Matt Reviews: TITANIQUE
Shownotes
After a beloved and successful Off-Broadway run, Titanique has finally arrived on Broadway at the St. James Theatre. And Matt is here to review it! Exploring whether the delirious parody of Titanic can scale up to a 1,000+ seat Broadway house, Matt also discussed new cast members, updated jokes, and sparkly new designs. Matt also breaks down what works—and doesn’t—in the transition, before assessing its surprisingly strong Tony Awards chances in a weak season.
Important Links
* Broadway Breakdown: Substack
* Broadway Breakdown Live: Revue-ing the 2025/2026 Season Tix
Timestamps00:00 – Intro + Matt’s history with Titanique04:30 – What the show is (premise, tone, and parody style)09:00 – Broadway transfer: scaling up from Off-Broadway14:00 – Design and production upgrades (set, costumes, staging)19:00 – What doesn’t work as well (new jokes, added material)24:00 – Cast breakdown begins: Marla Mindelle as Céline28:00 – Constantine Rousouli (Jack) + Melissa Barrera (Rose)33:00 – John Riddle (Cal) 36:30 – Jim Parsons (Ruth) 40:00 – Deborah Cox, Frankie Grande, and supporting roles43:00 – Layton Williams: show stealer45:00 – Tony Awards chances (major categories and predictions)48:00 – Final verdict: does Titanique belong on Broadway?
Listener discussion questions
* Does a show like Titanique lose anything when it moves from Off-Broadway to Broadway, or does scale enhance the experience?
* Where’s the line between clever parody and over-reliance on references—and does Titanique stay on the right side of it?
* In a weaker season, should Tony nominations reward pure entertainment value, or prioritize more “serious” musical theater craft?
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