Impossible, and magnificent.
Why is Titanic The Musical so rarely produced? Despite winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, productions of this gripping and hauntingly beautiful story are rare. The sheer logistics of staging simultaneous action on multiple decks, and -- spoiler alert -- the ship's sinking, are daunting enough. Add a full orchestra and an onstage cast of more than thirty speaking roles in full period costume, and you begin to understand why the original Broadway production never turned a profit. Impossible.
And yet, Titanic called to us.
Tonight you will have the unique experience of enjoying Titanic The Musical in a California and National Historic Register Landmark that was built at the same time that R.M.S. Titanic was being constructed; so when you hear "Dressed in Your Pyjamas in the Grand Salon," with a little leap of imagination, you may actually feel as if you are in the Grand Salon yourself. The show's recurring themes of class division and striving for a better life are particularly resonant when presented in the sanctuary of this church that is so passionately committed to social justice. And nothing on Broadway can match the drama of the might Möller organ when it plays the discordant notes marking the ship's ill-fated rendez-vous with the iceberg. Magnificent.
So tonight, projected images will take the place of expensive hydraulic sets, but no other sacrifices have been made. Our amazing cast, pit choir and orchestra will transport you with their talent and their passion.
This has truly been a labor of love, made possible by more heart and generosity than we can begin to describe. It has been our absolute privilege to steer this Ship of Dreams. We thank you for joining us, and hope that you enjoy tonight's performance.
Sail on, sail on, great ship Titanic!
Mark and Megan
