Review: TITANISH at Seattle Public Theater

Star-crossed lovers, a doomed ship, an iceberg, a gem, and a big damn door.  I am, of course, Dear Readers, talking about “Titanic” or rather in this case, the parody from The Habit and Seattle Public Theater, “Titanish”. It’s back for another summer run and once again a must see!

Even if you haven’t seen the 1997 film, you probably know the story as it’s engrained into pop culture.  Lovers from different classes, Rose and Jack (Julia Kuzmich and Kooper Campbell) are aboard the maiden voyage of The Titanic, the unsinkable ship.  Rose is there with her utter douchebag of a fiancé Caledon Hockley (David S. Hogan) in first class, and down below Jack and his buddy Fabrizio (Bo Mellinger) have won tickets in a game of chance so they can make lives for themselves in America.  And of course, Rose and Jack fall in love against all odds, and right before disaster strikes.  But all of this is merely a flashback told by old Rose (Misty Doty) to fortune hunters Brock Lovett and Louis Bodine (Mellinger again and Brandon Felker) as they search for The Heart of the Ocean gem.

Now take all that from the film and amp it all up to 11, showing off every ridiculous contrivance, and adding in a few more, and you have the brilliant parody from The Habit members Jeff Schell and Ryan Dobosh and director Mark Siano (the geniuses behind the holiday hit “A Very Die Hard Christmas”).  With crazy characters, stunning musical numbers (yes, it’s a musical), and mind bogglingly inventive ways to portray an epic film on stage, and you’ll laugh for 90 minutes straight.

But this year we do have some cast changes, most notably Kuzmich as she ably steps into the role of Rose.  Great voice and an excellent straight man for the chaos around her, she has stunning chemistry with Campbell, returning as Jack.  Both are theatrical powerhouses, but I must mention the insane dancing and singing and comedy chops of Campbell.  He is simply a quadruple threat (he’s also a cutie).  I can only assume it’s a matter of time before we lose him to Broadway. 

Felker is back again as the stoner Bodine, as well as the worst ship captain ever, and has not lost a step in how fantastic he is in this role.  Truly a master comedian at work.  As are bickering shipmates Fleet and The Reg (Christi Cruz and Kayla Walker) who kept coming back for recurring gags that always felt fresh and new and kept the audience totally immersed.  Hogan nimbly steps into Hockley’s fancy shoes bringing out the perfect amount of jackass to the role to make him a superb buffoon villain.  Mellinger is new to the cast as well as Brock and Fabrizio showing off his usual hilarity in any role.  I must, once again, mention Doty as the hysterically one-note Molly Brown and the filthiest old lady Rose ever.  I can’t be sure, but I think she’s gotten dirtier.  And that’s just the tip of the iceberg (pun intended) of the insane talent on that stage.

The show is just as inappropriate and crass as ever as it lovingly pokes fun at the original film, including the debate on how many people that door can hold.  And if this sounds like your cup of brandy, then you cannot wait any longer.  This is my second time seeing this one and it just gets funnier.  And so, with my three-letter rating system, I give “Titanish” at Seattle Public Theater a delighted, blissed out, and winded from all the laughing WOW.  If you’ve seen it, you know the brilliance and that you want to see it again.  If you haven’t, YOU MUST!

“Titanish” performs at Seattle Public Theater through September 22nd.  For tickets or information visit them online at www.seattlepublictheater.org.

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