Titaníque Broadway Review: A Campy Céline Dion Musical's Scale Conundrum
The hilariously deranged musical Titaníque, now open on Broadway, presents a delightfully campy riff on the Titanic story, infused with Céline Dion's iconic songs. According to its creators, the idea originated as a drunken conversation among friends, pondering what if the Québécois singer not only performed the movie's theme but genuinely believed she survived the disaster. This silly concept has evolved from humble beginnings into a full-scale Broadway production at the St James Theatre in New York.
From Basement Beginnings to Broadway Grandeur
Co-authors Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli, and Tye Blue initially staged Titaníque in the basement of a shuttered Manhattan grocery store, creating a zany, gay, and extra "kooky crazy" show. It later upgraded to an Off-Broadway run, a world tour, and an acclaimed West End stint. However, the transition to the cavernous St James Theater has introduced a new dynamic, with jazzed-up production elements like tiered risers, an on-stage band, and neon-red stage lights that evoke a corporate reality TV show rather than the intimate, scrappy charm of its origins.
Meta Humor and Vocal Challenges
Directed by Tye Blue, Titaníque is packed with wink-wink notes and meta Broadway in-jokes, but the heightened environment exposes limitations in scale and, at times, vocal wattage when compared to Dion's legendary prowess. The show remains raucous, raunchy, and loosely plotted, thriving in a boozier, more intimate setting where Mindelle, as Dion, can fully embrace her diva parody mode. Her performance, earning an Olivier award for the West End run, features sequined glory, bizarre accents, and fourth-wall-breaking antics, including references to cult YouTube compilations.
Cast and Character Dynamics
In this madcap tribute, Dion becomes the definitive source on the Ship of Dreams, claiming she was present on that fateful April night in 1912. This setup pulls focus from hybrid movie-celebrity-parody characters, including Jack (Rousouli), Rose (Melissa Barrera), Cal (John Riddle), Rose's mother (Jim Parsons), the Unsinkable Molly Brown (Deborah Cox), actor/Capt Victor Garber (Frankie Grande), and the cheekily titled Seaman (Layton Williams). The performers hustle on and off stage, switching characters rapidly, akin to a reality singing competition.
Humor and Audience Appeal
The show's humor skews pop culture niche and gay, with jokes ranging from deliriously funny, like a ribald sex scene reinterpretation, to strained references involving phones or Soho. It raises questions about whether a broad Broadway audience will appreciate nods to Grindr or RuPaul's Drag Race. Highlights include Deborah Cox's winking rendition of All By Myself and Layton Williams' drag performance as the iceberg, delivering an athletic vocal feat that earns standing ovations, particularly in the superior second half.
Embracing Dion's Spirit
Ultimately, Titaníque shines when it dispenses with the movie plot and indulges in Dion's dementedly dramatic catalog, sung with extreme unseriousness and show-tune pizazz. Embracing the real Dion's belief in passionate singing, the musical steams toward a triumphant finish, where the highs of the bit, like a good joke, go on and on, even if dick joke mileage may vary.
