Titan: Why did the writers choose to make Jack Thayer a child when he was 17 in real life

Michael Cerveris: I don't actually know. My guess is that they wanted a character who would represent all the youthful innocents that was on board the ship. So they bent the historical truth a bit.

Broadway Baby: Titanic as you know is a passionate and emotional show, Do you find yourself getting choked up at the end?

Michael Cerveris: I find myself leaving the theatre with a kind of melancholy. It's a lot different from the way I felt leaving after Tommy.

ksholes: On your way to Broadway Titanic experienced turbulence. Was there someone in the creative team or a cast member who kept up everyone's spirits?

Michael Cerveris: I think that everyone in the creative team were excellent at hiding whatever doubts they may have had. And making us feel supported and as confident as possible that we would weather the storm. But Richard Jones, our director, set such a brilliant example of selflessness and generosity that it made everybody work together.

CaptSmith: Michael, I was wondering if you share a dressing room at the L-F? If so, does it get cramped at all?

Michael Cerveris: Yes and yes. I share with the actor playing Mr. Etches which was originally Allan Corduner and now Henry Stram. Luckily both of them are very flexible and fairly small.

ksholes: The actor who play Andrews in the movie, Victor Garber, has appeared in several shows. Any chance he'll replace you. I saw Titanic, The Musical last May and enjoyed it very much.

Michael Cerveris: I don't think so because he opens very soon in Art. But I'm a fan and friend of his for some time.

RentBoy: What do you mean by "technologically challenged"?

Michael Cerveris: I don't have a computer. Yet! But my family insists that I get one soon so they can at least email me.

Broadway Baby: Do you have a fan club?

Michael Cerveris: I don't. But I do know that there's at least one website The Amazing Journey. The URL is http://www.web-span.com/micheez/index.htm and I think there is another one as well, but I'm not sure of that address.

BBNeuwirth7: Did you major in theater at Yale?

Michael Cerveris: Yes, but it was not its own department in the undergraduate school in Yale. At least at that time. So, I was a theatre studies major in the humanities department. So I had to fill a lot of regular academic requirements in addition to theatre work.which was exactly the kind of education that I wanted.

Broadway Baby: WHAT is Lame?

Michael Cerveris: "Lame" is a band that I started while I was doing Tommy. Comprised of myself singing and playing guitar, Alice Ripley singing and playing guitar, her husband Shannon Ford playing drums and John Jinks playing bass. Doing a lot of our own original material and some covers. We played at clubs in NY and then I later formed another version of "Lame" while I was in Germany with 2 German musicians.

TITANIC FAN: Do you think Titanic will win the Grammy for best cast recording

Michael Cerveris: I certainly hope so. I confess, I voted for it.

Abby: Hi Michael, I remember hearing a great story about your audition for the Broadway version of Tommy. I was wondering if you had any other great stories to share.

Playbill: Actually Michael, why don't you tell us the story about the Tommy audition.

Michael Cerveris: We all had to re-audition for the Broadway company after doing the show 110 times in La Jolla. But when my turn came to audition I had to fly to NY and unfortunately, I was just getting over a cold. I was put up in a Times Square Hotel where they initially put me in a room next to one sealed off with NYPD crime scene tape. And the next morning I warmed up in an apartment full of cats (the animals, not the actors) and I'm allergic. So... by the time I got to the audition, my voice was pretty much dried up and gone. So, I plowed through a couple of songs before it disappeared altogether. The good thing is that it forced them to judge me on the basis of the work that I had done since I couldn't really have done anything better in an audition room that I hadn't done on stage. It also taught me that even your worst nightmares coming true are not always the end of the world. And most importantly, it gave me a good story to use on the Tonight Show when I met Jay Leno. I'm not sure the producers thought it was as funny a story as Jay seemed to.

David Robert Laro: Do you like to listen to your cast albums?

Michael Cerveris: I finally listened to Tommy (once) on a car stereo and I have yet to get through all of Titanic. I basically listened to enough that I know that I don't have to hide in public.

agnes: What kind of dog?

Michael Cerveris: She is the greatest dog, although, I'm sure every owner says that of their dog. She looks like the RCA dog, Nipper. She's all white with one black ear and one spotted ear. And I found her at the ASPCA in Manhattan. She's the only dog I know that has lived in Europe for 2 years and gone swimming in the Mediterranean.

agnes: Were you able to meet anyone who actually knew your character in real life?

Michael Cerveris: No, but I communicated by phone and by fax with people at Harland and Wolff ship builders where the Titanic was built and also with people from the Ulster Titanic Historical Society about Andrews as a person and a designer. He does have family still living in the family home outside of Belfast but they prefer not to be approached by people from the outside. So I respected their privacy.

NikiZ: Greetings from Germany (from Markus). How did you like Germany?

Michael Cerveris: I LOVED Germany. I had a great time living there and travelling all over the country. The German musical fans are extremely enthusiastic and supportive and I hope to get back there some day. Either working or just visiting.

diane: Mr Cerveris, where are you from? For the longest time I thought you were British!

Michael Cerveris: That's probably because I seem to only play British characters. But I actually grew up in Huntington, West Virginia.

RentBoy: You've performed for audiences outside of this country, are there any interesting differences with how they behave during shows and also afterwards as well?

Michael Cerveris: Well, for one thing, in Germany, fans are extremely organized and bring you little stuffed animals and also you have cards made with your picture from the show that they call Autogram Cards that you sign for people. As far as in the show, the reaction to Tommy in Germany was much like the reaction in the US. Maybe a little more wild because they really appreciated the unique character of that musical. It was also very interesting working with European actors and stage crew. Especially when your show begins with a five minute re-telling of WWII. In fact, when the British soldiers used to sing We've Won, We've Won, We've Won one of our German stage managers used to smile and sing. We've Lost, We've Lost, We've Lost.