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Welcome to a review recap episode of Broadway Radio. My name is Matt Tamineni. I'm here today bringing you all of the reviews from the Broadway opening of the little musical that could Titanic. It officially opened on Broadway this past Sunday, April 12th at the St. James Theater and it is currently scheduled to run through July 12th. As I've said before, I would imagine that they are hoping that this show becomes the next Open O' Mary and kind of defies the logic of a downtown favorite coming to Broadway and having a commercially successful run that allows it to extend far beyond it had initially planned. But the show was written by Ty Blue, Marla Mendel and Constantine Rossulli and it is quote powered by the music of Celine Dion. Blue directed it and Mendel and Rasuli both star in the show. Eleanor Scott did the choreography. As I said, co writer Marla Mandel stars in the show as Celine Dion and Rosuli plays Jack. This is a spoof of the Titanic film from James Cameron. Also in the company are Melissa Barrera, star of screens large and small, making her Broadway debut as Rose. Deborah Cox as the unsinkable Molly Brown. Frankie Grande, original cast member off Broadway for the show, plays Victor Garber and Luigi. Tony nominee and Emmy winner Jim Parsons plays Rose's mother, Ruth. John Riddle, another Off Broadway original cast member, plays Cal and Leighton Williams in his Broadway debut plays the Iceberg and the Semen. Leighton Williams won an Olivier Award last year for playing the Iceberg in the original West End production of Titanique, so he is getting an opportunity to reprise that role here on Broadway. If you are somehow unfamiliar with Titanic, it won the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy last year. It started in the basement at Asylum nyc, which is actually that theater is now in a completely different location than it was when I saw it in the Basement. But it reimagines Jack and Rose's timeless love story aboard the ship of Dreams through the French Canadian eyes of someone who was totally there. Celine Dion. The superstar singer remembers the doomed romance with more shocking twists, mega diva antics and face melting vocals belting her favorite hit songs and not even an iceberg can stop her. Crazy times call for a kooky, crazy musical extravaganza with a story you'll never let go, music you know by heart and the diva you need. You'd have to live at the bottom of the ocean to miss this strictly limited engagement. Now, as of recording time, review Aggregor to site Did They like it? Has collected 15 reviews. Seven were positive, six were mixed and two were negative. Elizabeth Vincentelli reviewed the show for the New York Times and she was mixed. She said, quote, never bet against Broadway's thirst for bold faced figures, especially when they have an appeal as broad as the Titanic movie and the Canadian superstar Celine Dion. No one of the gods of Times Square decided to gamble on a musical that combines the two Titanique, which opened on Sunday at the St. James Theater. Lest you think this doesn't sound like much like a risk after all, that James Cameron Blockbuster from 1997 remains one of the top grossing movies of all time, just know that Titanique is no mere adaptation. The show's improbable stage life began four years ago in a subterranean Manhattan space. Never could I have imagined then how that the proudly, exuberantly silly Titanique would become an international phenomenon. The lesson here is you can't underestimate the appeal of a good time camp fest. And as is often the case with both Elizabeth Venzantelli and Laura Collins Hughes, they spoil too much, they tell too much, they give away jokes too much. So I'm not going to give a ton of the details from the review itself, but I will note that she does say, quote, the show fills the St James stage surprisingly well with its functional scenic design by Gabriel Hainer Evanson and Grace Laubacher from Iron Bloom Creative Productions. But perhaps illustrating the fact that sometimes too much is not enough, the musical does not quite live up to its premise. Hatched by Mindel Rasooli and Ty Blue, the production delivers a storm of gags, pop culture references, slapstick and audience interaction. Improvisation is not just welcome, but also built in, as Mendel makes up a short scene at every performance. The night I attended, she said, not me. She riffed on her Broadway neighbors Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele. She essentially wraps up her review by saying, sometimes Titanique lands and sometimes it merely treads water. Sometimes it achieves an exhilarating lunacy, and sometimes it is just exhausting. Sarah Holdren of Vulture was positive, saying, Titanque is the kind of giddy, dippy, fan friendly spectacle that invites you to arrive a glass and a half deep, literally and spiritually. Koby Castle of Theaterly was also positive, saying, now amped up about as high as it can go with an all star cast, Titanique is guaranteed to deliver the most fun you will have at the theater this year. Greg Evans of Deadline was positive, saying, campier than the Campy Cats, the Jellicle Ball, but no less generous in its embrace of queer heritage's seismic impact on American culture, Titanique on Broadway is bigger than a mere hoot, it's a riotous, high cresting celebration just when we need it most. Frank Rizzo of Variety was mixed, saying, advertised as a strictly limited run, the show's established and millennial friendly fan base should be coming back for seconds, and the Broadway gig will give cachet to future cruises. Overall, while the musical is not quite a night to remember, let's just say the show is, well, fantastique. Shayna Russell, writing for Entertainment Weekly, was positive, saying, quote, titanique maintains the scrappy seat of your pants energy that helped it set sail in the first place. It has the heart of an ambitious school production, staying true to its origins, a show put together with spit, glue and love for the sole purpose of making people laugh. Johnny Oleksinski from the New York Post was also positive, saying, I can't say the humongous St. James Theater, which suits hardly any show, is my favorite port of call. Nobody can argue that its distancing size is an asset to a musical that thrives on a dirty little secret energy and actors dashing 10ft to the wings doesn't suit a staging pact with rapid fire gags. Its new set of metal platforms and beams is more concert tour than comedy hour, yet the unhinged underdog retains its essential charms. Matt Wendman, writing for AM New York, was one of the two negative reviews. He said Titanic begins with a splashy premise but ultimately struggles to stay afloat. Occasionally a joke lands, but more often Titanic simply isn't funny, inventive or especially interesting. At 100 minutes, the show plays less like a fully developed musical than an extended sketch, with scenes frequently interrupted by asides and non sequiturs. I feel like Matt Wenman does not understand the point of this show because I think that pretty much is the point of the show. Let's wrap up with Gillian Russo, who reviewed the show for New York Theatre Guide. She said, quote, a shining comedy showcase, a bona fide arena concert, and a well built musical that doesn't require much Titanic knowledge to enjoy. If you would like to read more from these reviews or any of the other reviews that I did not sample in this roundup, I will make sure that I have a link to the Did They Like It Recap in the show notes. All right, that's all that I have for you today. Thank you so much for supporting Broadway radio. If you want more BroadwayRadio, have your patreon.com broadway radio thanks again for listening. This has been Matt Tammanini and I'll talk to you soon.