"Titanic the Musical" - by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone - North Shore Music Theatre (Beverly, MA.) - REVIEW
(Cover Photo: The CAST of "TITANIC THE MUSICAL" by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone, now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through November 10, 2024. Photo Credit: David Costa Photography)
By Kevin T. Baldwin
METRMAG Reviewer
# 774-242-6724
"May God's Heaven be your blanket as you sleep."
- ("Barrett & Bride") / Maury Yeston and Peter Stone
North Shore Music Theatre
Presents
"TITANIC THE MUSICAL"
Book by Peter Stone
Music and Lyrics by Maury Yeston
Directed and Choreographed by Kevin P. Hill
Music Director Milton Granger
Cast Includes:
OFFICERS & CREW OF R.M.S. TITANIC:
Tom Galantich* as “Captain E.J. Smith,” Conor McGiffin as “William Murdoch,” Brendan Jacob Smith* as “Charles Lightoller,” Harrison Drake as “Herbert J. Pitman,” Trevor James* as “Frederick Barrett,” Mark Mitrano* as “Harold Bride,” Harrison Drake as “Henry Etches,” Andrew Kotzen* as “Frederick Fleet,” Brett Hennessey Jones as “Robert Hitchens,” Billy Goldstein as “Joseph Boxhall,” Daniel DiPinto as “Joseph Bell,” Brett Hennessey Jones as “Bandmaster Hartley,” Meag O’Meara as “Bellboy,” Evan Bertram as “Barrett’s Girl,” Daniel DiPinto as “Steward.” “Stokers” - Marcus Huber, Brett Hennessey Jones and Dominic Pagliaro. “Stewardess” - Anette Barrios-Torres, Evan Bertram, Whitney Daniels, Marie Eife*, Sara Elizabeth King, Emily Song Tyler.
PASSENGERS ABOARD R.M.S. TITANIC
First Class: Bronson Norris Murphy* as “J. Bruce Ismay,” Trevor Martin* as “Thomas Andrews,” Kevin B McGlynn* as “Isidor Straus,” Mary Callanan* as “Ida Straus,” Billy Goldstein as “John Jacob Astor,” Emily Song Tyler as “Madeleine Astor,” Marcus Huber as “Benjamin Guggenheim,” Anette Barrios-Torres as “Mme. Aubert,” Daniel DiPinto as “John B. Thayer,” Whitney Daniels as “Marion Thayer,” Brett Hennessey Jones as “George Widener,” Evan Bertram as “Eleanor Widener,” Sara DeLong as “Charlotte Cardoza,” Kevin Patrick Martin* as “Thomas Arthur Whitely,” Sara Elizabeth King as “Elsie Bowerman.” “1st Class Passengers” - Mark Mitrano*, Brendan Jacob Smith*
Second Class Benjamin Lurye* as “Charles Clarke,” Jennifer Ellis* as “Caroline Neville,” Kevin Patrick Martin* as “Edgar Beane,” Carlyn Connolly* as “Alice Beane,” Andrew Kotzen* as “Mr. D’Amico,” Marie Eife* as “Mrs. D’Amico,” Sara DeLong as “2nd Class Passenger.”
Third Class Leslie Jackson* as “Kate McGowan,” Marie Eife* as “Kate Murphey,” Anette Barrios-Torres as “Kate Mullins,” Dominic Pagliaro as “Jim Farrell,” Andrew Kotzen* as “Frank Carlson,” Billy Goldstein as “German,” Marcus Huber as “Italian Man,” Evan Bertram as “Italian Woman,” Andrew Kotzen* as “Father,” Sara Elizabeth King as “Mother.” “3rd Class Passengers” - Whitney Daniels, Sara DeLong, Meag O’Meara, Emily Song Tyler.
Understudies & Study Covers
Understudies & Study Covers Are Never Substituted For Listed Performers Unless A Specific Announcement Is Made At The Time Of The Performance.
