Past lives. Musical improv. Celine Dion. Nicole Parker joins us on what it’s like to leave a show not once, but twice.
Nicole Parker has been able to play Celine Dion twice on the New York stage. The first during Martin Short’s Fame Becomes Me, and the second during Titanique. She’s had to say goodbye to the show once before, but returned for a second run – now having to say her heart will go on again. So what’s it like saying goodbye to a show that will keep running while you move on? This is a topic not many actors speak about, so tune in and listen to this hysterical, yet touching episode about Nicole Parker’s experience as Celine Dion in Titanique.
Nicole Parker is best known for her work on Fox's sketch comedy show Mad TV (2003–2009, 2016), which she was a regular cast member. In July 2009, Parker concluded her run as Elphaba in the Broadway production of Wicked, a role that she reprised on tour across North America. She voiced Penelope Pitstop in the animated series Wacky Races (2017–2019) and has appeared in the parody films Meet the Spartans and Disaster Movie (both 2008). Parker currently co-hosts the Earwolf podcast The Neighborhood Listen, along with comedian Paul F. Tompkins.
Titanique is a jukebox musical created by book writers Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle, and Constantine Rousouli, and music supervisor Nicholas Connell. The musical is a parody of the 1997 film Titanic and uses music introduced by Céline Dion. The show premiered in Los Angeles in 2017. It began an off-Broadway run at The Asylum Theatre in June 2022, transferring to the Daryl Roth Theatre in November. The production won the 2023 Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Musical and for lead performer (Mindelle) and costume design (Alejo Vietti). The musical follows the main events of the film, with the exception of the present-day framing device; instead of treasure hunters searching for the Heart of the Ocean, Céline Dion surprises visitors at a Titanic museum and hijacks their tour. Dion serves as a Greek chorus for most of the show. The musical uses pop culture references, including allusions to RuPaul's Drag Race and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
The critically acclaimed show has played off Broadway since 2022.
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