The original 1997 Broadway production of Titanic The Musical won five Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book, and a successful revival in 2014 further ignited the musical’s popularity.
Lincolnshire Marriott Theatre just concluded its triumphant run of the show this month. Marriott Theatre’s first-rate cast and crew skillfully and evocatively transitioned the show to a theatre-in-the-round performance space; kudos to director/choreographer Conor Gallagher and team. “As a child who discovered musical theatre in the '90s, Titanic was a formative show for me,” said Gallagher. “The chance to bring it to life on the Marriott Theatre stage is a thrilling, daunting, and ultimately energizing task. Add to that the legendary actors of Chicago and one of the most haunting scores ever written, and I couldn’t be happier to collaborate on this production.”
Brisk scene transitions, minimalist but effective stage props, and elegant costumes drew me directly on stage into the story, from its beginnings in boundless hope to its arduous slow-motion sink into tragedy and struggle for survival. Almost half the cast appeared in multiple roles, but the artful staging and progressive pace kept the story seamless.
It's a challenge to call out specific performances in an ensemble this effective, but a few callouts are necessary for:
- David Girolmo (as Captain E.J. Smith); he was stalwart yet vulnerable in his struggle to juggle safety concerns with incessant pressures from:
- Adam Pelty (as Bruce Ismay, Chairman of the White Star Line); “I promised we’d arrive in New York by nightfall on Tuesday."
- Girolmo’s real-life wife, Heidi Kettenring (as Ida Straus), paired with Mark David Kaplan (as Isidor Straus), were inspiring as a couple who chose not to board a lifeboat but face the end onboard, together.
- The irrepressible Lillian Castillo (as Alice Beane, the second-class passenger with a first-class wannabe complex) repeatedly stole the boat (I mean, the show), constantly contriving to slip into the onboard society of the rich and famous.
- James Earl Jones II shone as her deadpan-patient, loving husband Edgar Beane.
Kudos to the entire artistic team, which featured Associate Director and Choreographer Katie Johannigman, Scenic Designer Collette Pollard, Costume Designer Sully Ratke, Wig, Hair & Makeup Designer Miguel Armstrong, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug, Sound Designer Michael Daly, Props Designer Sally Zack, Dialect Coach Adam Goldstein, and Conductor and Stage Manager Colt Luedtke.
This year marks the Marriott Theatre’s 50th Anniversary celebration, during which they are pulling out all the stops to make each performance an experience, even transforming their signature upscale dining destination Three Embers Restaurant with pop-up themes supporting the current stage production. For Titanic’s run, they created the White Star Grill, featuring such dishes as Captain Smith’s Brown Windsor (a hearty lamb dish with rice and Madeira wine), First-Class Pub Steak ("Port of London"), an Atlantic Haddie Bake, and Isidor & Ida's English Pudding, a warm custard pudding with black currant sauce, “a tribute to enduring love.” As Three Embers’ General Manager Brad Lajoie said, “[This] allows us to blend the magic of theatre with culinary excellence… Guests will embark on an unforgettable journey through themed dishes and desserts, each thoughtfully crafted to evoke the grandeur and historical depth of the Titanic."
Visual touches such as luggage of yesteryear tagged and staged near convenient “portholes” practically begged for selfies to be snapped. Similar dining experience transformations await for the season’s remaining featured shows. View the full performance schedule at MarriottTheatre.com.
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Titantic is Everywhere this Year
The enduring allure of the RMS Titanic finds new life in three dramatically different forms, capturing imaginations across generations. Titanique, a wildly entertaining Off-Broadway musical spoof, reimagines James Cameron’s 1997 film through the voice and music of Céline Dion. Equal parts parody and tribute, the show combines camp humor, powerhouse vocals, and a generous helping of nostalgia, offering a fresh take on Jack and Rose’s iconic romance. The show is now playing in Chicago through July 13 at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place.
Meanwhile, Disney and Hulu have teamed up for a dramatic new television series on the Titanic, blending historical accuracy with gripping storytelling. Early reviews give high marks to character development, production values, and an emotional pull that explores not just the tragedy, but the class divisions and cultural dynamics of the era.
For those seeking a closer-to-home connection to the past, just up Rand Road the Volo Auto Museum has a permanent Titanic exhibit. It’s an immersive installation with replicas, artifacts, and multimedia that covers the ship's construction, voyage, and fateful end. It offers a poignant, educational experience for all ages.
Along with the Marriott’s presentation of Titantic the Musical all of these examples reaffirm the tragedy’s timelessness in the human experience.
This year marks the Marriott Theatre’s 50th Anniversary, so they are pulling out all the stops to make each performance memorable.
The Titantic's story reaffirms the tragedy’s timelessness of the human experience—class differences, hubris, loss and the enduring nature of love.