I rarely review educational theater productions, but I think we have all come to learn that the University of Michigan Musical Theater program isn’t your ordinary college theater but a nationally known professional training ground leading directly to Broadway. That being said, they opened the musical Titanic last night at the Power Center and it is among the best productions I have ever seen at the program, and better than the most recent professional tour of the production.
As usual I won’t mention student names since it is educational theater, but there is some phenomenal talent on stage here – from all of the passengers and couples in the three classes to the serving staff and crew, the vocals here are phenomenal. The direction by André Garner is rigid where it needs to be and fluid where it does not; and the choreography by Molly Garner adds stunning life to numbers like “Barrett’s Song” and “Doing the Latest Rag”. Eli Sherlock’s set design and Shelby Loera’s lighting design work brilliantly on the large Power Center stage. Brittany Crinson’s wigs and Suzanne Young’s costumes are stunning. I must admit that I did miss the projections of longitude and latitude, date, and knots that the production usually uses on the sides of the stage, which gives you a sense of the speed (and later the tragic stoppage).
I have to state up front that I have previously played J. Bruce Ismay in Titanic, and am intimately familiar with the show and score. Tyler Driskill does an outstanding job of musical direction of the large cast, and conducting the exquisite orchestra playing Maury Yeston’s lush music. The show itself won numerous Tony Awards 28 years (gulp) ago. Peter Stone’s tightly written (and often humorous) script, and Yeston’s music really make this a musical one you will long remember. Using the slightly adapted version of the script and score (as did the recent UK production and tour) it puts back the suicide scene and Charles and Caroline’s “I Give You My Hand” which were cut on Broadway.
There are only a handful of rear balcony seats remaining for the nearly sold-out weekend run but I would suggest you snap them up right now before they are all gone. The audience was ecstatic, on its feet before the lights had even come back up for the curtain call. Word of mouth is strong. Those few tickets won’t last so get them now. Sail on, Titanic!
Titanic the musical continues at the Power Center, Ann Arbor, through Sunday April 20th. Tickets at https://tickets.smtd.umich.edu/6357 Photo copyright The University of Michigan School of Music Theatre and Dance.
Mostly Musical Theatre 
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