It’s all seamen and Céline fucking Dion in Sydney at the moment as Off-Broadway sensation Titanique makes its international debut down under ahead of its London debut in December. This semi-improvised parody jukebox musical has been given some local flavour and filled with the elite crop of local musical comedy talent for a night full of pop culture quips and big belting tunes.
As the glamorous Canadian superstar Céline Dion (Marney McQueen) interrupts a tour at the Titanic museum to give her own first-hand recollections and set the record straight about that fateful night in 1912, her quixotic narration expands the tale we all think we know. The headstrong young Rose (Georgina Hopson), engaged to the cruel and impossibly well-contoured Cal (Keane Sheppard-Fletcher) meets Jack (Drew Weston) an ageing twink with an ass that won’t quit. But when tragedy—in the form of an iceberg—strikes, Rose and Jack are torn apart and thousands of people die. Oh, and there’s a big, hulking piece of jewelry.
Let’s be real, this show is as messy and chaotic as my first Pride. It’ll work hard for a cheap joke and will grab your attention harder than Rose grabbed that damn wooden board at the end of the film. The pop culture references are a queer grab bag of snappy one-liners and Drag Race references. The “Heart of the Ocean” deliberately looks like it was made at a school fete, with an egregious use of tinsel outside of the festive season. Thankfully, there is little time to breathe, let alone question it all, between the laughter and sing-along hits.
I may have been spoiled by the pace of shows like & Juliet and Moulin Rouge, but it feels like there aren’t actually that many Céline hits in the show (for the record, there are 17), especially as many of them were cover versions to start with. That said, the show does feature her two best singles, “Taking Chances” and “If You Asked Me To” (don’t even think of debating me on this).
But let’s face it, we’re not here for a dramaturgical exegesis of historical events, we’re here for melodrama and melodies, and Titanique‘s got plenty of both. The show has the energy of spicy improv, with each performer trying to subtly get one up on all their scene partners. The “ripped from the headlines” ad-libs keep things fresh, as do the performers’ naturally quick wits. Each has a hungry sense of comedy, chasing their next laugh. A “gag reflex” if you will.
Comedy/cabaret star Marney McQueen dazzles as Dion. Literally, thanks to her dress, but also for the captivating insanity she channels. It’s great to see musical theatre stalwarts like Georgina Hopson (internationally renowned for performing Phantom of the Opera in torrential rain) be given the room to show her funny side, which has, until now, mainly been glimpsed in riotous cabaret performances. Drew Weston plays up his looks with a range of hair-flicks and kicks to please the crowd (but those thirsty for more shirtless Cruel Intention: The 90s Musical moments will be left unquenched). Abigail Dixon milks Miss Molly Brown for every ounce of sass she can, belting out her numbers, and sweet Jesus, she can belt.
Out of this excellent ensemble, two ultimate scene-stealers come to the fore. Abu is the queen of side-eye as The Seaman, Iceberg, and the tour guide, and Stephen Anderson had me cackling nonstop as Ruth Dewitt-Bukater, Rose’s mean mother. Anderson’s ad libs are the stuff of genius and I can’t wait to see how they evolve over the run.
It’s rare that a new show from New York comes to Australia this quickly, landing in Sydney just two years after its Off-Broadway debut. Credit to local producers Michael Cassel Group for spying a hit and express shipping it down here. It’s something of a no-brainer seeing as Australia has been one of Céline Dion’s major international markets and the crowd reaction proved her enduring appeal. And the show is already proving to be hit with a diverse crowd, with everyone from drag superstars Courtney Act and Hannah Conda, to award-winning journalist Leigh Sales and even conservative ex-politicians filling seats on the two nights I attended. It’s clear that the power of love, and Celiné Dion, is bringing Sydney together for a rollickingly good night out.
By Chad Armstrong
Titanique is now playing at The Grand Electric, Sydney. For more details and to purchase tickets head to TitaniqueMusical.com.au.
Titanique is still running at New York’s Daryl Roth Theatre and opens at London’s Criterion Theatre on December 9th, 2024. There are also upcoming Canadian dates in Montreal and Toronto.