Titanic (1997 Original Broadway Cast)

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Similar Items:

•	Titanic: The Complete Book of the Musical
•	Titanic: A New Musical

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
Unlike the boat it's named after, this show truly rose from the bottom. Despite detractors predicting doom before it had even opened, Titanic overcame hectic previews and endless technical problems to win a Tony for best musical and turn into a commercial success. Despite the fact that favorite performers like Judith Blazer or Victoria Clark disappear in the crowd and don't get solos of note, the show still manages to bring to life affecting characters. Maury Yeston's (Grand Hotel) score has the required majesty without ever being turgid, and the choral work he coaxes from his ensemble is eminently powerful. Though it requires a fair amount of attention on the listener's part, Titanic is also surprisingly emotional--its majestic finale packs more punch than 3 hours of Leonardo DiCaprio. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews: Read 113 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

'TIL YOUR PORT IS FOUND May 16, 2005
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

No kidding. The whole cast sings a Broadway song as the entire ship goes under in this outrageous, incredibly dramatic and stirring Broadway show that succeeds in treating the sinking of the Titanic with respect, without plunging to the depths of creative and real despair. The best musical sections concern communication among the ship's officers; an officer reporting on the ocean's temperment - "No sir, it appears to be a flat calm" ("No Moon") is delivered in a lifeless monotone like a sigh of relief before the iceberg takes their breaths; the frenzied and violent arguing among the ship's commanders and builder as the ship sinks, ("The Blame"), soars in intensity to operatic-like levels of tragedy. The musical also conveys a sense of time and regard for the generation of the Titanic; their hopes, fears, and understanding of their modern world, notably in "Barrett's Song", which delivers a life long passion of a young telegraph operator to the fateful journey. There's a rousing and emotion packed musical theme near the beginning and the end; "Godspeed, Titanic", and "Finale", and a song, "Autumn", taken from a song sheet actually found among the surviving artifacts of the ship, which fits securely and adds a haunting touch of authenticity. In the epilogue finale, the "Autumn" theme plays again in a moving musical interlude paying tribute to the lives lost. One can excuse the few imperfect moments; "Doing The Latest Rag", is a dull and obvious rag dance craze, typical of the 1910s, and particularly uninspired, and "Lady's Maid" is a touching but superficial and cliched 'immigrants coming to America' routine. All in all, it's a remarkable achievement. The CD includes a 43 page booklet with lyrics, pictures, cast and Titanic statistics. "A Night To Remember" the classic 1955 book by Walter Lord, remains the best source of the Titanic story, but this Broadway musical is a Titanic of a different color; a heart-felt, joyfull and tragic plunge to the ocean floor.

5 out of 5 stars

The best musical score ever written December 14, 2005
8 out of 8 found this review helpful

I saw Titanic live on Broadway, thought it was spectacular, and subsequently purchased the CD.

This is an amazing musical, deserving praise on every front. First and foremost, however -- if you're a serious musician, you will appreciate the score. The orchestration is rich and lush and with many subtle, refreshing touches. The pit orchestra is one of the finest ever, with a brass section that will truly blow you away. In Maury Yeston's hands (or his orchestrator's?), the fabulous brass section breathes life and dignity and excitement into a stellar score. The strings support the score wonderfully, too, as they subtley sing away beneath the cast. The ensemble of the entire pit, including the woodwinds and percussion, is to be commended, and as tight as any "legit" orchestra. Too often the Broadway orchestra is ignored; yet try doing a musical without the orchestra parts. In this case, the score and instrumentalists all but steal the show.

Which is not to downplay the cast, who are fabulous. The singing is wonderful. The songs are beautiful and appropriate and touching, as well as very singable. Yeston has managed to create a score and a book that are heartwarming and heartbreaking without ever being schmaltzy. As many times as I've listened to this CD, I always find my eyes getting slightly misty on nearly every song.

Yestin not only paints a real and inspiring portrait of passengers both imaginary and real; he includes some meaningful concepts as well -- for example, the idea that one anonymous and modest telegraph operator connects all the people in the world, themselves yearning to connect. (What we all want when all is said and done.)

