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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