Ship of Dreams! TITANIC Revival Starring Ben Heppner Closes in Toronto Today; Los Angeles Next!

David Mirvish's chamber-sized revival of TITANIC, starring Ben Heppner, the greatest opera tenor of his generation, closes today, June 21, 2015. Click here to read reviews of the show!

TITANIC is part of the Mirvish 2014-15 Subscription Season. It opened on May 20 at the Princess of Wales Theatre. The production was originally slated to open in Toronto last summer, prior to a Broadway run, but was cancelled. It will play a special engagement at Center Theatre Group's Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles May 14-June 26, 2016, with an opening night set for May 18.

Heppner plays the role of Isidor Straus, a prominent U.S. politician and businessman. Among his many accomplishments and business holdings, he was the co-owner of Macy's department store. With his wife Ida, he was among the wealthy and famous members of society who wanted to be the first to sail on the maiden voyage of the unsinkable RMS Titanic.

In this new reimagining of the musical, director Thom Southerland uses an ensemble cast, meaning that everyone in the cast plays two or three or more roles in the telling of the story. Besides playing Straus, Heppner will play three other roles.

Over his career, Heppner has performed some of the most iconic roles in opera with the world's top orchestras and at the most acclaimed opera venues - including New York's Metropolitan Opera House, London's Covent Garden, the Vienna State Opera and Toronto's Canadian Opera Company - both in stage productions as well as in concerts or recitals. He has also released a host of recordings, winning Grammy and Juno awards.

Producer David Mirvish says: "The most exciting part of creating theatre is the chance to bring together some of the most creative minds in various disciplines working today. To be able to do this by having Ben Heppner join the cast of TITANIC and to see his world and the world of musical theatre work together will be a thrill. That alone is worth producing TITANIC in Toronto. But the musical also has so much going for it. I can't wait to have it on stage next spring."

The haunting tragedy of the great ship is transformed by composer and lyricist Maury Yeston (Nine, Grand Hotel) and book writer Peter Stone (musicals Woman of the Year and 1776; film Charade) into a riveting musical in which the hopes and dreams of rich and poor, heroes and cowards, lovers and foes are woven together in a celebration of the human spirit.

In the final hour of April 14, 1912 the RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, collided with an iceberg and "the unsinkable ship" slowly sank. It was one of the most tragic disasters of the 20th Century. Based on actual characters aboard the greatest ship in the world, this stunning musical focuses on their hopes and aspirations. Unaware of the fate that awaits them, the Third Class immigrants dream of a better life in America, the newly-enfranchised Second Class dream of achieving the lifestyles of the rich and famous, and the millionaires of the First Class dream of their gilded world lasting forever.

The original Broadway production won five Tony awards, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. Now, British director Thom Southerland's acclaimed reimagining will come direct from London for its North American premiere at the Princess of Wales Theatre.

For more information, visit www.mirvish.com/subscriptions or call 416-593-4225.