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BrumHour saw Titanic the Musical at the invite of Birmingham Hippodrome.
By David Fox twitter.com/DavidFoxTheatre
Review: Titanic the Musical at Birmingham Hippodrome
⭐⭐⭐⭐”Spectacular”
Directed by Thom Sutherland, story and book by Peter Stone, music and lyrics by Maury Yeston.
The tragic story of the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic needs no introduction – the subject of many books, documentaries, and films over the years. Titanic the Musical re-tells the story of the infamous night in 1912 when the most luxurious ship in the world struck an iceberg in the Atlantic and sank, leading to the deaths of over 1500 passengers and crew.
Now celebrating its 10th Anniversary on tour, Titanic the Musical won five Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book for its original production on Broadway. The spectacular show returns to Birmingham Hippodrome this week.
While it may seem an unusual subject to make a musical out of, Titanic the Musical focusses on the lives of some of the real-life passengers and the tales of their survival, hopes, dreams and aspirations.
The first half of the show dealt with the lives of the passengers as they embarked on their voyage to the New World. On the one hand, songs dealt the songs of the first-class passengers, on the other there were songs dealing with lower-class life. Each of the characters showed snapshots of the daily life of Titanic with my favourite moments showing departure from Southampton, a fantastic afternoon tea dance on the upper decks and an emotional moment with the wireless operator sending a message home to loved ones. The second half dealt with the aftermath of the iceberg, with the excellent ensemble cast working well to present the panic and fear of the disaster.
Titanic the Musical boasts an amazing large-scale cast who were all fantastic and several performers really stood out! I partially enjoyed Bree Smith as Alice Beane, Alistair Hill as Harold Bride and Ian McLarnon, whose powerful voice leant great gravitas to the role of Titanic designer Thomas Andrews. There were many touching moments in this production with the most poignant being a beautiful final dance between Mr and Mrs Straus who after 40 years of love did not want to be separated in their final moments!
One of the most impressive aspects of this show is the set, lighting design, and costumes – evoking the upper decks of high society, and the engine room of the gigantic craft on an impressive scale.
At the end of the show, a roll call of real names appears and the silence on both stage and auditorium serves as a touching tribute to the who perished.
Overall this production was thrilling, touching, and heart-warming – a spectacular production! Titanic the Musical is at Birmingham Hippodrome until 22nd April 2023. Book tickets here: birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/titanic-the-musical-2.