Understudy For: Kate McGowan - Marie Eife*; Harold Bride - Andrew Kotzen*; Charles Clarke - Mark Mitrano*; Herbert J. Pitman & Henry Etches - Brendan Jacob Smith*; Study Cover For: Caroline Neville - Evan Bertram; Alice Beane - Whitney Daniels; Ida Straus - Sara DeLong;Frederick Barrett - Daniel DiPinto; William Murdoch - Harrison Drake; J. Bruce Ismay & Isidor Straus - Billy Goldstein; Frederick Fleet & Charles Lightoller - Marcus Huber; Jim Farrell & Bellboy - Brett Hennessey Jones; Kate Mullins - Sara Elizabeth King; Captain E.J. Smith - Conor McGiffin; Thomas Andrews - Dominic Pagliaro; Kate Murphey - Emily Song Tyler.
Additional Creative Team: Production Stage Manager - Stephen MacDonald*; Assistant Stage Managers - Dakotah Wiley Horan*, Elizabeth Yvette Ramirez*; Assistant Music Director/Rehearsal Pianist - Robert L. Rucinski; Dance Captain - Bronson Norris Murphy*.
* Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
Performances:
October 29, 2024 through November 10, 2024
(Contact Box Office for Exact Times)
TICKETS:
For tickets and information visit www.nsmt.org, call # 978-232-7200, or visit the North Shore Music Theatre box office in person at 54 Dunham Rd., Beverly, MA.
BUY TICKETS
COVID 19 PROTOCOLS
Contact Venue for Most Updated COVID-19 Safety Protocols and Information.
North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) has staged a unique in-the-round production of "TITANIC THE MUSICAL" which is both poignant and an awesome sight to behold.
When this show was announced back at the beginning of the summer, the prevailing topic was just how NSMT was going to pull this off, meaning: IF they remove the most familiar elements to the TITANIC story, just how would they still be able to maintain the overall feel of the original musical?
Well, now we know, and the answer is…brilliantly.
Even with a couple of the most “familiar” associated elements of the TITANIC saga removed (I won't tell you which are removed but it will be obvious), in doing so, it actually heightens the intimacy, pulling us further into the emotional content of the story rather than just anticipating its ultimate factual conclusion.
From its beginning to its historically tragic ending, "TITANIC THE MUSICAL" at NSMT is a powerful, gorgeous production.
For this distinctive staging by NSMT director and choreographer Kevin P. Hill, there is definitely a more empathetic feel to the musical and, thanks to a phenomenal ensemble, it is all left there on the stage.
From ceiling to floor, from stage to the back of the house, there is not one inch of misused or unused space in this staging.
As you enter the arena, there are suspended artifacts from the sunken ghost ship which still haunts and fascinates us even today.
Projections are used against multiple “lifeboats” above the stage and it cannot be overstated just how critical the multimedia projections are to the success of this show.
This is a technical masterpiece from Hill and the entire NSMT creative team, for sure.
(Photo: Conor McGiffin as “William Murdoch” with Tom Galantich as “Captain E.J. Smith” in a scene from "TITANIC THE MUSICAL" by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone, now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through November 10, 2024. Photo Credit: Paul Lyden)
When "TITANIC THE MUSICAL" opened in 1997, it opened virtually around the same time as the juggernaut movie TITANIC with Leonardo DiCaprio, featuring one of the most overplayed “earworm” songs of radio that year, “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion.
As such, "TITANIC THE MUSICAL" - with its captivating book by Peter Stone (who also wrote the book for the musical ”1776”) and score by Maury Yeston - went virtually ignored on Broadway by the general public.
However, it did run for a respectable 804 performances before closing.
Fortunately, the musical was not ignored by the Tony Awards, winning in all five categories for which it was nominated, including Best Musical and Best Score.
Unfortunately, as the show went into its initial touring phase, many audiences still went in literally expecting a musical interpretation of the movie.
Without the “Jack and Rose” subplot driving the score, many walked away disappointed.
I witnessed this first-hand when the musical 'docked' briefly in Boston while on tour.
Going into the experience with an open mind, however, audiences who had NO such pre-conceptions nor unrealistic expectations walked away having been engaged by epic staging, a strong score and even stronger vocal performances.
