In the "Crazy 20s," Manhattan's Broadway was at its peak. In 1925, there were more than 80 theaters on this street, and by 1929 there were nearly 100.

Everything came to an end in the stock market crash.

In just a few months, the number of theaters on Broadway has fallen back to five years ago, and dismal business has led to the closure of less competitive theaters.

The long streets are still lit with neon, but the bustling scene is no longer busy, giving people a sense of depression and desertion.

The Durants drove slowly into Broadway in their cars. They used to have full-time drivers, but now in order to save money, Durant has fired the driver and has to drive himself every time he goes out.

The car stopped at the entrance of the Dutch Theater, and on the façade of the theater there was a large poster with a large ship pattern, as well as the words "Titanic", "Amazing Love", "The Work of the Oriental Wizard", "Eugene O'Neill Screenplay" and so on.

"Darling, this is it!" Mrs. Durant said excitedly. She used to come to the stage once a week, but now she can only come once a month, and the ticket prices here are too expensive to pay for the movies.

The Durants bought tickets and sat in the back.

Before the show started, Durant looked at the tickets boredly, and suddenly exclaimed and cursed: "Hell, it's actually a drama!" ”

"Isn't it a musical?" Mrs. Durant said in surprise.

"We've been fooled!" Durant said indignantly.

Broadway is most famous for its musicals, which are a mix of drama, song and dance, and are loved by the American middle class. People come here to watch singing and dancing, and they don't even pay much attention to the plot. In the early days, musicals did not even have a fixed script, and it was only in recent years that they began to focus on screenwriting, but the main content was still singing and dancing.

Of course, there are some theaters on Off-Broadway that star in dramas, but they are not very popular with the American people.

The Durants complained about this, and finally paid for the show, but it was a boring drama.

The performance time is approaching, but the audience is only half seated, and compared to the previous full venue, business is too difficult to do.

Theater owner Jarald Hans shook his head helplessly, he could only hope that the performance of "Titanic" would be successful. Just like the theater next door staged "Waterloo Bridge" (the original stage version of "Broken Blue Bridge"), after a huge success, it actually maintained an average attendance rate of 90%.

"Far Eastern wizard, please work a miracle again." Boss Hans drew a cross on his chest.

The male and female protagonists backstage are nervous, and the actor Andrew Pocker has been on stage for several years, but has been unknown; The heroine, Linda Moorman, is a halfway monk, she used to be a nightclub singer, and only last year she started acting in drama.

Inviting two young actors to star in "Titanic" is a request made by the drama director, saying that he wants to bring a new feeling to the audience.

The reason why Hans, the owner of the theater, agreed, also because it would save money by hiring young actors, and the cost of the play was far lower than that of the musical. Business is not good these days, if you can save it, you can save it, even if the performance effect is not good, you can't lose so much.

"Jack is ready to appear!" The director shouted.

Andrew took a deep breath, this was an opportunity that he didn't easily get, and he couldn't afford to make a mistake.

The stage has a double curtain with a front curtain slowly opening to reveal a model of a large ship.

There were many extras standing on the "boat", all of whom were cameos by the musical's dancers, as did the "shore" send-offs. Just as they waved goodbye, the voiceover sounded: "The Olympic-class luxury cruise ship Titanic, the world's most advanced and largest giant ship, is about to usher in its maiden voyage today." ”

The heroine and the male number two play.

Male No. 2 looked up at the ship: "It's spectacular, isn't it?" Rose. ”

The heroine said disdainfully: "It's not a big deal, it's not much bigger than the Olympics." Cal. ”

Male number two said, "Don't underestimate it, Rose. The Titanic is different from other passenger ships, it is 100 feet longer than the Manly Dani, and it is extremely fast, and the interior is very luxurious. ”

"Humph!" The heroine snorted coldly and got on the boat, and the second male number hurriedly caught up.

The back curtain slowly opened, and several people were seated at a gaming table.

The actor faces the audience, wearing shabby clothes, and sits on the bench with a smile......

The plot moves forward scene by scene, and even the audience who has read the original novel is gradually immersed in the story.

When the male protagonist Jack stood at the bow of the boat, opened his arms and shouted "I am the king of the world", Mrs. Durant couldn't help but cover her mouth and say to herself: "Oh, what a handsome and dashing guy." ”

The appearance of the nouveau riche fat woman, her rude and straightforward words and deeds, caused the audience to burst into laughter, and every time she appeared after that, she was full of laughter.

By the sixth act, the Titanic hit the iceberg, and the audience couldn't help but hold their breath and look at the stage without blinking.

Dramas are different from novels and movies, and a lot of deletions must be made, such as the characters such as the dead gentleman who maintains his demeanor and etiquette, and the old couple who sleep together in their hugs, etc., do not appear at all. But the Steamship Band's role remained, and they stood on the stage as a human background, and played a full three-act scene.

Waiting for the protagonist of the front desk to leave, Le Jiajia put down the violin: "Okay, it's over." Goodbye Harry, and good luck. ”

"Goodbye, Werner."

"Goodbye."

The musicians said goodbye to each other as if they had finished playing in a concert hall, surrounded by passengers fleeing for their lives in a panic.

When everyone turned to leave, Lejia picked up the violin again, and the melodious sound of the piano spread through the theater hall. The other musicians turned back and joined the show again.

Mrs. Durant was already beginning to wipe away her tears, and it wasn't until the hero and heroine said the line "You_jump, I_jump" again, that her tears flowed down her eyes.

"Don't be sad, dear, it's just a play." Durant handed over the handkerchief.

"I know, but I can't help it, it's so touching." Mrs. Durant wiped away tears and sobbed.

"Oh no, go back and save them!"

"Damn, that bastard actually got into the lifeboat of the women and children."

"God, I don't want to watch it anymore, it's so uncomfortable."

“……”

Eugene O'Neill's script was well written, without the slightest drag, and the climaxes came one after another, and the audience couldn't help but burst into exclamations and curses.

The male protagonist lies on the plank and speaks with the last of his strength: "Listen, Rose. You will be saved...... Stay alive. There will be a lot of children...... The house is full of children and grandchildren, you will live a long life, you will die in a warm bed, not here, not tonight, not ...... So dead, you know? ”

"I won the ferry ticket, it was the happiest thing of my life. I'm lucky to know you, Rose...... I'm satisfied. I still have one more wish, and you must promise me to live and not despair...... No matter what happens, no matter how hard it is, promise me that it will be done......"

"I promise you."

"Be sure to do ......"

"I'll do it, Jack...... Be sure to do ......"

The heroine hummed in a daze: "Fly, Josephine, get on my ship...... She flies and flies...... She flew into the sky...... Fly, Josephine, get on my ship......"

In the audience, Mrs. Durant was already in tears, and the handkerchief used to wipe her tears was completely soaked.

The backup dancers use blue to simulate the waves of the sea. The nouveau riche fat woman knocks the crew unconscious, drives back with the other female passengers, and rescues the dying heroine.

The heroine muttered, "Jack, I'll survive, no matter what happens, no matter how hard it is." ”

The curtain drops and the show ends.

"Papapapa!!"

The five-minute round applause did not stop until the curtain call was over.

Hans, the theater owner, breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face: "It seems ...... The show was a success. ”