We knew Véronique Claveau was capable of slipping into the skin of Céline Dion with impressive ease. But the singer still managed to surpass our expectations in Titanicfirmly holding the rudder of this irreverent, hilarious and, above all, practically perfect musical comedy.
• Also read: Véronique Claveau plays Céline Dion “with the greatest respect in the world!” in the musical “Titanic”
What if Celine Dion herself had been the heroine of Titanicthe generously Oscar-winning cinematic fresco of the late 1990s? This is the question posed by the musical Titanicpresented – in English version, we specify – at the Segal Center this fall.
Céline Dion (played by Véronique Claveau) therefore interferes in the intrigue created by James Cameron, narrating on stage the meeting between Jack and Rose, a couple with a tragic destiny invented for the seventh art. And all of this, a musical comedy obliges, is done to the sound of the diva’s successes, Because You Loved Me has I’m Alivepassing through If You Asked Me To et My Heart Will Go On (obviously!).
Result: a deliciously irreverent show, at times crude and vulgar, but incredibly entertaining. In fact, it is with a smile firmly attached to your face and your ribs sore from having laughed too much that you leave the theater at the end of this adventure full of truculent lines and allergic to politically correct.
Amazing Véronique Claveau
It’s been a long time, 17 years to be precise, that Véronique Claveau perfected her personification of the famous diva during a humorous number or a song revisited here and there. But it is clear that today it is reaching its climax on the stages of the Segal Center.
Photo Marie-Andrée Lemire provided by the Segal Center
By playing Celine Dion for an entire show, rather than a few minutes at a time, the singer can infuse more nuance and subtlety into her performance, allowing it to shine as brightly as the heart of the ocean hanging around Rose’s neck . Without (too) falling into caricature or relying excessively on the various vocal and facial tics of Céline Dion, Véronique Claveau therefore offers a respectful imitation, certainly, but above all more realistic and complete.
She is also particularly well surrounded on this luminous and incandescent stage with a shape reminiscent of the hull of a ship. Seth Zosky and Mariah Campos-Thompson are both impeccable as Jack and Rose, both in their vocal performances and their comedic performance.
But the revelation of Titanic is without a doubt Constant Bernard. The Franco-Ontarian steals the show as Ruth, Rose’s bubbly mother, accomplishing this task with exceptional bravado, humor and aplomb.
Note, however: Titanic remains a very American show in its humor and references. The latter, sometimes hidden, could very well escape those less keen on popular culture, RuPaul’s Drag Race and the lights of Broadway. Without necessarily missing out on the dramatic elements, they risk wondering why the initiates next to them are screaming with laughter and slapping their knees with so much vehemence.
- The musical Titanic is presented at the Segal Center until November 24 before hitting the stage in Toronto the following month. Please note that all performances are in English.
