When one thinks of James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic, it’s impossible not to also think of Céline Dion, singer of that song. And so, a question: what if Céline had been there all along, right next to Jack and Rose, but you just didn’t realise it? That’s the ‘kooky krazy’ concept (as she’d put it) that inspired Broadway veterans Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue to write Titaníque.
They put this premise in a blender and added the campiest glitter they could find. Throwing in more TV and film references than one can cope with, they blitzed it on high and splashed it all over their nearest off-Broadway stage. The resulting show was received with a lot more excitement than anticipated, and Titaníque is now taking the world by storm, with productions in Canada, The West End and soon-to-be Paris.
Titaníque landed in Australia late last year, residing at The Grand Electric. Hidden in plain sight in Surry Hills, the alleyway takes you through to what feels like a cute Parisian bar. The journey continues as you step inside the theatre and are greeted by the friendliest deck crew. More Anything Goes than 1912 elegance (but that’s on purpose), you are instantly transported to a feel-good atmosphere.
The room is a cross between NYC’s 54 Below and the Kit Kat Club – the kind of venue Sydney needs more of. Large enough for a decent-sized audience whilst remaining intimate with a gorgeous bar within reach. The antique-looking iceberg lights surrounding the stage are a great touch to remind us of the crux of the story and impeccably blend in with the art deco décor.
It’s showtime, and Rose’s famous blue diamond necklace known as The Heart of the Ocean, now supersized, takes centre stage. As the strobing lights flash to the music, it’s not quite clear whether we’re on the Titanic or at Céline’s Vegas tour. Turns out it’s both. Céline Dion takes over only a few minutes in, and we’re in for an exhilarating ride.
On the night I attended, Georgina Hopson stepped into the diva’s glittery dress, showing us once again that there is no part she cannot dazzle in. Hopson’s got Céline down pat from accent to mannerisms and, most importantly, has the incredible vocal talent required to do the part justice.
It’s one hit after another, always smoothly moving the story along, thanks to Nicholas James Connell’s brilliant orchestration. The talent level of the cast is unreal. Voices are so powerful it’s pure joy flying through these beloved songs.
It takes a lot of comedy skills to land the jokes – and there are a lot of them. Probably more than you can catch. That’s a good thing, otherwise faces would be too sore by the end of the show from the constant laughing.
With so much content hitting you at a hundred miles an hour, the simple but effective set focusing on the legendary deck balustrade is perfect. It would have been a mistake to burden the show with more and take away from the acting.
Stephen Anderson won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Rose’s mother, Ruth, and it’s easy to see why. With the energy levels already stratospherically high, it takes a powerhouse performance to raise the roof even higher. Clutching his Forever 21 pearls, his spoken number, which puts Rose back in her place, is a tour de force, leaving the audience screaming for more.
Timing is everything with comedy, and it’s so refreshing to see a show successfully packing it all in a shorter runtime. At 100 mins (that’s including a super generous 2-second ‘interval’), this is the perfect duration to keep it all fresh and avoid what could have been a dreadful slip into the ‘too much’ zone. Some of the jokes are pretty raw but you love them anyway, as they’re wrapped up in such a lovely, shiny bow.
As Jack and Rose, Drew Weston and Jenni Little manage to convince us of their impossible romance, which is quite a feat, considering how hilariously they are portrayed. When not in character as Luigi, Matt Lee shines as Victor Garber at the helm of the ship. His pink leopard print steering wheel is all he needs to land his rendition of ‘I Drove All Night.’ Keane Sheppard-Fletcher is so perfectly villainy as Rose’s husband-to-be, Cal. Abigail Dixon steals the show with her Molly Brown as she belts through ‘All By Myself’ with such ease.
As the show ventures further and further into the absurd, there’s no trouble buying it all. When the iceberg collision inevitably comes about, it feels completely natural to somehow end up on the set of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Bringing the iceberg to life with an unexpected but delicious twist is Abu, who floors us with his versatility.
What could have easily ended up as plain silly, Titaníque is nothing short of pure theatrical delight. With an extended run just announced until 1 June, do yourself a favour and hop on that ship as soon as you can. And if you already have, go sea it again!
Titaníque is on now and runs until 1 June at The Grand Electric, 199 Cleveland Street Surry Hills 2016.
Tiquets: https://ticketing.titaniquemusical.com.au/tickets/series/TTQ
Website: https://titaniquemusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/titaniquemusicalau/
Photo credits: Daniel Boud
