Broadway Titanic to Sail Off March 28 After 804 Performances
By Kenneth Jones and David Lefkowitz
Playbill.com
March 26, 1999
The Tony Award-winning musical, Titanic, will make its final journey March 28 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. It will have a played 28 previews and 804 regular performances.
The matinee of March 28 will be the final show of book writer Peter Stone
and composer-lyricist Maury Yeston's musical about the 1912 maiden voyage
of the "unsinkable" ocean liner -- a lurid, tragic subject many first called
unsuitable, or unwritable, for the musical stage.
The production began previews March 30, 1997, and opened April 23 that year.
"It is difficult to describe the joy and pride we all feel for this show,"
said producer Michael David of Dodger Productions. "Titanic has challenged
us, pushed us and enriched our lives in ways we never thought possible."
The show did not, however, enrich the producers' pockets. Producer David
told the New York Times "a dignified leave-taking was better than staying
too long." Although he wouldn't give an exact figure as to how much money
was lost, David said Titanic made back more than half its initial
investment.
Daily Variety reported March 3 that Disney Theatricals was planning to bring
its new musical, Aida, to the Palace Theatre in early 2000, and would
shift Beauty and the Beast to the Lunt-Fontanne. That story could
not be confirmed by Playbill On-Line.Titanic won five 1997 Tony Awards,
including Best Musical. 32 scenes comprise the two-act musical, which begins
in Aberdeen, Scotland, 1912. Songs include "In Every Age", "The Largest
Moving Object," "What A Remarkable Age This Is!", "Still," "Autumn," "No
Moon," and "We'll Meet Tomorrow."
The production is directed by Richard Jones, with choreography by Lynne Taylor-Corbett,
sets and costumes by Stewart Laing and lighting by Paul Gallo.
The first national touring company of Titanic launched in Los Angeles,
with previews Jan. 5 for an L.A. run Jan. 10-Feb. 28. As producer David told
the NY Times, "...These days, New York is really just the first chapter."
The Titanic tour now continues through the following announced cities:
March 24-April 18: Fifth Avenue Theatre, Seattle
April 22: Chicago
June 9: Boston
July 7: Washington, DC
Aug. 24: St. Louis
Sept. 7, 1999: Detroit
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