Synopsis

Act I

Titanic: The Musical opens on April 9, 1912. Shipbuilding team of Harland and Wolff, alongside the ensemble, extol the great building feats in history and their own great building adventure, Titanic. The scene shifts to early the next morning in Southampton, England where the crew of the ship bustles about preparing and loading the ship for the upcoming grand voyage on the magnificent Titanic. Alongside the crew, the audience is introduced to passengers from the first, second, and third class levels as they anticipate boarding.

As the boat sets sail, Captain Edward J. Smith; ship designer Andrews; and Chairman of the White Star Line, Bruce Ismay gather on the bridge. Ismay urges Smith to take the ship faster as he hopes to make the crossing as short as possible for publicity purposes and tries to get Andrews on his side. The scene changes to the boiler room where the stoker Barrett comments on the hasty increase in the ship’s speed and then tells his story through song.

Later that evening, second class passengers gawk at the opulence of the First Class Dining Saloon, where the Captain and Ismay again discuss speed over safety. The Captain mentions that they will be taking the Northern route to save fuel and time. During the next evening’s dinner, Ismay is happy to hear of increased distance with increased speed the previous day. A crewmember arrives to alert the Captain of an iceberg warning. On Saturday evening, Ismay is annoyed when the Captain tells his second officer to maintain the speed at 21 knots.

After dinner, the Captain and First Officer Murdoch discuss another report of the iceberg, but Smith does not worry as it is hundreds of miles away. Meanwhile, on the third class deck the audience hears the dreams of three Irish women all named Kate who are looking for opportunities in America. As the scene switches to the second class deck above, Charles and Caroline, who are engaged but pretending to be married, deal with the differences between their social classes in their lives at home.

Back to the crew, Ismay is angry with Andrews and Smith, imploring them to show Titanic’s greatness through speed. In the radio room, Radioman Bride is furiously sending cables about the journey and receiving cables about the iceberg. Stoker Barrett comes in to send a cable to his love back home, sending her a proposal for when he returns.

On Sunday morning, the first class passengers enjoy a ragtime band and dance after church services, and second class passenger Alice tries to sneak into the festivities. When she returns to her husband Edgar, she talks about how she wants so much more.

That night all over the ship, crew and passengers rest, converse, challenge each other, connect, and commiserate. The night is calm, cold, and moonless. Amidst all the stories taking place all around the ship, the lookout, Mr. Fleet spots the forewarned iceberg and sounds the alarm. In a slow motion tableau the ship makes contact at 11:40 pm on April 15th and the act comes to an end.

Act II

Just a few moments after the ship hits the iceberg, the crew begins to wake passengers. The first and second class passengers are told to put on life vests, dress warmly, and come to the upper decks. The third class passengers, by contrast, are told to stay below and await further instructions. Second Officer Lightoller reports to the bridge, noting that the ship is taking on water in several of the boiler rooms, which are rapidly filling. Andrews also arrives with reports of a 300 foot gash in the hull and six of the sixteen compartments impacted. Ismay does not want to alarm the passengers and says Titanic should be able to stay afloat; Andrews informs him that the damage is too severe and the boat will sink.

In the First Class Grand Salon, first and second class passengers gather under advisement of the crew. The crew tries to hide the truth from the passengers while at the same time telling them to don life vests and the ship noticeably starts to tilt.

On the F deck below, the story is more immediately dire, as the third class passengers are locked below and the men’s dormitory begins to flood. Stoker Barrett attempts to aid some of the passengers in escaping the rapidly sinking level of the ship. Above, the first and second class passengers move out onto the upper decks. The Captain, Andrews, and the officers discuss the lack of adequate lifeboats. The number was lowered to make accommodations for the view and comfort of the first class passengers. Captain Smith still refuses to tell the passengers what is really going on and instructs the crew to load the first and second class passengers into lifeboats. When Lightoller inquires about third class, the captain says not to worry about the hundreds of them stuck below.

Desperately trying to get help, radioman Bride sends distress signals to any ship he can find. Carpathia has replied, but will not arrive for over four hours. Californian appears to be closer, but he is getting no response. The possibility of help coming before Titanic sinks is becoming more and more a dream.

Back on the ship’s deck, first and second class women and children are being put into lifeboats. Separations occur and both crew and passengers lament their lost loves and the impending lost lives. As Titanic comes to its ultimate demise, the remaining people aboard the ship resign themselves to the truth and what is to come.

The final scene of the musical takes the audience to the Carpathia, where the survivors tell of the tragic aftermath of the sinking of Titanic. Both the survivors and the departed come together for one final song and one final reminder of the tragedy of the ship of all ships, Titanic.