacob Astor in that scene is as tense as you'll find on any stage, and the sneer on his face as he realizes she has won this little fight is priceless.  And his droll delivery of a line about the quality of the passenger list, said as he prepares to go down with the ship, really says it all about upper-class disdain for those beneath them: "A few too many climbers, I thought. Lately I've noticed that anyone with a few million dollars considers himself rich."  The line rightfully gets a chuckle, but it is one of rueful quality, not of pleasantry. 

The third-class passengers are represented by the "Three Kates" ("It's not fate, it's Irish!") Jessica Ball, Rosie Sowa and Emily Ann Fornica, and by Jim Farrell (Joseph Thanner).  All four young actors play their scenes with a beautiful, tragic irony.  Miss Ball, one of the finest young actresses in our area, provides a stirring lead in the group number "Lady's Maid", and her charming manipulation of young Farrell is sweet and satisfying.  Mr. Thanner also embodies a bravery that is very moving. 

Finally, second-class passengers Alice and Edgar Beane represent middle class America; he is satisfied to have nice things, she is a voracious social climber.   Played by Janine Gulisano-Sunday and Daniel McDonald, they provide many of the evening's laughs and also a microcosm of what being American is all about.  Ms. Gulisano is absolutely riveting in what may be her best role all year.  You simultaneously root for her and are embarrassed for her.  And Mr. McDonald's hangdog resignation is charming, and is wonderfully balanced by careful glimpses of regret that he never lives up to his love's desires.  They also provide one of the most heartbreaking moments of the entire show when she gets on a lifeboat, and turns to realize he won't be coming with her.  In one crushing second, she goes from being thrilled to be sitting by Mrs. Astor to being devastated by her own actions.  It is nearly three days since I saw this, and her final scream, "Edgar, I love you!  I'm so sorry for all of the terrible things I've said" rings in my ears and make my eyes fill. 

The directors of this magnificent show have made sure it is filled with many such moments.  You will be thrilled, you may cry, and you will even laugh, but most of all you will not leave unmoved.  And as excellent as the boat sinking is live on stage (and boy, is it), the final moments when the survivors are rejoined by the dead as they again board RMS Titanic, will leave you uplifted, and better than when you entered the theatre.  That is what theatre is all about. 

PHOTOS: By Kirstine Christiansen.  TOP to BOTTOM: Russell Sunday, "In Every Age;" The Company; David Bosley-Reynolds, Russell Sunday, Lawrence B. Munsey; Sam Ludwig, "Barrett's Song;" Russell Sunday, Joshua D. Singer, Sam Ludwig, Lawrence B. Munsey and Heather Marie Beck; Jessica Ball, "Lady's Maid;" and Daniel McDonald and Janine Gulisano-Sunday as Edgar and Alice Beane.

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