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Titanique, the Celine Dion jukebox musical doubling as a Titanic parody, earned the withering disdain of Tony Awards watchers this weekend.
The show tells the story of the 1997 James Cameron film Titanic from the perspective of Dion, who performed the end credits song My Heart Will Go On.
Dion is played by Marla Mindelle, who also co-wrote the show and who fronted the medley of songs performed Sunday night at Radio City Music Hall.
Several of the cast - including Ariana Grande's brother Frankie Grande, as well as The Bing Bang Theory star Jim Parsons in drag - joined Mindelle for I'm Alive, while Mindelle gave a solo rendition of My Heart Will Go On.
Social media poured scorn on her efforts, with one X user marveling: 'this titanique performance is horrible oh my god she cannot sing is this real.'
'Are the vocals for Titanique supposed to be… bad?' wondered another, a sentiment echoed by a third observer who asked: 'Like was that part of the bit?'
Titanique, the Celine Dion jukebox musical doubling as a Titanic parody, earned the withering disdain of Tony Awards watchers this weekend, directed in particular at star Marla Mindelle
The show tells the story of the 1997 James Cameron film Titanic from the perspective of Dion, who performed the end credits song My Heart Will Go On; Dion pictured in London in 2019
'Is it just me, or was the singing bad in that Titanique performance? It sounded off key,' one wrote, receiving a confirmation in the replies that 'It was terrible.'
'Only thing worse than this segment is sitting through the actual musical. Still waiting on refund from Titanique. Ugggh!' fumed an X user.
'I get the idea behind it but was that performance of Titanique supposed to sound horrendously awful?' another wrote, as still another deadpanned: 'I truly mean no offense by this but Titaníque looks like the worst thing ever.'
'Wow that Titanique Celine Dion lady cannot sing,' an X user gasped. 'That show looks terrible. Even more terrible with Frankie Grande in it, totally trying to be the center of attention. Guess team player or ensemble cast doesn't apply to him!'
Even a sympathetic viewer was unable to offer much praise to Sunday's demonstration, writing: 'I’m still sad because I saw titanique and Marla Mindelle was phenomenal. That performance was not her.'
Titanique is nominated for best musical, with competitors including The Lost Boys, an adaptation of Joel Schumacher's 1987 vampire movie of the same name starring Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Jami Gertz, Jason Patric and Kiefer Sutherland.
Rounding out the category are Schmigadoon!, based on an Apple TV+ sitcom about a floundering couple who get transported into the world of a classic Broadway musical, and the feel-good British import Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).
Mindelle was nominated for best lead actress in a musical against Schmigadoon!'s Sara Chase - reprising her role from the Apple TV+ series - as well as Caissie Levy for Ragtime and Christiani Pitts for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).
Dion is played by Marla Mindelle, who also co-wrote the show and who fronted the medley of songs performed Sunday night at Radio City Music Hall
Several of the cast, including Ariana Grande's brother Frankie Grande (third from left), joined Mindelle for I'm Alive, while Mindelle gave a solo rendition of My Heart Will Go On
The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons featured in drag as Ruth DeWitt Bukater, who in the film is the mother of the Kate Winslet character and is played by Frances Fisher
Mindelle was nominated for best lead actress in a musical against Schmigadoon!'s Sara Chase, Caissie Levy for Ragtime and Christiani Pitts for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Titanique is also one of the best musical nominees, alongside The Lost Boys, Schmigadoon! and the UK import Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Social media poured scorn on her efforts, with one X user marveling: 'this titanique performance is horrible oh my god she cannot sing is this real'
Titanique was also nominated for best book of a musical, with Mindelle in contention along with her co-writers Tye Blue and Constantine Rousouli, up against Jim Barne and Kit Buchan for Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Chris Hoch and David Hornsby for The Lost Boys and Cinco Paul for Schmigadoon!.
The Tony Awards proved to be a nail-biting competition Sunday, with stars of both stage and screen vying for Broadway honors at Radio City Music Hall.
Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Byrne, Nathan Lane, Laurie Metcalf, Stephanie Hsu, Carrie Coon, Lesley Manville, John Lithgow, Luke Evans, Rachel Dratch and June Squibb were among the movie and TV personalities in contention for theatrical awards.
Pink has been tapped to host the Tonys for the first time, a job she described as 'the honor of an entire lifetime' in a statement to People.
Hailing the Great White Way for having 'the literal hardest working people in showbiz,' she raved: 'Broadway has shaped my life and how I put my own shows together. It is a community that is supportive, and inclusive, and full of talent and love.'
