“I’d describe the experience as one of encountering a giant wall of sound, except that Marriott stages shows in the round and the director here, the very skilled Connor Gallagher, also had the task of turning a show that often invites actors just to plant their feet on deck and open their mouths into something that works in that format.

I was mighty impressed by how well Gallagher threaded that particular needle, as well as how well he keeps the stakes high and makes the stage feel ship-like in every possible way. I wish Marriott had added a few players to its small but here over-amplified band, given the particular demands of this title and the cumulative power of the singers it cast, but this production still offers a formidable musical experience, coming at you with more emotional intensity and existential gravitas than any other time I’ve seen this particular show.”

“TITANIC, THE MUSICAL is such a show, especially in Marriott’s unbelievably moving, majestic and yet intensely intimate production. It draws the audience onto “The Largest Moving Object” and takes the passengers, crew and theatergoers on a memorable journey during which “The Night Was Alive.” Every time I attend a Marriott production I think, “How can they surpass the last show they presented?” And yet, a model of artistic consistency, the Lincolnshire Theatre always proffers another polished professional production in-the-round, every single time. This is no exception, although I can’t imagine how their upcoming shows will top TITANIC, THE MUSICAL. This show is so superior and sublime, I’d gladly pay to see it again.

Directed and Choreographed with tremendous skill and knowhow, New York’s Connor Gallagher (BEETLEJUICE, THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM, THE BIG GAY JAMBOREE) has made his Lincolnshire Theatre production into a living, breathing entity. This is said a lot of a show, but, truly, this is a production that should not, must not be missed. TITANIC, THE MUSICAL isn’t produced all that often and seldom as spectacularly as it is currently at the Marriott. You will be rewarded with a beautiful presentation of a poignant story that’s based in historical fact. ”

“It is this version of “Titanic The Musical” that opened at Marriott Theatre on Wednesday, expertly directed and choreographed by Connor Gallagher with a matchless Chicago-based ensemble featuring top stage veterans and exceptionally talented newcomers to the Lincolnshire venue.  ”

“This production, directed and choreographed by Conner Gallagher on the in-the-round stage at Marriott Lincolnshire is a triumph in bringing story to stage. Not just for Gallagher, but for the ensemble that brings all of the characters to life. ”

“The music is entrhalling and the movement on stage is mesmerizing. The simple, sleek staging and lighting changes set the mood perfectly. The costumes are richly designed and appropriate for the time. The artistic team has created a monumental, powerful, “WOW” production that I believe was both evocative, heart-wrenching, and, at times, humorous. From the length and volume of the standing ovation, the audience loved this musical drama.”

“This is an outstanding production. Everything from the beautiful costumes to the sound design to the lighting is immaculately depicted to highlight the intentions, narrative, and emotions seen on stage. From the red hot lighting and specific actor movements in the coal room onboard to the blues and greens during the tragedy as people are moved into the lifeboats, it is easy to know where you are and get carried away in it. This production of Titanic The Musical is beautifully staged, incredibly lit and costumed, and the cast is amazing.”

“What truly elevates this production, however, is its inspired use of space and movement. The transitions between scenes — sometimes with multiple ‘locations’ unfolding side by side — are executed with such fluidity and precision that you almost forget how complex they must be. This production truly excels at movement: not just of set pieces and lighting, but of people. Gallagher, alongside Associate Director and Choreographer Katie Johannigman, orchestrates the large cast with finesse. ”

“Director/choreographer Connor Gallagher makes an auspicious Marriott debut, delivering a compassionate, briskly paced revival animated by the soaring vocals, exceptional stagecraft and herculean efforts by crew members to affect quick costume changes.

Ably building tension in the final moments of the endlessly expositional first act, Gallagher sustains it throughout the second, which concludes with the wrenching “Mr. Andrews’ Vision.” The number finds Christopher Kale Jones’ ship designer Thomas Andrews narrating what occurred as the ship sank, mayhem Gallagher’s stylized choreography vividly portrays.”

“In Titanic The Musical, a production perfect for Marriott’s in-the-round theater, director and choreographer Connor Gallagher somehow makes 21 actors look like a cast of hundreds while creating so many beautifully bustling stage pictures that you begin to take them for granted. By eschewing bombast and melodrama to focus on subtler, achingly poignant moments like these, this Titanic helps us feel the loss of not just a great ship, but of all these individual lives exactly 113 years later.”

“This production directed and choreographed by Connor Gallagher made me think about the things that were really lost on that calm April night. The somethings, actually. The someones. 1,517 someones.
Utilizing the Marriott’s theater-in-the-round setup, Gallagher lets his cast—the people on board the boat—bring this early-20th-century story well into the 21st. And what a cast he brings along for the cruise!”

“Director and choreographer Connor Gallagher (Marriott debut – please do more) has created an exceptional stage experience. There is the excitement of coming to America, joy at returning home, love, heartbreak and loss. You will find yourself being moved to tears. The Marriott has given a new view of this story. It is powerful. It is moving. It’s history. Bring Kleenex. ”

“Making a spectacular Marriott debut, director and choreographer Conor Gallagher…never lets us forget that the strongest element is its haunting music, under the music direction of Ryan T. Nelson with conductor/keyboardist Brad Haak. From the stirring opening chorus to the various solo and duet pieces that characterize the dreams and hopes of the passengers of all classes, we feel intimately involved with each of them thanks to a sterling cast.”

“Because of the direction and choreography of Connor Gallagher, this “Titanic” is gorgeously and sweepingly staged, showcasing a 26-member ensemble’s abundance of talent. It also weaves in historical and technical information about the majesty of the “largest moving object in the world.” Gallagher makes it a thrill for the audience who reward the ensemble with much applause throughout and a deserved standing ovation at the finale.

I truly had wondered how the Marriott’s theater-in-the-round stage could do it, but Gallagher’s blocking (which addresses all angles of audience perspective) and Pollard’s use of a silver railing for the prow and silver frames for descending lifeboats work especially well when lit with the unobtrusive blues, oranges and illuminating shades and spotlights of Jesse Klug’s lighting design. And don’t worry, those collision and scraping iceberg sounds are there thanks to Michael Daly’s sound design.”

“The ending is a given: Almost everybody dies. But the North Atlantic sinking that killed more than 1,500 people is only part of the equation under Gallagher’s able direction. “Titanic the Musical” strives to tackle issues of class, immigration and hubris. Moreover, the Marriott cast gives the underwhelming score soaring power.”