Titanic the Musical in Cinemas Review
The 1997 musical based on the namesake ocean liner comes to the big screen
“Near, far, wherever you are…” No, the musical, albeit opened just 7 months before the blockbuster film of the same name, features neither Leonardo DiCaprio or the song “My Heart Will Go On” by the legendary Celine Dion. Though set on the synonymous ship, Titanic the Musical is an epic journey through the RMS Titanic's maiden voyage in 1912, leading to its eventual sinking in less than three hours time.
First premiered on Broadway in 1997, the show swept five Tony awards in the same year including Best Musical. Numerous international productions have since been staged and the 2023 UK Tour will now dock at a cinema near you from 7 Mar, filmed live at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking.
The show follows the first (and last) sailing of White Star's RMS Titanic, the largest operating ocean liner at the time on its voyage from Southampton to New York City, told through a sweeping orchestral score by Maury Yeston. As a mostly sung-through musical, the piece opens with an expositional opening number introducing the 25-strong cast of passengers, sailors and crew helmed by Capt. Edward Smith (Graham Bickley). Passengers are divided into 3 “classes” corresponding to their social classes, reflected in some’s longing for better lives transatlantic.
Aboard the “largest moving object in the world”, executive J. Bruce Ismay (Martin Allanson) isn’t too satisfied with the speed of this maiden voyage as first class passengers continue to wine and dine. Despite increasing silent concerns of potential danger from the crew, the liner propels across the ocean, until at 23:40 on 14 April 1912, what started out as a glorious voyage had become, to the unknowing third-class passengers especially, a three-hour countdown as the Titanic struck an iceberg and helplessly sank into the dark, cold waters.
The highly cinematic nature of the source material itself is skillfully visualised in a collaboration of Peter Stone's well-structured book and Yeston's mostly atonal musical motifs that effectively foreshadows the looming danger. Though the pacing only manages to pick up steadily from the lead-up to the collision, occasionally distracted by romantic subplots (in which a young, lovesick sailor Frederick Barrett delivers standout solos thanks to Adam Filipe's vocal talent), David Woodhead's grand set is majestically utilised throughout to communicate emotional depth in climactic moments, visually enhanced by the intimate cinematography exclusive to this filmed version of the show.
In a verbatim-like monologue sequence, survivors reflect on the unprecedented tragedy, leaving both theatre and big screen audiences to, contrary to most musicals, impactful silence and an urge to remember those who sadly lost their lives in the historic disaster.
With a one-of-a-kind score recounting the event that brought much shock and overwhelming response to many, Titanic the Musical is a raw, impactful exploration of Titanic like you've never seen before, not to be missed in a cinema near you on 7 & 10 March. Times and tickets available here.
★ ★ ★ .5
Tickets and Accessibility
🎟️ The film is previewed in full with the kind arrangements of the distributor in exchange for an honest review.All views are my own without any input or approval from the producers and distributor.
♾️ There is one gunshot at around 2 hrs 5 mins (timings subject to change) at the end of the number “To Be a Captain (Reprise)”. A prop gun is visible on stage, with a brief moment of silence followed by a gunshot sound effect and a blackout.