book by Peter Stone
music & lyrics by Maury Yeston
directed by William Sanders
musical direction by Justin Brehm

June 6-22, 2008

An epic night is set to become an epic production on the Civic stage as we ready the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Titanic for a June 6 opening. Sponsored by WVIA and the Express Times, this is the factual story of the ship thought to be unsinkable and the night that proved it wasn't. Totally removed from the beautiful Academy Award-winning film, the creators of the acclaimed musical focused on people who were actually aboard the RMS Titanic the night of April 15, 1912. As book writer Peter Stone said, "The star of our Titanic would be the ship itself."

Directed by Civic Artistic Director William Sanders with musical direction by Justin Brehm, Titanic is set to be yet another blockbuster in what has already proven to be an amazing 80th season.

"This triumphant classic is about the collision of man: compromise, compliance, greed, speed, visibility and great hubris," Sanders says. "In a tragedy so avoidable, the fact that it occurred remains mind-boggling, heart-breaking and the stuff of legend."

We will take you to the beginning of the 20th century, a time of progress and competition. Built in Belfast, the "ship of dreams" made her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in 1912. You've heard many stories about what happened on that trip, but this is your chance to see how the lives of the actual people aboard converged that fateful night.

The more-than-40-member cast includes numerous veterans of the Civic stage, but also newcomers, including quite a few young stars from the Lehigh Valley's high schools and universities. We also have an excellent technical staff ready to oversee this truly complicated production, including stage manager Kim Miller, costume designer Mary Ann Kelly, set designer David Utley, sound designer Michael Bartz, projection designer Scott Snyder, lighting designers Shelby Hafich and Tony Galanti, assistant choreographer Deena Thompsen and assistant director Meggan Kurapka.

An exciting, intense, even humorous musical performed with sensitivity, warmth and respect to the 1,500 passengers and crew who died, Titanic: the Musical is sure to be a hot ticket, so get yours today!