‘A Rarely Performed Gem’: ‘Titanic’ Sails Shea’s 710 With Buffalo Stage Concert Experience Featured

TitanicThe rarely performed musical theater gem, known for its captivating story and memorable music, will be hosted by Starring Buffalo at Shea’s 710 theater, May 31 and June 1. With original songs by Maury Yeston (Nine, big hotel), Titanic tells the story of the triumph and tragedy of the passengers of the ill-fated “ship of dreams” that has captured imaginations and hearts for over 100 years. The musical won five Tony Awards in 1997, including Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score.

Presented as a concert staged in the vein of New York’s City Center Encores! series, the production will showcase the talents of nearly 100 artists, including Broadway veterans, local Buffalo actors, the Starring Buffalo Community Chorus, University at Buffalo dance majors and a dedicated creative team. Titanic will be the biggest production with Buffalo to date.

Broadway’s Diane Phelan will join the best of Buffalo’s theater community (In the woods, School of rock), Rodney Ingram (Aladdin, The Phantom of the Opera), Jonathan Young (A pretty woman National Tour) and Jay Dref (Sarah Brightman’sA Christmas Symphony‘).

“We opened the In the woods (the ten-city special engagement tour) right after Broadway in Buffalo,” Phelan shared, adding, “And let me tell you, no one expected how incredibly loving and loving the (Buffalo) audience was. effervescent…Buffalo was one of my favorite memories. to play. »

Louis Colaiacovo, Keith Ersing, David P. Eve, Alex Anthony Garcia, Karen Harty, Jake Hayes, Jetaun Louie, Charles McGregor, Kayla McSorley, Mary Kate O’Connell, John Patrick Patti, Rachel Ross and Christopher Wagner, of Buffalo, and the Starring Buffalo Chorus, under the direction of Karen Saxon, will play the rest of the passengers aboard the ship.

Phelan is particularly excited to share his work with audiences in Buffalo, for very personal reasons. “I play the role of Alice Bean and I’ll be honest, I never knew that version until I was in this production, and there’s a very specific reason for that. I’m an actress of color. I’m half-Filipino, half-Irish-American, and when I was young, no one hired me to play Alice Bean or Kate McGowan or any of those roles in Titanic. And so it’s just one of those things that says, “Oh, Titanic.” It’s good. It’s for others. It’s not really for me. And jokes on me, because it’s the most magnificent score I’ve ever heard in my life. And now that I’m getting to know him, I’m listening to him and reading him, and I’m just beside myself,” Phelan shared, adding

Eastman School of Music Music Director and Professor Dr. Alison D’Amato looks forward to sharing the incredible score with Buffalo audiences, saying, “The great thing about this musical , is that she really tries to say everything (the passengers). There’s very specific music associated with each character… This sort of elegant waltz music for the upper class passengers, and then this sort of “Irish jig” that comes in with the lower class passengers. The hierarchies are clear. But of course what happens is they’re all equalized.

WNY Sound Stage

“Broadway Meets Buffalo: ‘Unsinkable’ Songs in Buffalo’s ‘Titanic.’ Conversation with Musical Director Alison D’Amato and Actors Diane Phelan and Jonathan Young

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Buffalo Native and alumnus of A pretty woman national tour, Jonathan Young, echoed Dr. d’Amato’s enthusiasm for the music, adding: “There’s this really long sequence at the beginning, it’s basically the whole introduction which is just the launch of the Titanic , and it culminates in this enormous choral number. , that is, everyone says “Farewell, Farewell, Godspeed, Titanic”. And it’s in, I think, 8 vocal parts. Add,

With Buffalo’s production of Titanic will be presented for three performances only! May 31 (7:30 p.m.), June 1 (2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.) at Shea’s 710 Theater. Tickets are available here.