“Titaníque” started as a drunken idea: What if Celine Dion not only sang the theme song in James Cameron’s 1997 movie “Titanic,” but also claimed to be a survivor of the ship’s sinking?
Ridiculous, right? But, also, funny. That idea, bandied about by a group of friends in a Los Angeles bar a decade ago, led to a spoof musical that was staged, first in the basement of a shuttered Manhattan grocery store; then, for three years, in a legit Off Broadway theater; and in Australia, Brazil, Canada and France, as well as in Chicago, and in London’s West End, where it won an Olivier Award for best new entertainment or comedy play, and where it is still running.
Now, in another improbable twist, “Titaníque” is planning to return to New York next spring for a 16-week run on Broadway, with previews beginning on March 26 and an opening scheduled for April 12 at the St. James Theater — the largest venue the show has played.
“Broadway was always a gleam in our eye, but it wasn’t until the show had ecstatically received productions in other cities that we started to hatch a plan,” said Eva Price, the musical’s lead producer. “It further emboldened us to know that it had a real potential to succeed on Broadway.”
The show arrives at a worrisome time for new musicals on Broadway, when the odds against profitability are quite high (only three of 48 new musicals to open since the Covid pandemic have made a profit thus far) and, as a result, the volume of new musicals is quite low. (“Titaníque” is the fifth announced this season, compared to 14 last season.)
Price declined to discuss the specifics of the show’s finances, but said that “if it does what we all hope, it can be profitable.”
She said she was encouraged by the success of “Oh, Mary!,” another comedy with an outrageous premise that has flourished on Broadway. “It certainly gives confidence that Broadway is open and ready for hilarity and singular comedy,” Price said. “Times are really hard, people are stressed, and this show is pure bliss.”
“Titaníque” was written by three friends, Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle and Constantine Rousouli. Blue will direct the Broadway production, and Mindelle will star as Dion. The musical’s songs are drawn from Dion’s song catalog.
The production has not yet named other members of the cast, and there is already lively speculation online about well-known performers who could play various roles; Price would only say “stay tuned.”
“We absolutely want to keep the spirit of what the show is — soaring vocals, big comedy, an epic story, but a scrappiness, a hilarity, a deranged-ness and a party,” Price said. “It’s a Celine Dion fever dream, and you know that energy can fill a very large space.”
Michael Paulson is the theater reporter for The Times.
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