That is also what is happening now with this latest and inventive staging by North Shore Music Theatre.
With its “experimental feel,” NSMT audiences may not only leave entertained, but they might also be inclined (no pun intended) to give extensive standing ovations.
I wish I could point to a single performance or song that upends (no pun intended) all others but it is nearly impossible as the ensemble is that powerful throughout the show.
While some songs in the libretto may come across as stronger than others, "TITANIC THE MUSICAL" is definitely an ensemble piece.
This is made clear throughout as the NSMT company continuously rises to the level required to make this a captivating show.
The two-act musical is a sweeping epic, filled with multiple subplots all set on doomed ocean liner RMS TITANIC (ironically referred to as “unsinkable”) which (spoiler alert) sank on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912.
Before boarding the ship, the cast refers to the massive vessel as the “ship of dreams.”
(Photo: Andrew Kotzen as “Frederick Fleet” singing "No Moon" from "TITANIC THE MUSICAL" by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone, now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through November 10, 2024. Photo Credit: David Costa Photography)
The NSMT in-the-round presentation uses minimal set pieces, as opposed to fully constructed sets.
The musical also features an exceptional ensemble which has the unenviable task of portraying multiple roles requiring split second costume changes.
It is the precise combination of these period-appropriate costumes, props and all other technical elements which created the near perfect illusion that we are aboard the doomed ship with its unfortunate passengers on their voyage into the history books.
The entire creative team deserves high praise, indeed.
As to the story itself – it begins (and ends) with a question:
Ultimately, just who is to blame for the actual TITANIC tragedy?
Later we discover that there was plenty of blame to go around as evidenced in the musical number “The Blame,” performed by arguing ship’s Captain "Edward J. Smith" (Tom Galantich), cruise line chairman "J. Bruce Ismay" (Bronson Norris Murphy) and ship’s designer and builder "Thomas Andrews" (Trevor Martin).
Overall, there are many wonderful moments in the production, making it difficult to single out individual performers from the impressive ensemble.
The musical's Prologue and Finale renditions of “Godspeed, TITANIC” stir as the voices, under the guidance of NSMT Music Director Milton Granger, splendidly blend.
The orchestra is powerful but never overwhelms the equally superb ensemble of voices on stage.
(Photo: Trevor Martin as “Thomas Andrews” sings "Mr. Andrews' Vision" from "TITANIC THE MUSICAL" by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone, now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through November 10, 2024. Photo Credit: David Costa Photography)
In the bowels of the ship, we see the "stokers" who feed the fire to help keep the ship propelling its way toward its destiny.
One of the stokers, Barrett (Trevor James), sings about this process in the song, “The Screws are Turning” which, in addition to displaying more inventive staging, also contains some prophetic lyrics:
“And the screws are turnin’ at seventy-two. Faster and faster, we watch as we gain ever more. Seventy-three, and too soon it is seventy-four. For a record speed I believe we strive! For the maiden ship that's too hard to drive if you push her faster than seventy-five.”
Later, Barret joins TITANIC wireless operator, "Bride" (Mark Mitrano) in the emotionally charged duet, “The Proposal/The Night Was Alive.”
James and Mitrano are exceptional vocalists among castmates who are ALL exceptional vocalists.
“Lady’s Maid” is another powerhouse number, sung by the immigrants in the below decks Third-Class of TITANIC, revealing their dreams of a better life in the new world, led by the “Three Kates” (Leslie Jackson, Marie Eife and Annette Barrios-Torres).
If the above number leaves you with chills, you are not alone...although, as evidenced at the October 30th performance, it could also be because somebody turned down the heat in the theatre space, possibly to mimic conditions on the cruise liner where you could literally see the breath of anyone above deck (bring a jacket, just in case).
(Photo: Trevor James as “Frederick Barrett” sings "Barrett's Song (The Screws are Turning)" from "TITANIC THE MUSICAL" by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone, now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through November 10, 2024. Photo Credit: David Costa Photography)
The one actual dance number in "TITANIC THE MUSICAL," “Doing the Latest Rag” sung by the ensemble portraying the upper deck First-Class passengers, is probably the only number in the musical which seems 'out of step' with the rest of the show and has always felt like a bit of forced levity.
