TITANIC: A New Musical, Broadway's Tony Award-winning phenomenon, is scheduled to set sail on a national tour beginning at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles opening January 10, 1999 (previews begin January 5). Titanic then moves to the Buell Theatre in Denver from March 3 - 21; The Fifth Avenue Theatre in Seattle, March 24 - 18; and then on to Chicago, Boston, Washington, DC, and into 2000.

Eighty-five years after the Titanic first sailed into history, the story behind the legendary maiden voyage opened at Broadway's Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on April 23, 1997. Titanic soon went on to win five Tony Awards, every category in which it was nominated, taking the awards for Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score, Best Orchestrations, and Best Sets.

Board this ship of dreams as the lives and yearnings of the crew, staff and passengers unfold against Titanic's awesome backdrop of facts more incredible than any fiction. The pride of nautical engineering, the largest moving object in the world, the "unsinkable" R.M.S. Titanic went down in just two and a half hours after steaming full speed into an iceberg.

Directed by Richard Jones, the acclaimed British director, Titanic has a story and book by Academy Award and Tony Award-winner Peter Stone (1776, Woman of the Year) and music and lyrics by Tony Award-winner Maury Yeston (Nine, Grand Hotel). Choreography is by Lynne Taylor-Corbett, with sets and costumes by Stewart Laing, and lighting design by Paul Gallo. and Sound Design by Steve Canyon Kennedy, with Orchestrations by Johnathan Tunick, Musical supervision by Kevin Stites, Musical Direction by Mark McLaren; Additional Choreography by Mindy Cooper, Action Coordinator Rick Sordelet, Production Supervisor Susan Green, and Production Stage Manager Leigh Catlett.

The cast includes (in alphabetical order) Timothy J. Alex, Kristi Barber, David Beditz, Melissa Bell, Dana Lynn Caruso, Edward Conery, Brian D'Arcy James, Carol Denise, Rob Donohoe, Taina Elg, Doug Friedman, Kevin Gray, Adam Heller, Stacie James, Jodi Jinks, S. Marc Jordan, Laura Kenyon, Ken Krugman, Bob Lauder Jr., Philip Lehl, John Leone, Rebecca Hunter Lowman, David Ludwig, Liz McConahay, Joann Merhaut, William Parry, Dodie Pettit, David Pittu, Andrew Redeker, Richard Roland, Raymond Sage, Dale Sandish, Sarah Shannon, Michael Shelle, Margo Skinner, Kate Suber, Deborah Jean Templin, Bruce Thompson, Christianne Tisdale, Ken Triwush, Jennifer Waldman, Carl N. Wallnau, Matthew Yang-King.

The Original Broadway Cast recording of Titanic was produced by RCA Victor on the BMG Classics label. Shortly after the album was released, it became the fastest selling Broadway cast recording in RCA history and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

The national tour is being produced by Dodger Endemol Theatricals, Richard S. Pechter and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Tidbits:

• The new Broadway musical FOOTLOOSE will perform a song on the Rosie O'Donnell Show on Monday, December 14, the day before the national tour opens in Cleveland. The Rosie show airs at 10AM on WABC (Channel 7) in New York. Check local listings for times in other markets.

• ART's Joe Morton on Regis and Kathie Lee on Dec 15. Joe Morton, who joins the cast of the Tony Award-winning Best Play Art on December 22, will be a guest of Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee on Tuesday, December 15. The program airs at 9AM on WABC (Channel 7) in New York. As with the item above, check local listings for times in other markets.

  Judd Hirsch, Joe Morton and George Wendt star in Yasmina Reza's Art, directed by Matthew Warchus at The Royale Theater on Broadway.

• As Thousands Cheer Original Drama Dept. Revival Cast Including Irving Berlin's Hit "Easter Parade" To Be Released On Varese Sarabande

  December 7, Drama Dept. recorded its very first album at Clinton Studios -- Irving Berlin's enchanting songs and music from As Thousands Cheer, in which he collaborated with Moss Hart. Drama Dept. presented this satiric musical revue last summer to the cheers of audiences and critics alike. The recording features the original Drama Dept. cast of Judy Kuhn, B.D. Wong, Paula Newsome, Kevin Chamberlin, Mary Beth Peil and Howard McGillin singing "Heat Wave," "Harlem on My Mind" and "Lonely Heart." Among songs added from the original 1933 production, which did not appear in the revival, will be the beloved "Easter Parade." Varese Sarabande hopes to release As Thousands Cheer early next year.

• Parade: Got this in an e-mail:

  V.J., I don't know if you have any plans to come to NY soon (or if you've been here in the last few weeks) but if you do, you must go see Parade. I had the opportunity to go last week and I was completely blown away. In a word, it is brilliant. Disturbing, but brilliant. I don't know if you know the true story behind, but I didn't and boy did it shock the hell out of me. Although it is 2 weeks from opening, it didn't seem to need any work and it should win a whole bunch of Tony awards if it lasts till then. I couldn't recommend it more, it has been on my mind ever since I saw it. Unforgettable.

  Well, I guess that's a thumbs up from the street.

• Last night Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS lit the annual Christmas Tree in Duffy Square. BC/EFA is my favorite charity, so remember them if you're in the giving spirit this season. Out of everything I have ever written in the past few years, the one column that garnered the most response was a little thing I wrote about this very special Christmas tree and each year I get requests to re-run that little story. It's become an annual column, so if you'd like to read A Tree Grows in Duffy Square, just click the title.

All the best to everyone from the cast and crew of Talkin' Broadway and we hope your holidays are Merry & Bright! Our new forum is in the works and soon we'll be able to "chat" again! Until then...

See you Sunday!

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