Titanique, the Celine Dion jukebox musical doubling as a Titanic parody, earned the withering disdain of Tony Awards watchers this weekend.
The show tells the story of the 1997 James Cameron film Titanic from the perspective of Dion, who performed the end credits song My Heart Will Go On.
Dion is played by Marla Mindelle, who also co-wrote the show and who fronted the medley of songs performed Sunday night at Radio City Music Hall.
Several of the cast – including Ariana Grande’s brother Frankie Grande, as well as The Bing Bang Theory star Jim Parsons in drag – joined Mindelle for I’m Alive, while Mindelle gave a solo rendition of My Heart Will Go On.
Social media poured scorn on her efforts, with one X user marveling: ‘this titanique performance is horrible oh my god she cannot sing is this real.’
‘Are the vocals for Titanique supposed to be… bad?’ wondered another, a sentiment echoed by a third observer who asked: ‘Like was that part of the bit?’
Titanique, the Celine Dion jukebox musical doubling as a Titanic parody, earned the withering disdain of Tony Awards watchers this weekend, directed in particular at star Marla Mindelle
The show tells the story of the 1997 James Cameron film Titanic from the perspective of Dion, who performed the end credits song My Heart Will Go On; Dion pictured in London in 2019
‘Is it just me, or was the singing bad in that Titanique performance? It sounded off key,’ one wrote, receiving a confirmation in the replies that ‘It was terrible.’
‘Only thing worse than this segment is sitting through the actual musical. Still waiting on refund from Titanique. Ugggh!’ fumed an X user.
‘I get the idea behind it but was that performance of Titanique supposed to sound horrendously awful?’ another wrote, as still another deadpanned: ‘I truly mean no offense by this but Titaníque looks like the worst thing ever.’
‘Wow that Titanique Celine Dion lady cannot sing,’ an X user gasped. ‘That show looks terrible. Even more terrible with Frankie Grande in it, totally trying to be the center of attention. Guess team player or ensemble cast doesn’t apply to him!’
Even a sympathetic viewer was unable to offer much praise to Sunday’s demonstration, writing: ‘I’m still sad because I saw titanique and Marla Mindelle was phenomenal. That performance was not her.’
Titanique is nominated for best musical, with competitors including The Lost Boys, an adaptation of Joel Schumacher’s 1987 vampire movie of the same name starring Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Jami Gertz, Jason Patric and Kiefer Sutherland.
Rounding out the category are Schmigadoon!, based on an Apple TV+ sitcom about a floundering couple who get transported into the world of a classic Broadway musical, and the feel-good British import Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).
Mindelle was nominated for best lead actress in a musical against Schmigadoon!’s Sara Chase – reprising her role from the Apple TV+ series – as well as Caissie Levy for Ragtime and Christiani Pitts for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).
Dion is played by Marla Mindelle, who also co-wrote the show and who fronted the medley of songs performed Sunday night at Radio City Music Hall
Several of the cast, including Ariana Grande’s brother Frankie Grande (third from left), joined Mindelle for I’m Alive, while Mindelle gave a solo rendition of My Heart Will Go On
The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons featured in drag as Ruth DeWitt Bukater, who in the film is the mother of the Kate Winslet character and is played by Frances Fisher
Mindelle was nominated for best lead actress in a musical against Schmigadoon!’s Sara Chase, Caissie Levy for Ragtime and Christiani Pitts for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Titanique is also one of the best musical nominees, alongside The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon! and the UK import Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Social media poured scorn on her efforts, with one X user marveling: ‘this titanique performance is horrible oh my god she cannot sing is this real’
Titanique was also nominated for best book of a musical, with Mindelle in contention along with her co-writers Tye Blue and Constantine Rousouli, up against Jim Barne and Kit Buchan for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Chris Hoch and David Hornsby for The Lost Boys and Cinco Paul for Schmigadoon!.
The Tony Awards proved to be a nail-biting competition Sunday, with stars of both stage and screen vying for Broadway honors at Radio City Music Hall.
Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Byrne, Nathan Lane, Laurie Metcalf, Stephanie Hsu, Carrie Coon, Lesley Manville, John Lithgow, Luke Evans, Rachel Dratch and June Squibb were among the movie and TV personalities in contention for theatrical awards.
Pink has been tapped to host the Tonys for the first time, a job she described as ‘the honor of an entire lifetime’ in a statement to People.
Hailing the Great White Way for having ‘the literal hardest working people in showbiz,’ she raved: ‘Broadway has shaped my life and how I put my own shows together. It is a community that is supportive, and inclusive, and full of talent and love.’
Although she has never performed on Broadway before, her pop songs have in the past been included in the jukebox musicals Moulin Rouge! and & Juliet.
After a rollicking opening number in which she reprised her Moulin Rouge! song Lady Marmalade – with retooled lyrics to pay tribute to the nominees – Pink joked that ‘for some reason’ she was the mistress of ceremonies that evening.
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