The idea of staging the tragic saga of the 鈥淭itanic鈥� as a Broadway show must have seemed preposterous when it premiered in 1997. Some may have thought it was disrespectful of the 1,500 who went down with the ship on its maiden voyage in 1912. Not to mention the logistics of staging its demise. Yet the musical, created by Peter Stone (story and book) and Maury Yeston (music) was a hit, running for more than 800 performances and winning a Tony for best musical. It鈥檚 since been staged around the world.
And now it comes to Boulder, directed by Broadway veteran and 彩民宝典 College of Music guest faculty member Bob Westenberg. In three performances, March 15-17, audiences in Macky Auditorium will relive the tragedy of that 鈥渘ight to remember.鈥� Visiting during a Zoom call from his Longmont home, Westenberg admits that directing 鈥溾�� is proving far more exciting than 鈥淏eauty and the Beast.鈥� We鈥檒l let him explain.
Last spring, Musical Theatre Program Director Matthew Chellis made an offer to Westenberg, newly arrived on campus. 鈥淢atthew gave me two titles to choose from鈥斺�楾itanic鈥� or 鈥楤eauty and the Beast.鈥� I chose 鈥楤eauty鈥� because I felt casting it was more age-appropriate. I mean, there were all these old people aboard the Titanic.鈥�
So what changed Westenberg鈥檚 mind? 鈥淚 fell in love with the score. The music is just so wonderful鈥攁nd we鈥檒l have the great effect of a tea cart slowly rolling across the stage, and suddenly everyone stops and realizes the ship is sinking.鈥�
Those little moments are what can make theatre so special for this man of the stage. Consider his r茅sum茅: He made his debut eons ago in 鈥淶orba鈥� with Anthony Quinn; he was the original Prince Charming in Sondheim鈥檚 鈥淚nto the Woods鈥� (his 鈥淐inderella,鈥� Kim Crosby, has been his wife for 35 years); he鈥檚 portrayed 鈥淛avert鈥� in 鈥淟es Miserables鈥� on Broadway, and more. Plus national tours and plenty of film and TV roles.
So how did he land in Boulder? 鈥淜im and I have three children. Our eldest daughter was drawn to studying medicine at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Then she got married and settled in Longmont, so Kim and I decided to move there in 1997,鈥� explains Westenberg whose experience comprises 40 years in the theatre and 20 years as an educator at Missouri State. 鈥淚 had known Donovan Marley in California and he asked me to work with him at the Denver Center Theatre Company [where Marley served as artistic director].鈥� And it鈥檚 not a long drive from Longmont to the Boulder campus. Once auditions for 彩民宝典 singers were completed last fall and the cast of 40 was chosen, it was full steam ahead.
Westenberg鈥檚 students include majors in opera and musical theatre. The orchestra numbers 30, but there will be no iceberg. 鈥淭his is not about big production values,鈥� the director stresses. 鈥淩ather, the creators tried to humanize what happened, telling of passengers in first, second and third class. We鈥檒l see how those characters perform under that terrible duress and how the storyline is musicalized. This is what makes for the classical structure of a musical.鈥�
The 彩民宝典 College of Music鈥檚 Musical Theatre and Eklund Opera programs present at Macky Auditorium from March 15 through 17, 2024.
