Singer and actress Deborah Cox has returned to the Broadway stage, starring as “The Unsinkable” Molly Brown in a strictly limited engagement of “Titaníque.” The play is a fun re-imagining of the 1998 James Cameron film, “Titanic,” based on the 1912 tragedy which saw the infamous ship hitting an iceberg and killing thousands on board. The play is told through Celine Dion’s point of view, who was not actually on the historic ship, but sang the film’s theme song. “The idea of reimagining that story, and told through Celine Dion’s eyes is just hysterical,” said Cox to the AmNews in an exclusive interview via Zoom.
“That’s what really drew me to the piece.” Cox, who is well known for singing a slew of R&B hits like “Where do We Go from Here,” and “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” is no stranger to the Broadway stage, having performed in “The Wiz” and “Aida,” but her role in “Titaníque” is different from work she’s engaged in before. “I wanted to return to Broadway in something very different,” Cox said. “Being a part of a sketch-comedy type show was something that was really intriguing to me.”
Engaging with Dion’s work marks a sort of “full circle” moment, Cox said, as one of her early jobs in the industry was as a backup singer for Dion. “It reminds me of a very fun time in my life. It reminds me how you make choices that can change the trajectory of your journey,” Cox recalls. “I was 19 when I was singing background for her — I was in this place of really trying to figure out what I wanted to do in the music industry. When I got the callback, I found myself immersed in her music, travelling all over the place and it was amazing, but I still felt like I had something to offer as a musician as well. So, I left the tour to embark on my own career and here we are today.”
Cox took some time to reflect on the show’s light-hearted nature, which includes cultural references that nod to some of the actors’ work outside the show, some of the more infamous scenes in Cameron’s movie, and LGBTQ culture which runs through the show’s DNA. “It’s given me the opportunity to finally be in a comedy that speaks and resonates to the world that we live in today. Poking fun at yourself, being silly, being ridiculous,” Cox said. “At the end of the day, maybe it’s not that deep compared to some of the things that are going on, but it’s an opportunity to step away, be distracted a little bit with something that’s of a little bit lighter fare.” You can score tickets to see Deborah Cox in “Titaníque,” and sip her signature wine, Kazaisu, at the bar through July 12 more info at titaniquebroadway.com