TOWAMENCIN– 102 years ago, the legendary Titanic sank, leaving a mark in the history books and in our hearts. Since that fateful night, extensive literature and films have been produced to showcase the lives of the people on the boat. As the lights dimmed in North Penn’s auditorium on Wednesday morning, the cast, crew, and pit members of Titanic: The Musical gave many North Penn students a preview of what the full show would entail. Although many people know the story of the sinking ship, few know the unique stories of all the individuals onboard.

As the student orchestra under the direction of Mr. Matthew Klenk began playing while on stage, an outlined picture of the Titanic was getting brighter and brighter, a powerful moment that showcased the ship’s fleeting glory. Thomas Andrews (played by senior Matthew Wynne), who designed the Titanic, came onstage singing of how he thought it would be impossible to build the ship, but that he did it. Passengers ready to board the Titanic came out from the side auditorium doors and the back doors, giving audience members much to look at and take in. Characters said goodbye to their loved ones as the audience looked on.

After all the characters boarded the ship, the curtain came up and showed the entire cast waving goodbye as the Titanic was setting off. The set design has three levels to the boat: First Class, Second Class, and Third Class. There is also the Boiler Room #6, the Captain’s Deck, and First Class Dining Saloon. All of these scenes were shown to students who previewed the show, but there are still many other scenes and set pieces: for example, the sinking of the ship is a highly anticipated scene that is exclusive to show nights.

“The story of the people on the Titanic is so important, and not many people know it. The fact that we can share it is just amazing,” said junior Omkar Katta, who plays 3rd Officer Herbert J. Pitman and 1^st Class Steward.

A total of 1,517 people died in the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912. Only 711 people survived, making the ending of this musical a very emotional one.

“I’m not the most emotional person, and this show gets to me. And it gets to everybody in the cast, which means that it will get to everyone in the audience. We’re part of the show, but when people are watching this show, they’re going to get really into it,” said senior Melissa Fuhr, who plays Alice Bean. “It’s a fantastic show with a dramatic tone shift in the second act. It’s also a wonderful opportunity to think about something that happened a really long time ago, because we should still remember things that happened a long time ago.”

North Penn High School Theater invites everyone to join them and learn more about the story of the Titanic. The production of Titanic: The Musical will be April 30, May 1, and May 2 at 7:30 PM and May 3 at 2:00 PM.  To purchase tickets, go to www.npenn.org and click on the Titanic logo link, or visit Ms. McGuriman in F40. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults and will be sold at the door before every performance, along with candy grams and flower grams that are available to be sent to cast and crew members.