Oscar-nominated stage and screen star Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Happy Talk) made a surprise guest appearance in the June 12 performance of the City Center Encores! production of the Tony-winning musical Titanic. Read the reviews for the revival here.
Eisenberg offered some levity playing Frank, the passenger who (luckily) missed the fateful trip aboard the doomed passenger ship. Watch his performance in the City Center Instagram posting below. (A few other luminaries will play Frank during the run, although the part will most often be played by a member of the company.)
The final production of the 30th anniversary Encores! series, performances of Titanic continue through June 23.
The starry cast is led by Ashley Blanchet as Kate Mullins,
Adam Chanler-Berat as First Officer Murdoch, Chuck Cooper as Captain
E.J. Smith, Eddie Cooper as Henry Etches, Lilli Cooper as Kate Murphey, Andrew
Durand as Jim Farrell, Drew Gehling as Edgar Beane, Alex Joseph Grayson as Harold
Bride, Karimloo as Frederick Barrett, Emilie Kouatchou as Caroline
Neville, Judy Kuhn as Ida Straus, Jose Llana as Thomas Andrews, Bonnie Milligan as Alice Beane, Ari
Notartomaso as Bellboy, Nathan Salstone as Fredrick Fleet, A.J. Shively
as Charles Clarke, Brandon Uranowitz as J. Bruce Ismay, Samantha Williams as Kate
McGowan, and Chip Zien as Isador Straus.
READ: Bonnie Milligan on How Her Alice Beane in Titanic Is 'a Fun Little Homage' to Victoria Clark
The ensemble includes Colin Anderson, Daniel Beeman, Brandon Contreras, Ali Ewoldt, Leslie Donna Flesner, Evan Harrington, Leah Horowitz, Amy Justman, Michael Maliakel, Timothy McDevitt, Grace Morgan, Kent Overshown, Lindsay Roberts, Matthew Scott, and Daniel Torres.
The concert staging is directed by Anne Kauffman with choreography by Danny Mefford. Rob Berman leads The Encores! Orchestra as guest music director.
The limited engagement also has orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, costume design by Márion Talán de la Rosa, lighting design by David Weiner, and sound design by Megumi Katayama.
With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston (Nine, Grand Hotel) and a book by Peter Stone (Woman of the Year and 1776), Titanic won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book.
Earlier this season, the City Center Encores! series presented two-week engagements of Once Upon a Mattress and Jelly's Last Jam. Casting for all three productions is by The Telsey Office. Once Upon a Mattress will transfer to Broadway later this summer, in a limited engagement beginning July 31.
Brandon Uranowitz in Titanic
Andrew Durand and Samantha Williams in Titanic
Ramin Karimloo in Titanic
Bonnie Milligan and Drew Gehling in Titanic
Jose Llana in Titanic
Brandon Uranowitz, Jose Llana, Alex Joseph Grayson, and Chuck Cooper in Titanic
Chip Zien and Judy Kuhn in Titanic
Ramin Karimloo in Titanic
Company of Titanic
Lilli Cooper, Samantha Williams, and Ashley Blanchet in Titanic
Jose Llana, Chuck Cooper, and Brandon Uranowitz in Titanic
Eddie Cooper and company of Titanic
Jose Llana and company of Titanic
Company of Titanic
