NEWS PHOTO CHRIS BROWN
Third class passengers discuss their hopes and dreams over a meal in a scene from the Wednesday night performance of "Titanic: The Musical." The Medicine Hat Musical Theatre production runs Oct. 25-Nov. 9.
cbrown@medicinehatnews.com@MHNBrown
No matter how large the task Medicine Hat Musical Theatre seems to have no trouble rising to meet it. Even in the case of a Titanic task, it’s not a problem.
The local theatre group is opening its 2019-2020 season with “Titanic: The Musical” and if Wednesday’s preview night is any indication it will be smooth sailing.
There’s plenty that can be said about the costumes, they are phenomenal. Diane Hoffman deserves a special shoutout for her work.
Rather than simply retelling the tale of the ship’s sinking, the musical focuses on a selection of the passengers – some in the last days of their lives and others who would survive.
As the program notes, each class is a character. But the stories within each class are similar.
There’s young love, budding love and old love; people yearning for more and others stuck in their ways; those with dreams of new beginnings and brighter futures are contrast with people scared of a the world that is changing before their eyes.
The crew and staff have their own issues, and the friction between Capt. E.J. Smith (played by Randy Feere) and chairman and owner of the White Star Line J. Bruce Ismay (Dave Cruickshank) is given plenty of stage time.
Among the passengers the first class ones are eager to show off their wealth and fortune, the third class passengers are looking forward to better lives and the second class ones caught between two worlds.
The first act ends with the Titanic striking the iceberg and second picks up with the fallout. Crew and passengers move from confusion about how such a ship could be sinking (and refusal to accept the fact) to anger.
Panic sets in but eventually goodbyes are said amid selfless acts of heroism, selfish acts of survival and true love.
Survivors return to the stage to lament and mourn the losses of the ship and the people.
Aside from a few microphone issues and the old stumble over a line there was no sign of choppy waters ahead.
A couple of notes from off the stage: The program, done in newspaper style in a nod to the period the show is set, is quite different than previous ones. It’s a nice change. And pay attention to the video screen before the curtain rises and between acts. It’s filled with video of the Titanic’s 1912 voyage and historical facts you may find interesting.
The show has been sold out since not long after tickets went on sale.
