Ode to History: 'Titanic: The Musical'

When StageCoach Productions booked the weekend of April 13-15 at the Court Street theater for their spring show a year ago, they hadn't actually settled on a show, yet.

As fate – and impressive timing – would have it, the production rights for "Titanic: The Musical" were available, and April 15 just happens to be the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage.

What better way to mark such a momentous anniversary than to mount an epic musical based on the lives of those who were passengers on that "ship of dreams."

Musical director Judy Hayward said one thing people can expect is to NOT hear that song from the movie, the one made famous by Celine Dion.

"The main problem is a lot of people think it's going to be like the movie. But those characters were not real. 'Rose' and 'Jack' were not on the boat," Hayward said. "Our production is actually about the real people who were on the Titanic, so I'm hoping that maybe people will come away with some actual history, knowing something about the lives of some of the people actually involved."

That was the hope of the show's creator, Maury Yeston, as well, who once said he was inspired to pen the words and music for the Broadway production after the remains of the Titanic wreckage were recovered in 1985.

Yeston was drawn to the project, he said, by two things in particular: 1. The human urge to strive for great artistic and technological feats, even in the face of tragic failure and; 2. The fragility of the collective dreams of all the passengers on board, from the immigrants traveling third class in search of a better life, to the first-class passengers of privelege.

"The collision with the iceberg dashed all of these dreams simultaneously, and the subsequent transformation of character of the passengers and crew had, it seemed to me, the potential for great emotional and musical expression onstage," Yeston is quoted as saying about his musical masterpiece.

Hayward said Yeston's inspired passion comes through, as this production is a tender retelling of the story most people don't know, driven by strong musical numbers.

"Every show has it's pros and cons, but this show is beautiful. No, you won't hear, 'My Heart Will Go On," and maybe there are no songs in it as memorable as that, but  you're going to go away humming the music. You can't help but get caught up in it, because it's that powerful and beautiful," Hayward said.

Hayward said one of the most powerful songs is "The Blame," in which the ship's owner, builder and captain are blaming one other for the tragedy as it's unfolding, Hayward said. 

"The main thing to remember is the musical is about the people on board, and their lives. Yes, it took place on a ship and, yes, the ship sank. But it's more about the way they felt and that they did have lives and they weren't just numbers; 1,500 people died on the Titanic. Through the musical, you get to know more about who those people were," Hayward said.

And, not surprisingly, there's a Nashua twist to the Titanic story, beyond this musical tribute.

According to an entry in the Encyclopedia Titanica, an Englishman by the name of Richard James Slemen, 35, who was among the passengers who drowned at sea, was thought to be heading to Nashua to meet with relatives when the ship sunk.

"Titanic: The Musical," will be staged April 13, 14 at 7:30 p.m.; and April 15 at 2 p.m. at the Janice B. Streeter Theater, 14 Court Street, Nashua, NH.

Tickets are $20 for adults/$18 for students and seniors, and available online at StageCoachProductions.org.

Full disclosure: One of the performers in this production, Aimée Robidoux, is the daughter of Nashua Patch Local Editor Carol Robidoux.