‘Titanique’ sets course for Sydney

The most irreverent production of the year sails into Sydney today as Titanique makes a splash at the Grand Electric Theatre.

Based on the multi-award winning film, the production reimagines the story of Jack, Rose, Cal and Molly Brown as retold through the voice of Celine Dion.

Starring many of our best musical theatre performers, Titanique will feature Dion’s beloved songs “My Heart Will Go On”, “To Love You More” and “All by Myself”, which could almost be Rose’s theme song at the end.

“I would call the show 90 minutes of pure escapism and hilarity where you can leave your worries at the door,” said Drew Weston, who plays Jack Dawson in the production.

“I have seen the scenes for the show plenty of times and I am still laughing my head off!”

The show, which originated in 2017 from the pen of RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Tye Blue, Maria Mindelle and Constantine Rousoli, initially opened in Los Angeles where production was only meant to run a few months but is now entering its third year.

Titanique’s original run saw it pick up three Lucille Lortel Awards, including Outstanding Musical, the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical and multiple other awards.

“It is definitely a word of mouth show that has become very infectious and some people have been back twenty times or more,” Weston said.

In a rare move for Sydney theatre, this production will have its co-originator and original director Tye Blue at the helm.

“It’s such a blessing having the original director,” Weston said. “Normally you would have an associate director or someone who has been attached to it for a while, but with Tye as a co-writer and director he can give us the back story about how this show came to be, and his idea of bringing some laughter to the world.

Blue is also making sure that the Sydney show is unique to a local audience. “There are a lot of pop culture references throughout the show and some of these have been changed to suit an Australian audience,” Weston said.

Celine is played by vocal powerhouse Marney McQueen, who played Marion the barmaid in the original Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, the Musical and later became one in real life in country New South Wales. “Marney is an absolute powerhouse and a comic genius, which you really need for the role,” Weston said.

“The role of Celine is a love letter, and Marney can do what she wants as an actor as there are no boundaries. Any kind of bizarre choice kind of suits the role, but it always comes from a place of love.

“You really feel like you’re in one of Celine’s Las Vegas shows as she puts herself into the narrative and she tells you what really happened on the Titanic!”

The role of Rose DeWitt Bukater is one that Georgina Hopson, last seen in Kate Miller Heidke’s Bananaland.

About Hopson, Weston said: “Georgina and I have known each other for years and this is the first time that we have worked together, and it is going to be quite dangerous.”

Titanique also stars Keane Sheppard-Fletcher as Cal Hockley, Stephen Anderson as Ruth, Abigail Dixon as Molly Brown, Abu Kebe as the Iceberg and Matt Lee as Victor Garber.

“All the elements, the choreography, the direction, the music, and the lighting and sound all come together so well,” Weston said.

“Its a single set show and you will have to come to find out how the Titanic sinks through the magic of theatre!”

Titanique is a Michael Cassel and Eva Price production and will run at the Grand Electric,199 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills from September 12.

Titanique
12 September – November 3
The Grand Electric Theatre, 199 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills
https://titaniquemusical.com.au