I cannot disagree more strongly with those who have trashed this recording and musical in their reviews. In a world that increasingly elevates the trivial and the empty, this is a sophisticated, rich, wonderful musical and a serious (and entertaining) work. Its soaring melodies, poignant approach, intelligent lyrics, and above all, fabulous musical score combine to make it a tribute truly worthy of those who perished (and survived). This is not a musical for the Wednesday matinee crowd, for many standard "show" people, or for those who think Andrew Lloyd Weber is the apex of the musical. (Hardly. Listen to the score of "Phantom." It's a 3-hour "name that tune" from the classical canon.) It is, I believe, one of the best musical scores, if not the best, ever written for Broadway. And it was a real crime that the show was yanked as soon as the Tony nominations were made. I'm sure it would have had a long and highly successful run on Broadway.

5 out of 5 stars

ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREAT MUSICALS! August 24, 1999
7 out of 8 found this review helpful

This is a phenomenal music of Shakespearean proportions. It amazes me how Stone and Yeston bring to life so many characters on the stage. The musical operates at many levels: the stories about the social classes (immigrants, middle and upper classes), the study of flawed people (the captain's capitulation to the owner's unreasonable commands, Alice's ambitions to climb the social ladder, the ship-builder's megalomaniac dreams, etc.), and an examination of how the ship is a microcosm of the times -- "a floating city" (from "In Every Age"). The music is outstanding. I get goosebumps every time I hear the complex interplay of voices in "The Proposal/The Night Was Alive (Reprise)/Canons." And who couldn't love the beautiful "To be a Captain?" This musical has amazing symmetry, as the earlier, happy numbers reappear toward the end in different, sad settings. [The upbeat "I Must Get on That Ship" (i.e., on the Titanic) becomes unspeakably sad when reprised for the scene when they decide who will get on the lifeboats. And the wonderful "The Night Was Alive (with a Thousand Voices)", about shy McBride's using the telegraph to finally find people he can communicate with, is heartbreakingly sung at the end about the drowning passengers yelling out to the people in the lifeboats. "To Be a Captain," in which the second-in-command ponders his awesome responsibility as acting captain of the ship, later becomes a prayer to God as captain of all of their destinies.] If you're not willing to make some effort and listen carefully and more than once, you may not enjoy the CD. But if you are willing, it repays MANY MANY listenings. It has been my "most listened to" CD for many months.

1 out of 5 stars

dear god. Help us all. October 13, 2001
6 out of 14 found this review helpful

SO bad. I saw this on Broadway. And I have never had to fight so hard to stay awake. Cardboard cutout sets and the most forgetable music I have ever heard. I even got to go back stage (A friend of a friend, you know.) Even that did not help my enthusiasm or lack there of. I rarely dislike a show. Even the cheesy ones that everyone says are low on substance. But this is the worst of the worst. I liked CATS better... and I didn't like CATS. Do yourself a favor. Help put this CD out of its misery... don't buy it. Get Parade or RENT, or the Producers. Anything but this.

5 out of 5 stars

Best Musical of ALL TIME! March 31, 2002
6 out of 11 found this review helpful

Okay, I saw the musical 'Titanic' when it came to my city in 1999, and I enjoyed it so much. I actualy saw it because I liked the Titanic movie, and I was wondering what the musical was like, and I must say, I liked the musical a LOT better than the movie.
There are 3 key characters in the musical, and they are Frederick Barrett, Alice Beane, and Kate McGowen. We mainly focus on them. When I saw the musical, I cried. I cried a LOT! It was so heart-warming. The story and the music was so powerful. There have been a lot of reviews here where people have given it one star, but they did that because they didn't pay attention to the musical. It's hard to understand unless you really tune into it.
I got this CD a few years after the performance, and when I first listened to it I cried, because the lyrics and music was so wonderful.
The story is about all of these people who boarded the Titanic with hopes and dreams...the third class, hoping to find a better life...the second class, wanting nothing more than to be with the first class...and the first class, who are proud to be living in the age that they are living in, with all the new wonders coming into the world. That is what Titanic is about, so maybe after reading this review, you'll change your mind, and see this spectacular musical, that won 5 Tony Awards, including best musical.

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