Podcast Summary: Why is TITANIQUE going to Broadway?! | Thoughts on the cult hit musical's newly announced transfer

Podcast: MickeyJoTheatre
Host: Mickey Jo
Date: December 17, 2025

Overview: Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Mickey Jo explores the surprising and newsworthy Broadway transfer of Titanique, a cult hit, Celine Dion jukebox-parody musical that began as an offbeat dinner theatre show and has since become an Olivier Award-winning, international sensation. Mickey Jo examines why this quirky and distinctly queer musical is getting a Broadway run amidst a notably slow season for new musicals, what this says about the Broadway landscape, and whether the production is poised for success—both on Broadway and in its long-term afterlife.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The State of Broadway & Titanique's Surprise Move

• Mickey Jo opens with the observation that Titanique "turned to investors and said, in spite of the fact that none of these new musicals are recouping, what do you say to taking chances?" ([02:20])
• The unusual nature of this season—the "proverbial sinking ship that is this Broadway season as far as new musicals are concerned" ([02:20])—makes Titanique’s transfer especially notable.

2. Titanique: From Dinner Theatre Parody to International Hit

• Origins:
  • Created by Ty Blue, Constantine Rousouli, and Marla Mindell, originally as an LA dinner theatre parody mashing up Titanic (the film) and Celine Dion music.
• Evolution:
  • Multiple workshop and cabaret presentations led to an Off-Broadway run in New York, where it became a "downtown cult hit, thanks to a deeply dedicated and deeply homosexual audience" ([04:09]).
  • International success followed with productions in Australia, Canada, Paris, and especially in London's West End at the Criterion Theatre—a leap to a prestigious, mainstream venue.
  • The creative team's nervousness and eventual triumph in London is highlighted: "There was a definite enthusiasm as well as...a slight nervousness around the idea...but eventually the show’s brilliance won out and Titanique walked away with two Olivier Award wins." ([06:20])

3. Why Titanique Works

• It combines "brilliant vocal performances of great songs with hysterically funny pop culture references," but the heart is how it taps into "this kind of hazy, half-nostalgic recollection we might all have for the film, as if someone has been asked to write down the entire plot of Titanic...but the last time they watched it was five years ago with half a bottle of wine" ([08:00]).
• It parodies and lovingly pokes fun at Titanic (the film), all filtered through an absurdist conceit: Celine Dion herself is at the Titanic Museum to correct history and insist she was actually present ([05:59]).

4. The Broadway Details

• Broadway transfer will be a limited 16-week engagement at the St. James Theatre, beginning March 26, 2026, with previews before an official opening on April 12 ([14:37]).
• Marla Mindell (co-creator and original Celine Dion) is confirmed as the lead, which Mickey Jo says is "the most essential casting component of this." ([15:10])
• Other casting to be announced, but some "star names" (possibly TV/recording artists with broad appeal) are rumored ([30:05]).
• Noted that Titanique is "not that easy a role to stunt cast" due to musical, comedic, and improvisational demands ([16:40]).
• Tickets and Previews:
  • Pre-sale: January 8, 2026 via the show's site
  • General sale: January 12, 2026 ([16:58])

5. Case Study: The Show's Unique Path

• Mickey Jo marvels at how the journey from "plucky little parody" to Olivier-winning sensation gives Titanique a unique status—a potential "case study for other emerging small Off Broadway musicals" ([03:10]).

6. How Broadway Success is Changing

• Mickey Jo considers what "success" means: With so few new musicals and high costs preventing many from recouping during Broadway runs, Titanique's limited engagement model is part of a shift.
• "I don't think that's what it's trying to gain from a 16 week limited Broadway run...I think what Schmigadoon and Titanique are doing is running on Broadway so that they can better advertise themselves across the country and around the world for ongoing licensing purposes." ([22:55])
• Shows like The Addams Family and A Beautiful Noise are referenced as examples of productions with bigger afterlives beyond Broadway.

7. Potential Post-Broadway Life

• International and regional productions are likely, especially with the increased prestige and licensing appeal of being a Tony-nominated Broadway show ([24:53]).
• Mickey Jo shares excitement for potential "community theater productions of Titanique and regional productions," and discusses how the show can be reinterpreted in various contexts, referencing a successful non-replica Chicago staging ([26:50]).

