Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The sixth show of North Shore Music Theatre’s 69th Season is “Titanic, the Musical” with a book and story by Peter Stone, who also wrote “1776” and music and lyrics by Maury Yeston, who also did the same for “Nine” and “Grand Hotel”. This is an epic musical about the 1912 sinking of the legendary ocean liner in the world, Titanic, when it ran into an iceberg. The show is a stirring and emotion-packed production based on the real people aboard this ship. It focuses on the passengers’ hopes, dreams, and aspirations for their future, who each boarded with solid and personal ambitions of their own. All of them were unaware of the terrible fate that awaited them. These passengers were the Third-Class immigrants who dreamed of a better life in America and were not treated very well by the snobbish upper classes; the Second Class imagined that they too could join the lifestyles of the rich and famous with varying success, while the millionaire men of the First Class anticipated their legacies lasting forever. It can also be seen as a cautionary tale of human greed that still exists today. The politics between Captain Edward Smith, the shipbuilder Thomas Andrews, and the overbearing chairman of the White Star Line Board, J. Bruce Ismay, who pressured Captain Smith to accelerate the speed of the maiden voyage to impress news headlines to help him out financially with his business. Ismay did not give a hoot about the passengers’ safety. He was a scummy businessman. In Act 1, we meet the multitude of characters on the ship with many joyous and hopeful moments, while in Act 2, the passengers who escape face their shattered dreams while going to the lifeboats while the doomed ones must make peace with their farewells to each other. The most heartbreaking farewell occurs between Isidor and Ida Straus who owned Macy’s Department Store. The love and devotion between these two people who have been married for 40 years is displayed in their beautiful and poignant duet “Still” which rips your heart out before this magnificent, breathtaking musical comes to a close. The audience leaped to their feet in a spontaneous standing ovation with cheers and tears streaming down their face as it was a well-deserved reward.

Producer and owner Bill Hanney surrounds himself with incredibly talented people to pull off this epic musical with 29 cast members, some of whom play multiple roles. The theatre is transformed into an ocean liner, and the audience becomes passengers. Director/choreographer Kevin P. Hill once again brings his expertise to “Titanic, the Musical” in casting these roles superbly with highly talented performers. His keen insight into these characters shines all night by the cast members embodying these historic people perfectly. This musical won Five Tony Awards in 1997, and the audience can understand why that happened. Musical director Milton Granger conducts a fantastic 7-piece orchestra and plays lead keyboards. He also obtains a phenomenal harmonic balance of the cast in their group numbers, threatening to blow the roof off the theatre with their power and punch. These group numbers are “Godspeed Titanic” with soaring harmonies, “What a Remarkable Age This Is,” which is reminiscent of a Gilbert and Sullivan number and is led by Henry Etches, the chief steward, and his staff waiting on the First Class three separate times, “Dressed in Your Pajamas in the Grand Salon” where the First Class can’t accept something happened to the indestructible ship, “We’ll Meet Tomorrow” where Barrett and doomed passengers bid goodbye to their loved ones, “The Foundering” where Bride, Ismay, and the other survivors wonder what could have been done to prevent the tragedy, “In Every Age” where the survivors hope they will someday be reunited with their loved ones and “Godspeed, Titanic” which is a lamentation at the loss of life on this ship that began so hopefully. Fortunately, some comic numbers lighten the mood of the show, which include busybody, social climber, Alice Beane’s “The First Class Roster,” the Irish lasses of Third Class song about what they want to become in America called “Lady’s Maid,” the bandmaster’s two songs “Doing the Latest Rag” which turns into a huge dance number and “Autumn” where the First class wants to be entertained. Brett Hennessey Jones, as the bandmaster, croons these two dance numbers with his strong vocal talents. The fabulous scenic and lighting design is by Jack Mehler, who makes you feel like you are aboard the ship. The gorgeous multitude of early twentieth-century costumes was initially designed by Jeffrey Meek, with additional costumes by Rebecca Glick, costume coordinator. The sound design is by Alex Berg, and the projection design is by Pamela Hersch, with the dates of the historical events as they take place and the incredible sinking of the Titanic at the close of the show. The incredible wig and hair design is by Rachel Padula-Shufelt, and a word of praise to hard-working stage manager Stephen MacDonald, who keeps 29 cast members, props, and sets entering all at the proper times. Dialect coach Keri Safran does a fantastic job with this show’s different dialects.

