'Titanic: the Musical' coming to Bonners Ferry
Winner of Five 1997 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score, "Titanic: The Musical" is the story of the launching, the maiden voyage, the collision with the iceberg, and the sinking played out against the background of the rigid class-distinctions of the Edwardian Age.
According to author Peter Stone, the sinking of the Titanic in the early hours of April 15, 1912, remains the quintessential disaster of this century.
A total of 1,517 souls-men, women and children-lost their lives (only 711 survived). The fact that the finest, largest, strongest ship in the world, called, in fact, the "unsinkable" ship, should have been lost during its maiden voyage is so incredible that, had it not actually happened, no author would have dared to contrive it.
But the catastrophe had social ramifications that went far beyond that night's events. For the first time since the beginning of the industrial revolution early in the 19th Century, bigger, faster and stronger did not prove automatically to be better.
Suddenly the very essence of "progress" had to be questioned; might the advancement of technology not always be progress?
Nor was this the only question arising from the disaster. The accommodations of the ship, divided into 1st, 2nd and 3rd Classes, mirrored almost exactly the class structure (upper, middle and lower) of the English-speaking world.
But when the wide discrepancy between the number of survivors from each of the ship's classes was revealed ... all but two of the women in 1st Class were saved while 155 women and children from 2nd and 3rd (mostly 3rd) drowned ... there was a new, long-overdue scrutiny of the prevailing social system and its values.
It is not an exaggeration to state that the 19th Century, with its social stricture, its extravagant codes of honor and sacrifice, and its unswerving belief that God favored the rich, ended that night.
The musical play Titanic examines the causes, the conditions and the characters involved in this ever-fascinating drama. This is the factual story of that ship; of her officers, crew and passengers, to be sure, but she will not, as has happened so many times before, serve as merely the background against which fictional, melodramatic narratives are recounted. The central character of our Titanic is the Titanic herself.
Featuring a cast of 26, this contemporary musical presents the story of one of America’s greatest tragedies in a powerfully moving production.
Reading the Who’s Who, you would think this production will be coming to your closest city:
Director/Choreographer Paula Hammons Sloan has directed/choreographed well over 50 musical productions for numerous national tours including shows at Atlantic City’s Trump Plaza and Tropicana Resort. She also served on the faculty of Dance & Theater Departments of prestigious universities and Performing Arts High School.
Producer/Artistic Director Steve Steiner has worked In NYC On-Broadway, Off-Broadway and national & regional tours. Conductor/Musician Michael McAssey, based in New York City has directed at Westchester Broadway Theater, Theater Barn and Cohoes Music Hall in New York as well as conductor and musical director for a two year Broadway National Tour. He is a winner and three time nominee of NYC’s MAC Award for Outstanding Male Vocalist, toured with Donny Osmond and more.
Scenic Designer David Esler is based in New York City and has designed over 100 productions. Lighting Designer Jeff Greenberg has designed for theater, dance and opera in many theaters, on international and national tours and has received awards for Best Lighting.
The cast of 26 actors have impressive experience performing in NYC as well as touring, with many awards and degrees among them including from Carnegie Mellon, Boston Conservatory and the Royal Academy of Dancing.
Boebe Productions, established in 1994, produced Honky Tonk Highway Off Broadway and over a dozen musicals in casino venues throughout the country including Buddy…The Buddy Holly Story, 42nd Street, Hairspray, Footloose and Cabaret.
"Titanic, The Musical" will be making a 50 city national tour, bringing its outstanding performance to Bonners Ferry, Idaho at 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 26, presented by Friends of the Arts.
This top caliber performance with a live orchestra will be one night only at the Bonners Ferry High School Becker Auditorium. Tickets are $25 adults and $20 youth 18 and under and are on sale at Mountain Mike’s (208) 267-3748, Bear Mechanical (208) 267-5763 and Bonners Books (208) 267-2622. This is bound to be a sold out show, so get your tickets early!
Don’t miss the opportunity to see a first class musical theater production right in our own backyard! For more info call Friends of the Arts at (208) 267-5256 or (208) 267-5763