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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Titanic Also see Gil's reviews of Deceived, Singin' in the Rain, Later Life and Caroline, or Change
As director Michael E. Bryce commented in his pre-show speech on opening night, this is a musical with a story that everyone already knows how it ends. Fortunately, knowing that issue, Yeston and Stone turned their focus to the stories of the ship's passengers and crew, most based on real-life individuals. From the hopeful immigrants in steerage to the working crew who take pride in their service, and the upper-class travelers reveling in luxury and status, you get a good sense of who each of these people is and feel empathy for them. While you still know how the story ends, you aren't quite certain which of the passengers will survive, and Stone's adept book makes you truly care about each one of them. Also, the combination of Yeston's gorgeous score and Stone's book never makes the horrific events of what unfolded gratuitous, instead it creates a musical that celebrates those who set sail on Titanic's maiden voyage in 1912 with warmth, humanity, and honesty. Zao's production benefits greatly from having a large ensemble. Each performer helps bring to life the social and emotional diversity aboard the Titanic, delivering realistic, nuanced performances. As the three men who built, own, and captain the ship, Jordan Giannetti, Eddie Kesner, and Bryan Stewart, respectively, are perfect. Giannetti evokes idealism and compassion as Thomas Andrews, the ship's designer, while Kesner is appropriately ambitious as J. Bruce Ismay, the director of the White Star line that owns the ship and who is driven by his desire for glory and recognition. Stewart is superb as Captain E.J. Smith, who is facing his final voyage with dignity, only to be haunted by the disaster that unfolds under his command. Stewart played the same role in Hale Centre Theatre's production of the musical last season; here his portrayal is deeper and more resonate. Other crew members include Frederick Barrett, the hardworking stoker in the ship's boiler room, played by Michael Bryce, and Harold Bride, the young and enthusiastic junior wireless operator whom Zeke Collins instills with both poignancy and humor; their duet of "The Proposal/The Night Was Alive" is stirring. Jeff Montgomery Jr. has a rich singing voice that shines as Frederick Fleet, the lookout who spots the iceberg, and Jerry Maggio is great as Henry Etches, the ship's loyal first-class steward who takes great pride in his work. Playing the passengers aboard, Gary Pimentel and Nikki Reeves are perfect as the dignified and loving couple Isidor and Isa Straus, the wealthy co-owners of Macy's department store. Rebecca Bryce and Tyler Galley are excellent, with spot-on comic timing, as Alice and Edgar Beane, the second-class passengers who provide the show with a few humorous moments due to Alice's energetic and starry-eyed desire to hobnob with the first class that doesn't sit well with Edgar's more cautious and practical nature. Elizabeth Bridgewater and Aaron Schneider portray the unmarried couple whose story adds warmth and romantic idealism to the plot. Schneider also plays 1st Office Murdoch and manages to balance both authority and romance in the two parts. In third class, Olive Van Slyke is Kate McGowan, the spirited Irish immigrant who dreams of a better life in America. On board, she meets two other Irish young women also named Kate, played by Olivia Kesner and Iris Van Slyke, as well as the young Jim Farrell, who she sees as a suitable husband for herself. Colin Quintana and Olive Van Slyke have good chemistry as a couple who find an unconventional romance on board, and all four manage to create clear portrayals of ambitious individuals who capture the hope and resilience of those passengers on board who are seeking new beginnings. (Those four roles are double cast.) The rest of the large cast do good work portraying the millionaires on board, the other crew members and passengers, including Donnalynn Waller-Maggio who is appropriately spunky as Molly Brown, and Michael Paul Wallot who is reflective and sincere as one of the ship's musicians who plays until the very end. Bryce's direction is smart and focused, using the large company effectively without letting the stage ever feel overcrowded. Bryce makes the story feel both grand and vast while also extremely intimate; this is most noticeable in the second act when the ship is sinking and those left on board are certain of their fate. What makes Bryce's direction and staging particularly impressive is how he uses projections and an expansive ensemble to create a true sense of scale. The projections transform the stage into the ship's various decks, engine rooms, and cabins, creating the feeling of a living, breathing ship, full of life and energy from the bustling third-class quarters to the elegant first-class promenade. Andrew McDuff's choreography is bright and the cast delivers Yeston's score beautifully under David Thomas' music direction with lush harmonies and rich vocals that wash over the audience. The striking lighting design by Bryce and Sharyn Sheffer works well to depict the time of day and to heighten the emotional impact. The costumes by Sarai Phillips-Dunlap, Rebecca Bryce, and Sophie-Leigh Cannoy are period and character appropriate, with styles that fit perfectly for each level of class and crew member on board. As great as this cast and production are, I do have a few quibbles. First, many of the actual characters on board were British, yet not every actor is using an appropriate or consistent accent. Second, with such a large cast, diction, enunciation, and projection are important, yet on opening night there were many times when lyrics or lines of dialogue were lost or hard to hear. Also, while this isn't a comedy, there are a few fun moments or jokes in the show, yet not every one of them lands due to a lack of comic timing from some of the cast. Zao's Titanic sails on the strength of its ensemble, design, and smart direction that elevates the emotional truth of each passenger's story. It is both grand in scale and intimate in feeling and a very solid production of a musical that reminds us of the humanity behind history's most legendary voyage. Titanic runs through November 22, 2025 at Zao Theatre, 6338 South King Ranch Rd., Gold Canyon AZ. For tickets and information, please visit www.zaotheatre.org or call 480-924-5122 Producer/Director: Michael E. Bryce Cast: |
