By Norah Jewett ‘25
Last December, I was sitting in the audience of the North Shore Music Theater, anxiously waiting to watch David Coffee reprise his role as Scrooge in The Christmas Carol (again) when they announced the titles for the 2024 theater season. Among them was Titanic the Musical. I sat there with my brow furrowed. They made a musical about that? A horrible accident that took the lives of more than 1,500 people? But being the musical theater fanatic that I am, the following few days I’d listened to the soundtrack, trying to gauge for myself if it was another silly love story like the 1997 film (it was not thankfully), or a compelling story worthy of seeing. And to my surprise, yes it was.
The show is treated with a huge degree of respect, every character was an actual person aboard the Titanic or is heavily based on a real individual. And while obviously there are subplots added into the show that may or may not have actually happened historically, it doesn’t change the fact that this show is a respectful tribute to those who lost their lives that night.
Titanic the Musical had won five Tonys in 1997: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Scenic Design, Best Orchestrations, and notably, Best Original Score. The score is a work of art in all forms, with powerful ensemble numbers, heart-wrenching duets and carefully crafted motifs and themes that are built into the orchestra. Since first listening to the soundtrack, I had been long-awaiting the time when it actually came to the theater where I could see it live. I had high expectations for the show, and the production quickly well-exceeded them.
The singing and acting brought tears to my eyes, with heart-touching moments such as the beautiful duet between stoker Frederick Barret (played by Trevor James) and wireless operator Harold Bride (Mark Mitrano). Over half of the audience was in tears during the dreaded lifeboat sequence including “We’ll Meet Tomorrow” as couples say goodbye as the “lifeboat” platform moves away from the stage. And of course, we can’t forget the gutting performance of Kevin McGlyn and Mary Callanan as Isidor and Ida Straus in “Still,” a number I have been waiting to see performed live for the past year.
Outside of the somber moments, Act 1 is full of more lively songs leading up to the night of April 14th, such as “Doing the Latest Rag,” a number chalked full of energized ragtime dancing. Additionally, several characters have songs dedicated to them singing about their life experiences and their dreams for the future they will have in America. Notably, the third-class shares this in “Lady’s Maid,” which well-describes the American Dream that so many immigrants hope to achieve.
What’s so heartbreaking about this show is that you go in knowing that the ship and most people on it are doomed. It makes their excitement about their hopes and dreams turn bittersweet because you know many of those dreams will die with the passengers. You can’t help but look on in horror at the crew thinking they’ll pass the iceberg or the lack of concern from the passengers, knowing the fatal outcome of the story.
The actors’ performance of Titanic the Musical is spectacular in the means of singing, dancing and acting. But another important piece to any successful show is the set. Obviously every production of any musical has its own unique setting and artistic choices, but this rings especially true with North Shore Music Theater being a theater-in-the-round. The set was very versatile despite the limitations of the actors needing to be seen from all angles of the audience and also not having a traditional backstage. A table was created for the dining scenes by raising the lift in the middle of the stage, railings were changed out as the ship started to sink, and a crow’s nest sat perched in the audience for the lookout. What really peaked my interest was the lifeboats suspended above the audience that served as projection screens. Visual details about the location of the current scene were projected onto the surfaces, as well as the current location of the scenes and the time at which it occurred to allow the audience to keep track of what was happening and how close to the disaster the plot was. It was a clever way to clear up any confusion and make use of the limited space they have.
Another eye-catching part of the production was the costumes. They well represented the different classes aboard the ship––beautiful Edwardian dresses and smart suits and coats for the first-class, vibrant walking suits and jackets for the second-class, and more mismatched and practical clothing for the third-class. Without words alone, one was quickly able to tell which circle each character belonged to. These costumes immediately transported the audience back to 1912 with visuals alone.
Now the musical does shift some things in order to make the story actually function as a musical.
Namely, Bruce Ismay, who was the owner and is typically regarded as the “coward” of the Titanic for getting into a lifeboat and not going down with his ship. He is portrayed as the “villain” of this musical, because a successful drama needs a good antagonist. But Bronson Norris Murphy, the actor who portrays Ismay in the North Shore Music Theater production, states in an Instagram post how “[he] is constantly smacked with the reality that [they] are telling the stories of REAL human beings who suffered incredible tragedy.” Do we really have the ability to judge them? This consciousness is what makes the production that much more moving, because any cast who is involved in this show has this respectful mindset knowing that these are real people they are acting as.
In all, the North Shore Music Theater’s production of Titanic the Musical gets a glowing review from me. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, especially if you’re not into the somberness of the plot and message. But much like every other show of theirs that I’ve had the pleasure of attending, they do not fail to deliver on yet another wonderful production. Seeing this show handled with so much respect and seeing it brought to life right before my eyes made it well worth the wait!
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