Title: Titanic: The Musical (Liberator Films)

Genre: Musical

Cast: Martin Allanson, Valda Aviks, Graham Bickley, Sam Brown, David Delve, Adam Filipe, Alastair Hill, Niamh Long, Ian McLarnon, Jack North, Bree Smith, more

Director: Thom Southerland; directed for the screen by Austin Shaw

Website: amazon.com

Photo credit: Pamela Raith

Tell me more: One of the most tragic events of the 20th century, the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912 continues to fascinate and haunt the world more than 112 years after "the unsinkable ship" hit an iceberg and sank in the icy waters of the North Atlantic resulting in the death of 1,522 men, women and children.

A number of films about the doomed ocean liner were released in the years after the disaster, but no single production captured the event as powerfully as Titanic: The Musical, a two act musical that originally opened on Broadway on April 23, 1997 and went on to win five Tony Awards (including Best Musical); that initial production ran for 804 performances. With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone, that production toured the United States beginning in January 1999. I caught that production at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles and it was an incredible introduction to the musical for this writer. Titanic: The Musical has since received hundreds of professional and amateur productions worldwide and become a staple of musical theater.

Adam Filipe portrays Frederick Barrett in Titanic: The Musical. Photo credit: Pamela Raith

A 2023 UK tour of the celebrated musical was filmed and has just been released on both DVD and Blu-ray (the latter format reviewed here) by Liberator Films. Chronicling real crew members and passengers on the ship, the film captures the "hopes, dreams and aspirations of all on board her faithful maiden voyage." The visual and audio quality on the 136-minute production is outstanding.

A scene near the end of Titanic: The Musical honors the 1,522 persons who died on the RMS Titanic's maiden voyage. Photo credit: Pamela Raith

The lavish and creative stage production is matched by the strong cast; without exception the performers deliver strong acting and vocal performances. Additionally, the on-stage/on-screen chemistry between the principal players is palpable. For example, key scenes featuring Adam Filipe and Alastair Hill (as Frederick Barrett and Harold Bride), Martin Allanson, Ian McLarnon and Graham Bickley (as Bruce Ismay, Thomas Andrews and Captain Edward Smith), and Valda Aviks and David Delve (as Ida and Isidor Straus) are elevated by the collective strength of the players.