Not since gin and vermouth first met ice has any cocktail sparkled so purely, so perfectly, so powerfully as Porchlight Theatre's crazy collision with a fateful iceberg, Titanique, now running at Water Tower Place's Broadway Playhouse.
Presented by Broadway in Chicago, the show asks the musical question, "What would have happened if Celine Dion not only sang the immortal theme song of James Cameron's 1997 movie, but also inserted herself and her song catalog into almost every scene—with backup dancers in tow?"
That's not a question that may have occurred to you. But trust me... you need to see this show's absolutely hilarious answer.
Flawlessly directed by one of the show's original off-Broadway creators, Tye Blue, this Chicago-based cast hits every mark, lands every joke, inserts every wink and delivers every bit of theatrical joy to be found in this riotously funny send-up of everyone's favorite Quebecoise diva and doomed nautical romance.
So... you want Jack and Rose's big love scene to include a three-dimensional eggplant emoji? You got it.
How about Peabo Bryson to show up for a "Beauty and the Beast" duet with Celine? Your wish is granted.
Rose's mother to deliver a mash-up of the greatest bitch monologues of all time, with nods to, among others, Mommy Dearest, Dolores Claiborne and Julia Sugarbaker? Look no further.
Finally, crucially, would you like a Celine song for every scene in the story? As they say in Quebec... bien sur!
The show is packed with belly-laughs - some aimed at a hipper crowd, it's true. (Not everyone will recognize Grindr's trademark "buh-leep.") But most jokes skewer more familiar targets—so often, so fast, so adroitly that it can be difficult to catch your breath.
It's hard to single out particular performances for special praise. The cast truly is uniformly excellent—the very best Chicago theater has to offer.
But, Clare Kennedy McGlaughlin, who plays Celine, is the undisputed star of this show. Her red-sequined presence fills the stage as she worms her way into almost every scene, commenting, cajoling, singing (of course) and often even propelling the action, as the HMS Titanic makes its unfortunate way toward the waiting iceberg. All with the help of her trusty and talented trio of back-up dancers/singers Caroline Lyell, Elaine Watson and Jordon Douglas Ellis, who absolutely tear up the stage.
McGlaughlin is joined by Adam Fane (who plays Jack) and Maya Rowe (Rose) as the star-crossed (iceberg-crossed?) young lovers whose romance is equaled only by their commitment to behaving as foolishly as possible.
And, oh... speaking of fools. What a perfect, campy fool is Rob Lindley in the drag-role (pantomime dame, actually) of Rose's scheming mother Ruth. Every minute he spends on stage is comedy gold and a perfect lesson on how to steal a scene.
The other supporting players are just as excellent. Abby C. Smith does a memorable turn as Kathy Bates / Molly Brown and gives Celine a run for her money when she belts out a cover of "All by Myself" while paddling a lifeboat. Jackson Evans as a supremely fey Victor Garber, the ship captain who just wants to get in to New York a day early to make a hair appointment in Soho. Adrian Aguilar as Rose's smug fiance Cal... as fixated on eye liner as he is on Rose.
But oh, wow, how about Eric Lewis, an understudy who stepped into the crucial role of the Iceberg on opening night?
I want to tell you how he plays the iceberg... I'm desperate to tell you. But I don't want to spoil the joke.
I'll have to make do by saying that his character is as iconic as Celine herself—and Lewis' performance is not to be missed. I hope the Jeff committee is listening.
Indeed, this entire production deserves every award that can be heaped upon it. I don't know if it's the best show currently in Chicago. (It might be.) But it is certainly the funniest.
Titanique is running eight shows a week at the Broadway Playhouse (175 E. Chestnut) from now until July 13. It deserves to run forever. You might say I want it to "go on, and on." (Cue the penny whistle.) Tickets are available at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. The show lasts about 90 minutes, with no intermission.
For more information on this and other productions, see theatreinchicago.com.
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