The cast does a splendid job with their roles in this show. However, I won’t be able to mention every one of them, but I will include standout moments and characters. Trevor Martin does a splendid job as he tackles the role of Thomas Andrews, the designer of the ship who, at the start of the show, boasts of his enormous achievement of building a floating city, a metropolis in “Every Age” by comparing it to the wall of China and the Roman aqueducts. Later on, he congratulates the Captain and Chairman of the Board on “The Largest Floating Object in the World.” When the ship hits the iceberg, the three blame each other. In “The Blame,” Andrews exclaims he built the boat from scratch, the Captain lamenting everyone dreaming their dreams aboard the ship to have them crash around them. Ismay casts the blame on the other two while having been the cause of the ship continually picking up speed to feed his massive ego and never accepting blame. When Andrews is alone near the end of the show, he realizes that all class distinctions don’t matter at all with the tragedy in “Mr. Andrews Vision” that everyone is the same.

Tom Galantich shines as the stalwart captain Smith, who has been a captain for 43 years without an accident and bravely handles the problems thrust upon him. He runs the gamut of emotions in this role. I last reviewed him as Utterson in “Jekyll & Hyde” here in 2018. Bronson Norris Murphy not only plays the overbearing and pompous J. Bruce Ismay but is also the show’s assistant director and dance captain. He captures the greedy nature of this role excellently, and of course, Ismay found his way into one of the lifeboats to be rescued while many others drowned. Both Tom and Bronson display their strong voices in these two roles. I have reviewed Bronson in many musicals at NSMT throughout these years.

One of the most sympathetic characters is Frederick Barrett, the stoker on the ship, who will get married as soon as the Titanic returns to England. Trevor James is marvelous as Barrett has a strong baritone voice and delivers “How Did They Build the Titanic” while marveling at the amazing engineering feat when he’s asked to increase the speed of the ship disagrees with the order “In Screws are Turning” but shows the strength of this man to follow orders to the tee. He displays a softer side, admitting he is madly in love with Darlene in “The Proposal.” At the same time, Mark Mitrano, as Harold Bride, the telegraph operator, sings the counterpoint “The Night was Alive” while sending the message in Morse code. (Mark also leads the final “In Every Age” as he tugs on the audience’s heartstrings with tears streaming down his face.) Barrett is heroic in Act 2, helping the three Kates and Jim Farrell to escape to the lifeboats from Third Class, and gives up his seat to Farrell because he doesn’t know how to row a boat. “The Staircase” is the song where Barrett helps them escape to the lifeboats. 

Some characters supply some comic moments in the show. The third-class gals that do so are Leslie Jackson as Kate McGowan, Marie Eife as Kate Murphey, and Anette Barrios-Torres as Kate Mullins. They sing “Lady’s Maid” about what they want to do when they arrive in America. (The other two Kate’s wish to be a governess and a seamstress.) However, Miss McGowan sets her sights on fisherman Jim Farrell, played by Dominic Pagliaro. Later in the show, the four of them escape from their doom by Barrett. The second-class folks who lighten the show are Charles Clarke and Caroline Neville, played wonderfully by Benjamin Lurye and Jennifer Ellis. He is going to become a journalist in America and couldn’t marry because Caroline’s stubborn father wouldn’t approve. Their beautiful song is “I Give You My Hand,” where they declare their love for each other. They pretend to be married so they can stay in their room together.  (They also induced tears at their final separation as the lifeboats were lowered.) Another funny character is a pushy social climber in Second Class, Alice Beane, played splendidly by Carlyn Connolly. She is unhappy in Indiana and plots and plans how to do that in “The First Class Roster” while her hardware salesman husband, Edgar, constantly chastises her and swears up a storm while doing so. Eventually, she can dance with The First Class in “I Have Danced.” Later on, Edgar claims he wants to show Alice the world. Kevin Patrick Martin plays the doomed Edgar with a twinkle in his eye at first and then accepts his fate at the show’s end. Alice learns that she has everything she wants with her wonderful husband. Unfortunately, she knew it a little too late. I last reviewed Carlyn in “The Great Gatsby” at Ivoryton Playhouse, while I last reviewed Kevin in “42nd Street” at Theatre by the Sea earlier in the year.

The most poignant characters in the show are Isador and Ida Straus, played excellently by Kevin B. McGlynn and Mary Callanan. They have been married 40 years, own Macy’s, and are very wealthy. However, when it is time for the ladies to go to the lifeboats, Ida refuses and decides to stay with her husband because there will be nothing left without him in her life. Their song “Still” tells of their incredible depth of love for each other. The couple claims that even though they have been together for a long time, it still feels like when they first met, and they are companions of their souls. The audience audibly reacted, tears flowing and sniffling throughout the theatre. So, for a musical that will not only entertain you with phenomenal acting and singing but will resonate with you and impact your life to live each moment to the fullest, be sure to catch this musical theatre masterpiece at North Shore Music Theatre. Go to their website, nsmt.org, or call their box office before the entire run is sold out. Tell them Tony sent you. This is my 2200 review, and what a magnificent show to commemorate this event. This is one of the must-see shows of this autumn season.

TITANIC, THE MUSICAL (29 October to 10 November)

North Shore Music Theatre, 54 Durham Road, Beverly, MA

1(978)232-7200