Large, strong cast keeps Moonlight’s ‘Titanic’ afloat
It’s tough doing a musical when everyone in the audience knows the ending is going to be sad. That said, a large and extremely talented cast did a commendable job with “Titanic The Musical,” performing through Sept. 3 at Vista’s Moonlight Amphitheatre.
“Titanic The Musical” opened on Broadway in 1997, before the popular James Cameron movie was released, and won five Tony Awards. The show is much more factually based than the film. A traveling version visited San Diego in 2000, but the Moonlight production is its regional theater premier.
Directed by Larry Raben and music directed and conducted by Elan McMahan, “Titanic” features a cast of 38, plus a live orchestra of 26 musicians. The musical follows the final hours of the people who were onboard the “unsinkable ship” when it hit an iceberg and sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912. A total of 1,517 people died in the disaster, mostly from the lower classes who were unable to escape the bowels of the ship and get into lifeboats.
The polished show sailed on smoothly through the 2 ½ hours, but, looking back, didn’t seem to leave much of a wake. The subject matter may be partly to blame.
The production’s strengths – and there were many – included strong chorus numbers, several very good solos, interesting visual effects using historical photos and lush period costuming. Cast efforts deserving special mention include Steven Glaudini (Moonlight’s producing artistic director) as White Star Line chairman J. Bruce Ismay, Richard Bermudez as Barret the boiler room stoker, Joseph Grienenberger as first class steward Henry Etches, Bets Malone as the social-climbing Alice Beane, Norman Large (the only non-San Diegan in the cast) as Capt.E.W. Smith and Robert J. Townsend as the devastated ship architect, Thomas Andrews.
The production is at its best during company numbers, such as “Godspeed Titanic” in Act I and “We’ll Meet Tomorrow” in Act II. The emotional highlight came late in the show, when Ralph Johnson and Susan Stuber, as Macy’s owner Isidor and Ida Straus, reflect on their lives and their eternal love for each other in “Still.”
Adding to the production’s quality were the sets. A large divide was raised and lowered to separate parts of the ship and a ramp in the back was dipped to show passengers and crew slipping off the sinking ship into the freezing water.
Show dates and ticket information can be found at moonlightstage.com or by calling 760-724-2110.