Titanique at The Grand Electric, Sydney
Review by Damien Barrett @_helloshoppers. | Fashionably Late Podcast
We rarely get off-Broadway productions here in Australia, and it’s even less common to get one so quickly after opening in New York. Still, after having seen the hilarious Titanic parody Titanique at the Daryl Roth Theatre in New York last December, I understand the motivation for producers Michael Cassell and Eva Price to get the iconic “ship of dreams” to set sail and dock in Sydney as quickly as they possibly could.
Titanique is the story of James Cameron’s epic movie Titanic, told from Celine Dion’s (conspiracy theorist) point of view and set to all Celine tunes. And believe me when I tell you I have never laughed so much in a show in my entire life. Even in NYC, I fell off my chair in hysterics when I saw it alone. Let alone see it with friends at Sydney’s fabulously intimate, character-filled performance space – The Grand Electric in Surry Hills last night.
The show begins at an exhibition of Titanic artefacts and the action quickly moves to the movie story line narrated by Celine Dion who is intent on telling us what really happened that fateful night. Marney McQueen’s Celine Dion is nothing short of a masterful performance coupled with perfect comedic timing and soaring vocals to boot! What McQueen and the rest of the cast deliver is a valentine to Celine Dion. Parody works best when it’s rooted in genuine affection and Titanique most definitely pokes fun at the quirky Canadian songstress but does so with so much love, respect and admiration for one of the greatest voices of all time.
The rest of the cast delivers stellar performances that complement McQueen’s vocal power and match her seemingly inexhaustible energy. Georgina Hopson, fresh from playing Christine in Opera Australia’s Phantom of the Opera, proves that she can not only belt with her legitimately world-class pop voice but is also genuinely funny.
Handsome Drew Weston is perfectly cast as Jack Dawson and had the entire audience swooning every time he walked onstage. Keane Sheppard-Fletcher is fabulously camp as villain Cal, and Stephen Anderson very nearly steals the show as Rose’s deadpan mother, Ruth, who delivers multiple, perfectly timed stage slaps. With her powerful vocals, Abigail Dixon’s ‘Unsinkable’ Molly Brown is absolute perfection (side note: this reviewer appreciated the Kathy Bates / American Horror Story references). Matt Lee as Victor Garber / Luigi (a role played by Ru Paul’s Drag Race alum Willam off-Broadway) was hilarious in his performance of I Drove All Night, complete with pink leopard steering wheel, and Abu’s Tina Turner / Iceberg character had the entire room screeching with delight.
The cast works exceedingly well both as an ensemble and in each of their star moments. It is rare to see a collection of voices this good together in one show.
A special shout out too, to the band, under the expert musical direction of Sydney’s favourite twink Musical Director Hayden Barltrop, who delivered Celine Dion banger after banger including A New Day Has Come, I’m Alive, Taking Chances, All By Myself, River Deep Mountain High, Beauty and the Beast, The Prayer, My Heart Will Go On and a very, very, very Celine deep cut – Who Let The Dogs Out.
Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue’s book for Titanique is pure comedy genius with a healthy dose of pop culture thrown in for good measure. Ru Paul’s Drag Race references fly thick and fast, including Sasha Velour’s famous rose petal wig reveal and Valentina’s infamous “I’d like to keep it on, please” moment – IYKYK). What I appreciated in this production version, which is shortly opening in multiple cities worldwide, were the tweaks made to the script to ‘Australian-ise’ some of the comedy. There are references to Proud the Jewellers, Opera Australia’s dubious casting of Sarah Brightman in their current production of Sunset Boulevard and even former Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s famous misogyny speech, which had the entire audience screaming out “Not now, not ever”. I heard whispers on the night that some of the new jokes not included in the off-Broadway version were improvised in rehearsal and left in by writer/director Tye Blue, who is currently in Sydney specifically to direct this production iteration.
But the night belongs to shining star Marney McQueen, playing one of the greatest voices ever lived. This Titanic might hit a Tina Turner-shaped iceberg but does not sink. It rises to the top, providing Sydney audiences with the most fun you could ever have at the theatre. This is clever writing matched with perfect performances delivered with genuine affection for the source material. Run – don’t walk to the Grand Electric in Sydney’s Surry Hills to see Titaniquebecause as soon as word spreads, you won’t be able to get a ‘tiquet’.
Titanique presented by Michael Cassel and Eva Price, is playing at The Grand Electric, Surry Hills, through November 2024.
In his past lives, Damien was a drag queen and musical theatre actor. He made his stage debut as a fat cow in a school production of Joseph in 1984. He holds a BA with a major in drama from the University of Newcastle. He is completely obsessed with musical theatre – especially broadway divas. Since relocating to Sydney at the beginning of 2024 he attends every musical he can get to and lives with his partner and grumpy 12 year old poodle.