Grafton Family Plays Leading Role in TITANIC: THE MUSICAL

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(From left) Roc, Terry Clark, Rick and Dane Bauman.

(From left) Roc, Terry Clark, Rick and Dane Bauman.

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The Bauman family of Grafton plays a starring role in Pius XI High School’s upcoming production of TITANIC: THE MUSICAL, which is being performed at the historic Pabst Theater, March 25 – 27 in downtown Milwaukee. Rick, Roc, Dane and Terry Clark-Bauman all play important roles in the production, including: Captain E.J. Smith (Dr. Rick Bauman), Second Officer Lightoller/J.H. Rogers (Dane Bauman) and John B. Thayer (Roc Bauman). Terry Clark-Bauman is the official photographer for the Performing Arts Department and will capture images of musical and its cast.

TITANIC: THE MUSICAL is a joint collaboration between Pius XI students, faculty, parents, alumni and the professional theater community. It is rarely performed due to the sheer size and scope of the production.

“This musical is as big as the Titanic itself,” said Bonnie Scholz, Chair of the Performing Arts Department at Pius XI High School. “The musical is extremely challenging due to the number of actors, the complexity of the singing and the extensive staging and costuming. This may be the first time TITANIC: THE MUSICAL has ever been performed here in Milwaukee – it’s truly something unique to our local performing arts community.”

TITANIC: THE MUSICAL will feature more than 70 actors ranging in age from nine to 72 years old. All of the actors will be wearing historically-accurate costumes sourced from all over the world. Retired University of Wisconsin-Parkside professor, Judie Tucker Snider, has signed on to ensure every last detail – down to the shoes and hairstyles – is completely accurate.

“Even the venue we selected is historically significant,” Scholz said. “The Pabst Theater is roughly the same age as the Titanic itself, which means guests will be transported back in time the moment they step into the theater.”

This is the first time Pius XI High School has collaborated with the outside arts community on a large-scale production. The school has worked with guest actors on occasion, but in most cases, productions have been closed to Pius XI students.

“This musical is very special on a number of levels,” said Kevin Schwartz, a performing arts teacher at Pius XI High School and director of the musical. “But what I’m most excited about is having our students collaborate and work one-on-one with the arts community here in Milwaukee. This production is larger than Pius XI High School – it’s truly a Milwaukee production.”

TITANIC: THE MUSICAL is set on the infamous ocean liner RMS Titanic, which sank on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912. More than 1,500 of the 2,200 passengers perished when the “unsinkable” ship sank in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The musical opened on Broadway in 1997 and won a Tony Award for Best Musical.

Tickets for TITANIC: THE MUSICAL are now on sale and range in price from $10 to $35. Tickets can be purchased at the Pius XI bookstore either in person or by phone. For additional information or to order tickets, call (414) 290-8151.