Epic & Astonishingly Beautiful: MSMT's TITANIC

The legend of the Titanic is a haunting, yet uplifting tale of dreams and hubris, unfinished stories and transcendent moments. It is a story that has been told from so many perspectives for more than a century since the unsinkable ship did, tragically, go down on her maiden voyage in 1912.  But perhaps no retelling of the events captures both the scale of the drama and its intimacy as perfectly as the Maury Yeston/Peter Stone musical, TITANIC, with its majestic score and tightly woven book.

Now in an epic and astonishingly beautiful new co-production created by MSMT with the Fulton Theatre, this masterpiece comes to life with a sensational cast in a dazzling visual production that focuses on the profoundly touching humanity of the saga – of the lives lived and lost, the lessons learned and remembered.

Yeston’s award-winning 1997 score is a gorgeous, multi-layered aural tapestry that affords some of the most thrilling choral singing in recent musical theatre history.  Mostly sung through, it shapes the narrative in soaring song and waves of orchestral sound, while Peter Stone’s book neatly captures the mordent ironies of the tale and even manages some dark, but cathartic humor.

Directed by Marc Robin, this TITANIC focuses on the lives of those who made the fateful voyage.  Robin accomplishes the admirable feat of spotlighting personal instances of lyric beauty and encasing them in a monumental framework.  As if in a Greek tragedy, the audience has the chilling sense of the interaction between the individual and the universe. Each story is told in meticulous detail with infinite care.  The pacing is taut and compelling, and the second act staging, as the disaster plays itself out, is fraught with all the truly terrifying chaos of the sinking. The staging makes powerful use of the three-level set, the turntable, and all the other high-tech video devices, integrating them organically into the dramatic fabric.  Brilliant touches are the intermittent timeline that adds tension as well as specificity and the epilogue notes that bring individual stories to a close. 

Musical Director Ray Fellman demonstrates full mastery of Yeston’s luxurious score. The arrangements of Ian Weinberger’s orchestrations, though reduced from the Broadway original, feel full and powerful, not only because of the six-person orchestra’s soaring sound, but also because of the glorious, layered sound of the thirty magnificent voices.

The visual production is breathtaking, creating a vivid sense of actually being on the ship surrounded by a vast sea. The use of a huge video wall with projections  by Jorge Cousineau and lighting and décor by Paul Black recreate the ambiance of the elegant Titanic and the frigid North Atlantic.  Cousineau’s designs are sometimes still, sometimes animated, and at times, they seemed to pulsate with life, as if the ship itself were a living, breathing creature.  The entire effect is enhanced by Jane Alois Stein’s opulent costumes that define character and class.

The cast is a formidable one, deep in talent (thirty-six Broadway credits among them), and passionate about the piece. It almost seems churlish to single out only a few performance highlights because, rarely, does one have the opportunity to assemble so many beautiful voices on one stage, and the effect in both solos and ensembles is nothing short of exquisite.  

David Girolmo heads the ship’s crew as Captain Edward Smith, imbuing the ill-fated seaman with a brittle dignity and redeeming stoicism. As his first officer, William Murdoch, Ian Knauer gives a touching portrait of insecurity and guilt and sings “To Be a Captain” with pure lyricism. Kevin Early, as the ship’s designer and builder, Thomas Andrews, anchors the piece offering the meditative prologue and poignant epilogue, and he has one of the most stirring solo moments in “Mr. Andrews’ Vision” as he desperately attempts to figure out what went wrong in his design as the ship sinks.

As Frederick Barrett, the stoker, Michael Nigro’s characterization has the authenticity of a rough-hewn Midlands miner, redolent of coal dust and sweat, but who, nonetheless, is a gentle romantic at heart.  From his first entrance as he bids goodbye to his sweetheart, to his robust rendition of “Barrett’s Song” with all its pent-up anger and energy (and dazzling high finish), to his lyric proposal to his love, and his heartrending farewell, “We’ll Meet Tomorrow,” he delivers his vocal moments with passion and power.

Among the passengers, perhaps the most affecting moment belongs to Linda Balgord and michael iannucci as Ida and Isador Straus, who sing a heartbreakingly beautiful duet, “Still,” as they resolve to go down together with the ship. Charis Leos and Blake Hammond as Alice and Edgar Beane, warring over their social status and delighting the audience with their squabbles and antics, provide necessary comic relief and warmth. Carolyn Anne Miller sparkles as a steely, determined, yet winsome Kate McGowan, who delivers “Lady’s Maid” with an appealing mixture of idealistic dreaming and practical Irish common sense. Michael Di Liberto is often funny, always touching as the faithful Steward Etches.

This production of TITANIC is a true landmark revival. Three years in the making, it was set to play in 2020, but was derailed by Covid.  Nonetheless, it has been worth the wait. Arguably the most sophisticated technological production MSMT has ever mounted, this TITANIC is also one of the most arresting in emotional substance. TITANIC is the inspiring, uplifting theatrical experience theatre lovers have longed for and deserve. Sail on great ship, Titanic…MSMT’s production is worthy of the legend.

 

Photos courtesy of MSMT, Jared Morneau, photographer

TITANIC runs at MSMT’s Pickard theater on the campus of Bowdoin College, 1 Bath Rd., Brunswick, ME from June 7-24, 2023   www.msmt.org  207-725-8769

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