8. Questions Around Legacy, Authenticity, and Commercial Viability

• Can Titanique retain its "unapologetic queer identity" amidst mainstream success, or will it become too commercialized? Mickey Jo hopes it finds a balance ([30:50]).
• Will Celine Dion herself or Titanic film cast members (e.g., Kate Winslet) ever attend the Broadway run? This is left as an intriguing, open question ([20:11]).
• Broader context: Titanique joins other camp, queer, self-aware shows making the jump from downtown hit to big commercial Broadway, referencing trends like drag queens becoming stage stars and other recent past hits.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Broadway season's risk aversion:
  "They really turned to investors and said, in spite of the fact that none of these new musicals are recouping, what do you say to taking chances?" ([02:20], Mickey Jo)
• On Titanique's concept:
  "It is bizarrely Celine Dion arriving in the present day at the Titanic Museum and announcing that what is being said isn't how she remembers it all going down...she then tells the story from her perspective, insisting that...she was actually on Titanique." ([05:59], Mickey Jo)
• *On what it's like to watch:
  "It gives you that same feeling of watching a film that you love, or maybe love to hate, with a best friend drinking a couple glasses of wine on a Friday night and pausing it and rewinding and making fun of it the entire time." ([08:30], Mickey Jo)
• On Marla Mindell returning:
  “Marla had to do it and she's a big part of the story. And when you take a show to Broadway, you gotta sell a lot of tickets and you are selling the Celine Dion of it all. You are selling the Titanic of it all. You are selling the campy, kooky, crazy comedy of it all.” ([15:10], Mickey Jo)
• On the limited engagement strategy:
  "It might actually be even better for the show long term if what that is is just a launch pad for everything it could go on to be afterwards." ([24:10], Mickey Jo)
• On Titanique's future:
  "I want to see like Goodspeed doing Titanique over the next few decades. I want to see Titanique at the Muni and like Paper Mill Titanique. I want to see local community theater amdram Titanique..." ([27:09], Mickey Jo)
• On the high stakes of Broadway timing:
  “…you know, the way something can be appreciated and understood and performed and produced for years to come can depend on the couple of months that it spends in New York. In other words, if you bring something in at the right time and it gets the right reception and it's in the right moment, it could be a huge financial success in one way or another for years to come. And if something doesn't have that right timing and it flops, then it may never get seen again. Which is a slightly melancholy thought to end this Broadway news recap on. But hey, worse things have happened in sea…” ([32:43], Mickey Jo)

Important Timestamps for Segments

• [02:20] – Introduction of Titanique's Broadway transfer and the context of the current Broadway season
• [04:09] – The show’s Off-Broadway and international trajectory
• [06:20] – West End run; creative team’s response and Olivier victories
• [08:00–09:30] – Mickey Jo explains what makes Titanique funny and effective
• [14:37] – Specific March 2026 Broadway transfer at the St James Theatre
• [15:10–16:58] – Breakdown of casting, Marla Mindell’s significance, and ticket sale details
• [22:55] – Why limited runs and what Titanique and similar shows hope to achieve
• [24:53] – Licensing and the afterlife of contemporary musicals
• [26:50] – Discussion of non-replica productions and the show's adaptability
• [30:05–30:50] – Predictions and wishes for casting, and the balance between queer authenticity and commercial success
• [32:43] – Reflections on the significance of timing for a show’s legacy

Final Thoughts

Mickey Jo’s examination of Titanique’s journey to Broadway is nuanced, witty, and well-rooted in industry commentary. He connects the show’s unique path to the current economic and cultural moment on Broadway, reflecting on the changing meaning of success for new musicals and the increasing importance of a strong, post-Broadway life through licensing. Ultimately, he frames Titanique's transfer not just as an entertainment story but as a microcosm of larger trends and anxieties in the theatre world—a "fascinating case study" with lessons for the future.

If you’re interested in the evolving intersection of commercial theater, queer culture, and Broadway’s future, this is a must-listen episode—full of sharp insight, humor, and love for the theatre community.