The Titanic sets sail

Holding onto hope and cherishing every moment one has with their loved ones are two of the prominent themes surrounding Maury Yeston and Peter Stone’s musical, “Titanic.”

The musical follows the lives of the Titanic’s passengers and chronicles the events leading up to the ocean liner’s tragic journey on the icy Atlantic Ocean. 

Navy blue light floods the stage as the first set of curtains opens and the melodic sounds of a live orchestra introduce the audience to the ship’s port. The clanging of cymbals, tinkling of a xylophone and vibrato of a cello fill the air as the first scene begins and passengers start boarding the marvelous vessel. 

Dressed in early 1900s attire, passengers earnestly grasp their tickets to board the ship. They stand in awe as they progress toward the White Star Line ramp leading to the ship’s deck. 

A mixture of joy and sadness exists throughout the show. Audience members both laugh and cry as the voyage approaches its final destination. 

Isabella Burke plays the role of Katherine McGowan, who was a third-class passenger on the Titanic. Burke is a junior working toward her Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre. 

According to Burke, her character in the musical is based on two real Irish women, McGowan and Kate Gilnagh. Burke explained that she had to do extensive research to fully understand who these women were in history and why their stories influenced the Titanic’s journey. As part of her research, Burke analyzed regional Irish accents to learn how to do an Irish accent for her character. 

“Even in this super tragic story, (McGowan) finds the beauty in every person that she’s meeting and everything that she is pursuing, and she pursues it one hundred percent, which I very much relate to,” Burke said. 

The musical integrates impactful solos, duets and ensembles, while telling the stories of many true historical figures who once traveled on the Titanic.

“The other people that I play alongside were historical people who were actually there (on the ship),” Burke said. 

While part of the musical highlights McGowan’s aspirations for becoming a lady’s maid and pursuing the American dream, the show also delves into the rest of the passengers’ ambitions. Whether the character is a second-class newlywed, 15-year-old bell boy or prominent shipbuilder, every passenger firmly believes that their voyage on the esteemed Titanic is their ticket to a new life. 

Josh Thomas plays the role of Thomas Andrews, the shipbuilder of the Titanic. Thomas is a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in musical theatre. 

“I’m alive today you know, thank God that I can go home and see my family. I get to spend another day with my family. I think that is the message of the show, and the music and lyrics encapsulate that,” Thomas said. 

Auditions were held last semester, and rehearsals for the production began Jan. 12. Over the course of a month, the entire 40-member cast of “Titanic” has worked tirelessly to accurately research its characters and finalize the preparations for the show. 

One of the most captivating aspects of the production is that the primary stage setup is a three-tiered rotating set of the ship. Throughout the course of the production, cast members and stagehands routinely turn the ship to prepare for the next scene. Whether it is a scene with the captain peering out into the ominous waves or a scene revealing the first-class ballroom, the revolving ship is the most important element of the show.

“It’s a very active set. It’s very movable; it’s very adaptable, which is really cool because (we have) a 40-person cast. It’s good to have something that fits all of us and allows for such variation in where we are,” Burke said. 

The ship’s open-concept structure allows each of the actors to fluidly perform their dance numbers with a clear view of the starlit backdrops and stage effects in the background. 

“(The ship set is) beautiful in a sense that it doesn’t necessarily overpower or take away, and it allows the individuals … to really shine,” Burke said. “Which is the whole point of the musical, … showing these real people who are there and showing their stories even though this tragedy has happened.” 

Both Burke and Thomas admitted that performing in this show has opened their eyes to the necessity of being in the moment and valuing time with family. Although the musical follows a harrowing storyline, its primary message teaches the audience to value every second of every day.

“Everything about our lives truly is moment-to-moment, and we have no clue what tomorrow’s going to be, and we can’t change what yesterday was, but we do have the ability to be present and to be aware of where we are, who we are with, and I think about that a lot during the show,” Burke said. 

“Titanic” will be showing in the Tower Theater from Feb. 16 to March 3. For ticket information, visit www.liberty.edu/arts/theatre/current-season/. 

Davis is the feature editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X.