Interview: 'It's 100 Minutes of Uninterrupted Joy': Director and Co-Author Tye Blue on TITANIQUE

Titanique, the hit off-Broadway musical, has finally docked in London. Currently playing at the Criterion Theatre, the show mixes the iconic story of Titanic with the equally iconic music of Céline Dion, transforming the “Ship of Dreams” into a “hysterical musical fantasia.”

BroadwayWorld spoke to Tye Blue, one of the co-authors and director of Titanique. We discussed the creation of Titanique, bringing queer themes to a classic heterosexual romcom and what it has been like seeing British reactions to a very American show. 

How did you first get started in the world of theatre?

I started doing theatre in high school. I went to a very small high school and we had a tiny little theatre program. I just remember seeing a friend of mine who was in a show and thought, “Well, I can do that!” And so I auditioned and never looked back!

And what inspired the creation of Titanique?

Well, Constantine [Rousouli], my co-writer and the original Jack, came up to me one night after one of our shows, and said, “I've got this idea - we should do Titanic but have Celine host it. Marla [Mindelle] will play Celine, and we can use all Celine songs!” And it really just came out of that sporadic moment. We were doing some really fun, silly parody shows at this theatre in LA and thought that they would want to do that idea. And so he was like, “You should pitch this to the venue!” And I did, but they didn't . . . [Laughs] So then a couple years go by and Trump got elected, and I was like, “I need something happy to think about,” so I decided to produce it myself!

For those unfamiliar with the show, can you tell us a bit about it?

Sure! It's a very fun, silly retelling/reimagining of what happened aboard the “Ship of Dreams,” as told through Céline Dion's eyes and songs. It's basically a pop comedy concert experience. Anyone who loves Céline, the movie Titanic or queer culture - which there's a lot of it sprinkled in - will have a total blast!

What was the creative process like writing this with several co-authors? 

Well, it began with me and Connie and Marla thinking about what songs could go where, so we did a little outline of what songs and what scenes and the general structure of it - that has pretty much stayed the same throughout all the iterations. But then we just took chunks! I took the first act and they took the second act - we just split it up and did a pass. Then we would come back together and do revisions and clean up each other's work, just try to unify the tone and cut the fat. We toned over the script probably thirty times before it was ever put on a real stage!

And what has it been like to see it grow over the past few years?

On the one hand, it's completely surreal and beautiful and wonderful, and I'm very grateful. And then on the other hand, I'm like, “This is my whole life now!” [Laughs] This show has completely become my whole life and identity, so it's like, “What's next?” But it's incredible. We never ever thought we’d be going all over the world. Like, “We're going to London!” . . . “What? We are? Wow, okay!” And then you just get going!

The show opens this week in London. What has it been like experiencing the previews? 

It's been wonderful. This theatre is absolutely stunning! There have been a few things that I've had to modify for the space. There have been a few jokes that I've tried to update and curate, to substitute in more British or European jokes, because the show is so American with a lot of references. So each one of these new companies, I try to do a little updating and make it feel new and at the moment, for that city, in that location, so that part is fun to keep your creative juices flowing. But it's a massive production, a company full of genuine West End stars who are so freaking talented, and we're in a beautiful location in London. I just feel very fortunate!

You're not only a co-author, you're also a director of the show. What is it like to be in both of those roles at the same time?

On the one hand, it's a lot of work. It's a lot to have to constantly hold space for, “What are the words? Are they saying the right word? Are they paraphrasing? Do these words work here?” While also thinking about stage pictures and all of that. It’s a heavy workload, but Connie and Marla are just a text away. If I ever have to make a judgment call about something I always include them in the decision. And fortunately, I also have great help here with my associate and with our fabulous choreographer, Ellenore [Scott].

Have you found the British reactions to be different from the American audience reactions? 

I will say there are some little things that I'm not sure if they're getting yet, but by and large, it's a pretty similar reaction, especially to when we first opened off-Broadway and people were blown away because they didn't know what it was. It's so hard to explain the show! And so I think people are feeling that joyful shock when they get here, and once the show starts, they're like, “Oh my god, this is wild and unhinged, and I love it!” So we're getting that response. They're giving us standing ovations, so I think it's going to go well!

Do you have any favourite lines from the show? 

I think my new favourite line, the line that I have been putting a lot of emphasis on lately because I keep coming back to Rose and how it's her journey. It's a feminist story of a young woman taking control of her life. That's the heart of the show for me. And so the iconic line from the movie, “I'd rather be his whore than your wife,” I really love. It's a real zinger, a real clincher moment in the show.

It's interesting because you were talking about how you're bringing more queer culture into what is a heterosexual, classic rom-com. What was the process like for that? 

In the earlier drafts of the show every character was gay, just because the three of us are very gay, so we were just making everybody gay because that was fun. But the more it started becoming a real thing, something that was going to get produced, we went back through it with a more dramaturgical eye and thought, “Okay, well, Jack and Rose have to be real. We have to deliver on that Titanic love story nostalgia. But everyone around them is just swirling homosexuals.” So it's about keeping them honest.

Do you have a favourite Céline Dion song yourself? 

Oh my God! Well, the one that I put on that puts me in a good mood is “I’m Alive,” because if you're in a weird mood or feeling a little sad or tired or whatever, something about the production on that track and just the words she's saying, the feel and the groove and the vibe and the message of that song, it just instantly lifts you up. So that maybe that one, but I love them all!

What do you hope audiences take away from Titanique?

My mission with the show is to gift people 100 minutes of uninterrupted joy. I want people to forget completely about any sort of problems or dramas or tensions. I want to eliminate all of that from their consciousness. So that's my mission. 

And finally, how would you describe the show in one word?

Joy!

Titanique is booking until 30 March at the Criterion Theatre