The Unsinkable Molly Brown

The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Jester's Dinner Theater
Longmont, CO
February 3 - April 2, 2017

In 2014 I saw the Denver Center Theater Company’s production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown. Having never seen the original show I wasn’t sure what had been reworked. So I was very interested in seeing the original work at Jester’s Dinner Theater.

After a few scenes into the show, the changes made by the Denver Center production were clear. The original script veers far from the real Margaret Brown, whose life the story is based on. Most disappointing was her survival of the Titanic disaster was only a brief mention near the send of the show.

Despite its inaccuracies, the plot is enjoyable. Everyone loves a poor girl makes good story. The songs are light and fun with plenty of dance numbers.

The role or Molly was well cast. Her voice was powerful and she had a bullish quality that came through Molly’s strong character. John Brown put forward a strong performance. The ensemble, however, was uneven. Some members were quite talented while others came across as amateurish.

Jester’s is a small space and I wondered if a show with such a broad scope would work on their stage. It turns out they were more than capable of staging the show. The sets made good use of the wings and the curtain rose and fell to create new spaces. There was an awkward set change when the lights went up too early, but otherwise the transitions were smooth.

 The costumes were inconsistent throughout. Molly’s parade of red gowns were evocative of her childhood dream to have a “red silk dress,” but they because a bit tiresome over the course of the show. Some the evening dresses worn by the society ladies were modern and seemed out of place in a period piece.

Overall, the show is fun. Those with knowledge of the real Margaret Brown will dislike the script. But as a musical, it’s a fun one, filled with catchy songs and a happy ending.