Although she has never performed on Broadway before, her pop songs have in the past been included in the jukebox musicals Moulin Rouge! and & Juliet.
After a rollicking opening number in which she reprised her Moulin Rouge! song Lady Marmalade - with retooled lyrics to pay tribute to the nominees - Pink joked that 'for some reason' she was the mistress of ceremonies that evening.
Tony Awards 2026 WINNERS - IN FULL
Best Musical
The Lost Boys
Schmigadoon! - WINNER
Titaníque
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best Revival of a Musical
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Ragtime - WINNER
Richard O'Brien's the Rocky Horror Show
Best Play
The Balusters
Giant
Liberation - WINNER
Little Bear Ridge Road
Best Revival of a Play
Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman - WINNER
Becky Shaw
Every Brilliant Thing
Fallen Angels
Oedipus
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Arden - The Lost Boys
Lear deBessonet - Ragtime
Christopher Gatteli - Schmigadoon!
Tim Jackson - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Zhailon Levinston and Bill Rauch - Cats: the Jellicle Ball - WINNER
Best Direction of a Play
Nicholas Hytner - Giant
Robert Icke - Oedipus
Kenny Leon - The Balusters
Joe Mantello - Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman - WINNER
Whitney White - Liberation
Best Lighting Design in a Play
Dog Day Afternoon
Oedipus
August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Bug
The Fear of 13
Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman - WINNER
Best Sound Design of a Play
August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Oedipus
The Fear of 13
Bug
Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman - WINNER
Best Costume Design in a Musical
Ragtime
Schmigadoon!
Cats: The Jellicle Ball - WINNER
The Lost Boys
Richard O'Brien's the Rocky Horror Show
Best Lighting Design in a Musical
Chess
Richard O'Brien's the Rocky Horror Show
Schmigadoon!
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Ragtime
The Lost Boys - WINNER
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Ragtime - WINNER
The Lost Boys
Richard O'Brien's the Rocky Horror Show
Schmigadoon!
Best Scenic Design in a Play
Oedipus
Bug
Dog Day Afternoon
Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman - WINNER
Fallen Angels
Best Scenic Design in a Musical
Richard O'Brien's the Rocky Horror Show
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
The Lost Boys - WINNER
Schmigadoon!
Best Book of a Musical
The Lost Boys
Schmigadoon! - WINNER
Titaníque
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Will Harrison - Punch
Nathan Lane - Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
John Lithgow - Giant - WINNER
Daniel Radcliffe - Every Brilliant Thing
Mark Strong - Oedipus
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Rose Byrne - Fallen Angels
Carrie Coon - Bug
Susannah Flood - Liberation
Lesley Manville - Oedipus - WINNER
Kelli O'Hara - Fallen Angels
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Christopher Abbott - Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
Danny Burstein - Marjorie Prime
Brandon J. Dirden - Waiting for Godot
Alden Ehrenreich - Becky Shaw - WINNER
Ruben Santiago-Hudson - August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Richard Thomas - The Balusters
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Betsy Aidem - Liberation
Marylouise Burke - The Balusters
Aya Cash - Giant
Laurie Metcalf - Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman - WINNER
June Squibb - Marjorie Prime
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Nicholas Christopher - Chess
Luke Evans - Richard O'Brien's the Rocky Horror Show
Joshua Henry - Ragtime - WINNER
Sam Tutty - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Brandon Uranowitz - Ragtime
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Sara Chase - Schmigadoon!
Stephanie Hsu - Richard O'Brien's the Rocky Horror Show
Caissie Levy - Ragtime - WINNER
Marla Mindelle - Titaníque
Christiani Pitts - Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Ali Louis Bourzgi - The Lost Boys - WINNER
André de Shields - Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Bryce Pinkham - Chess
Ben Levi Ross - Ragtime
Layton Williams - Titaníque
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Shoshana Bean - The Lost Boys - WINNER
Hannah Cruz - Chess
Rachel Dratch - Richard O'Brien's the Rocky Horror Show
Ana Gasteyer - Schmigadoon!
Nichelle Lewis - Ragtime
Best Original Score
Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone
The Lost Boys
Schmigadoon! - WINNER
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best Orchestrations
Schmigadoon! - WINNER
The Lost Boys
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Chess
Cats: The Jellicle Ball
Best Choreography
Schmigadoon!
Ragtime
Richard O'Brien's the Rocky Horror Show
Cats: The Jellicle Ball - WINNER
The Lost Boys
Best Costume Design in a Play
Dog Day Afternoon
Liberation
Fallen Angels - WINNER
The Balusters
August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone
English (US) ·