However, Hill’s choreography allows the number not only to entertain but also to help propel forward certain subplots, as well.
The First-Class was made up of passengers who, we later find out, had the easiest access to the minimal lifeboats put on TITANIC which resulted in the high number of deaths after (spoiler alert, same as the first) the ship hit the iceberg and sank.
The song, "No Moon," leading to the Act One finale, is both haunting and foreboding thanks to the ensemble and the resonating vocal styling of Andrew Kotzen who portrays crewman lookout "Fleet."
The song flows into the equally haunting and melancholy number “Autumn,” sung by the ship’s Bandmaster Hartley (Brett Hennessey Jones).
(Photo: The CAST of "TITANIC THE MUSICAL" by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone, now playing at Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA. through November 10, 2024. Photo Credit: David Costa Photography)
There are multiple subplots in "TITANIC" with numerous touching albeit tragic stories of other couples, such as the charming, long married First-Class couple Isador and Ida Straus (Kevin B. McGlynn and Mary Callanan) who delight in their moving duet “Still.”
A critical moment in Yeston’s score that is a minor complaint but has never really worked dramatically, is at the end of Act One at the point where (spoiler alert, same as the first) TITANIC hits the iceberg.
There is NO visual or audible recognition of any kind for the event.
The music simply builds into a crescendo and then...nothing...as the stage goes to a slow blackout, leaving the audience to assume the event has taken place at the very end of Act One.
"TITANIC THE MUSICAL" continues in Beverly, MA. until November 10, 2024 and the North Shore Music Theatre has given us an(other) splendid visceral musical event that absolutely should not be missed.
BUY TICKETS
Approximately two hours, 35 minutes with one intermission.
Kevin T. Baldwin is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA)
@MetrmagReviews
@Theatre_Critics
ABOUT THE SHOW
April 1912.
RMS TITANIC sets sail on its maiden voyage across the North Atlantic.
This "unsinkable" ship of dreams, carrying more than 2,200 souls, is on a collision course with destiny.
From the boiler room TITANIC examines the hopes and dreams of those aboard the doomed luxury liner in the nights leading up to its fatal encounter with an iceberg!
"TITANIC THE MUSICAL" is a stirring and unforgettable account of the first and last days of the “ship of dreams.”
This epic musical features the real stories of people aboard the most legendary ship in the world - from the Third-Class immigrants dreaming of a better tomorrow to the First-Class passengers living a life of privilege.
"TITANIC THE MUSICAL" won five 1997 Tony Awards including Best Musical.
This majestic musical treat cruises onto the NORTH SHORE MUSIC THEATRE stage for the theatrical event of the year!
RUNNING TIME: Approximately 2h 35m (includes intermission)
CONTENT ADVISORY: May include strong language, stronger sexual situations/dialogue and violence. Recommended for ages 12 and older. We do encourage you to use your judgment based on your own research of the show, your own sensibilities, and a child's age and maturity level.
No children under the age of 4 will be permitted in the theatre including babes in arms.
ABOUT BILL HANNEY'S NORTH SHORE MUSIC THEATRE
Since opening in 1955, NORTH SHORE MUSIC THEATRE (NSMT) has become one of the most attended theatres in New England, with approximately 250,000 patrons annually. With a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, NSMT has received numerous industry awards including Elliot Norton Awards, IRNE Awards, the Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors' Equity, and the Moss Hart Award. NSMT produced the World Premiere of "Memphis" in 2003, the show went on to win four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Under the new ownership of Bill Hanney since 2010, NSMT continues to annually produce a musical subscription series and an annual production of "A Christmas Carol" along with celebrity concerts, children's programming and year-round education classes for children and adults.
54 Dunham Road
Beverly, MA 01915
PHONE # 978-232-7200
FAX # 978-232-9999
northshoremusictheatre@nsmt.org
