A grand thrill of a ride. A riotous, respectful and endearing love note to one of Canada’s grand chanteuses.”

‘Titanique’ is a grand thrill of a ride that leads to a spectacular jukebox musical ending. The production is an absolute joy to see and hear.

A tour of the Titanic Museum is currently underway. Dion (a strikingly beautiful Véronique Claveau) wears a stunning gold lamé dress (the costume design is by Alejo Vietti) that accentuates her shapely legs. Dion then interrupts the tour guide (Christopher Ning) and shares her perspective detailing what happened to Jack, Rose, and the other characters on the night the great ship sank in the James Cameron film.

Currently, Titanique also plays off-Broadway. The choice to stage the production in the CAA Theatre is good because it has the look and feel of an off-Broadway house. The fact that productions staged at the CAA are called ‘off Mirvish’ also lends credence to selecting this specific house of the company.

Upon entering the space, the curtain is closed, creating a sense of anticipation for the pre-show. Designer Paige Seber has chosen a stunning aqua-blue lighting design to evoke the feeling of being at sea, setting the stage for the story. In front of the curtain, set designers Gabriel Hainer Evansohn and Grace Laubacher, working for Iron Bloom, have placed some replica props from the film, giving the audience a glimpse of what is to come. The blue Heart of the Ocean necklace is suspended above the stage, which plays a significant role in both the film and the musical. Upon opening the curtain, we have entered not the Titanic but the ship from the musical ‘Anything Goes.’ It’s explained at the end of the musical why this connection exists.

Alejo Vietti’s costumes aptly reflect the characters from the film's era, most notably Cal, Rose, and Molly Brown’s attire.

Music Director Nick Burgess elicits stunning vocal renditions of Nicholas James Connell’s orchestrations and arrangements of some popular songs by Dion and other notable artists. Lawrence Schober’s careful attention to sound design highlights this collaboration. The achieved balance between the band and singers is heavenly. I could hear every lyric. ‘River Deep Mountain High’ and ‘Tell Him’ are only two examples where the vocals soared right to the roof of the CAA Theatre. Background vocalists Queenie, Andre Anthony and Rose Messenger back the musical numbers with confidence and style.

Director Tye Blue clearly understands that his, Marla Mindelle's, and Constantine Rousouli's sublime book must be played as broadly as possible for maximum effect. On this media night, the comedy never veered out of control. In his Director’s Note, Blue comments that the production is “a waterfall of silliness and an unhinged fever dream of a musical.” Several adult references are a tad blue (the most obvious is Christopher Ning's SEAMAN), so if you bring a guest, ensure the person can handle the innuendo.

Let's lighten up, though, okay? We all need to laugh.

Several ensemble cast members are worth mentioning.

Erica Peck embodies a spirited and sassy Molly Brown, even mimicking the distinctive walking style of Kathy Bates' portrayal in the film. Mike Melino plays Luigi and Victor Garber, clearly differentiating the two characters through his distinct vocal delivery. While Luigi's exaggerated Italian accent adds humour, it never crosses the line into disrespect or offensiveness. Christopher Ning is a riot (when you get the reference) as the Iceberg Bitch. I don’t want to spoil it here. I had to think about it for a couple of minutes. When it finally became clear to me, I started laughing as I waited for the subway train home. Ning’s Peabo Bryson shares a musical duet with Claveau that made me have goosebumps. I closed my eyes at one point and I could have sworn I was actually listening to Peabo and Céline.

Mariah Campos is a deliciously bitchy and spoiled rich heiress, Rose. Muscular, hunky bad boy Michael Torontow packs a punch as Rose’s hotheaded and jealous fiancé, Cal. As Rose’s flighty mother Ruth, Constant Bernard is a hoot. He has a show-stopping number that is priceless to watch. As tight-fitted pants-wearing Jack (who eventually falls for Rose), Seth Zosky moves across the CAA stage with bravura and intent.

Véronique Claveau is ‘Titanique’ as Céline Dion. There’s an Evita-like quality in Claveau’s performance as she moves and waves her arms and hands for a specific purpose. Claveau naturally adopts the vocal and speaking inflections of Canada’s chanteuse, even curling her mouth when she sings and speaks to get the ‘r’ sound out. I can’t help but smile each time she appears on stage.

Claveau and director Blue are astute enough to poke fun without being malicious, especially regarding Dion's diagnosis of 'stiff person syndrome.'

'Titanique' is so damn much fun. Even if one isn’t a Céline Dion fan (as is my guest), the ensuing hilarity is alone worth the price of a ticket. It’s the perfect Christmas gift for the musical theatre enthusiast/geek, theatre kid or whatever term of endearment you use. The smile never left my face for the entire 100 minutes.

‘Titanique, c’est pas fantastique. C’est merveilleux!’ (It’s not fantastic. It’s marvellous!)

Running time: approximately 100 minutes without an interval/intermission.

‘Titanique’ runs until January 12, 2025 at the CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge Street, Toronto. For tickets: mirvish.com or call 1-800-461-3333.

DAVID AND HANNAH MIRVISH, in co-production with the Segal Centre present
‘TITANIQUE’ Book by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue

Directed by Tye Blue
Music Director: Nick Burgess
Orchestrations and Arrangements: Nicholas James Connell
Choreographer: Ellenore Scott
Set Designer: Gabriel Hainer Evahsohn & Grace Laubacher for Iron Bloom
Sound Designer: Lawrence Schober
Costume Designer: Alejo Vietti
Lighting Designer: Paige Seber
Stage Manager: The. John Gray

Performers: Véronique Claveau, Andre Anthony, Constant Bernard, Mariah Campos, Queenie, Mike Melino, Rose Messenger, Christopher Ning, Erica Peck, Michael Torontow., Seth Zosky, Tess Benger, Dave Comeau, Kaylee Harwood.