Lauren Kennedy Brady, Executive Director of Theatre Raleigh, has been to the Tony Awards before. Twice, in fact. She actually performed on the program while she was a cast member of the original Broadway production of “Sunset Boulevard.” She was in that stunning Glenn Close number that’s still remembered today. Later on, she attended as a guest and enjoyed the show pressure-free from the audience. This coming Sunday evening, June 7, she will be attending as part of the producing team of the heavily nominated musical, “Titanique.”
Lauren
Kennedy Brady
“I’ve never attended as part of a nominated team,” says Brady, who’s on-stage credits also include Fantine in “Les Misérables” and The Lady of the Lake in “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” “So, this feels especially surreal and exciting! I’m looking forward to all of it — the preparation, the red carpet, reconnecting with friends and colleagues from across the industry. Oh, and of course, the show itself hosted by P!NK!”
The Show
For those INTIX members who are unfamiliar with “Titanique,” it features a crazy, silly, glorious premise. In the present day, pop star Celine Dion basically hijacks a Titanic museum tour after claiming to have survived the 1912 sinking of the legendary ocean liner.
Dion then begins to narrate her version of what really happened to Jack and Rose, the fictional characters played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in James Cameron’s 1997 Oscar-winning movie, on the night the great ship struck the iceberg. The whole thing is set to songs from Dion’s immense playbook, everything from “If You Asked Me To” and “Beauty and the Beast” to “Because You Loved Me” and, of course, “My Heart Will Go On.”
Brady says, “’Titanique’ is one of those rare theatrical experiences where the audience walks in not entirely sure what they’re about to see and leaves feeling like they’ve just survived the funniest, wildest and most joyful fever dream imaginable. It’s incredibly smart, campy and self-aware. What makes it so special is that underneath all of the outrageous humor and spectacle, the show never takes itself too seriously. People genuinely laugh, scream, sing and connect together in the room. In a time when audiences are craving escapism and shared joy, ‘Titanique’ delivers that in a huge way.”
The first version of the show played at Los Angeles' Sorting Room Theater as a one-night-only experience in December 2017. A fully-staged off-Broadway production began previews at The Asylum Theatre in New York City in the summer of 2022.
Brady recalls, “I had been hearing buzz about the show for quite a while because it had built such a passionate following downtown, off-Broadway and internationally. People in the theatre community kept talking about it as this ‘You have to see it to believe it!’ experience. Once I finally saw it, I completely understood why audiences were obsessed with it. The energy in the room was electric.”
Brady became involved as a co-producer on the Broadway production via her connections with “Bull Durham, The Musical,” which she is the lead producer on. “Through that process,” she states, “I had meetings with Eva Price, who is the lead producer of ‘Titanique,’ and she suggested I get involved. At first, I felt like I should stay focused solely on my own project, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized this is exactly the kind of show the world needs right now — joyful, unapologetic and wildly entertaining. So, I jumped on board.”
The Challenges
Brady knew right away that one of the biggest challenges in bringing “Titanique” to Broadway was preserving the intimacy and spontaneity that made it such an off-Broadway phenomenon in the first place. Part of the magic of the show is that it feels delightfully unhinged and immediate — almost like anything could happen at any moment. Brady remarks, “Maintaining that energy in a larger Broadway house while simultaneously elevating the production values required a very careful balance from both the creative team and producers.”
She continued, “Comedy itself is also always a challenge because timing is everything. Audiences today are incredibly savvy, and this show moves at lightning speed with references, improvisational energy and layered humor. Keeping that pace sharp, fresh and alive every night takes an extraordinary company and creative team — which we absolutely have in spades.”
Getting some of the biggest accolades has been Marla Mindelle, who plays Dion. Reviews have referenced her being the driving force behind the improv and singular energy that makes the show so triumphant. “Honestly,” Brady says, “it all feels very much like the right show at the right time. Audiences are embracing it in a massive way, and it’s been thrilling to watch it connect on such a large scale.”
The Rewards
Besides the Tony nominations, what has been the most rewarding part of the whole ‘Titanique’ experience for Brady personally? She was quick to answer: “Honestly, seeing the sheer joy audiences experience at the show has been the most rewarding part. Theatre can sometimes feel heavy right now — financially, emotionally — and ‘Titanique’ reminds people why live theatre matters. It creates this communal experience where strangers are laughing together nonstop. Watching audiences leave happier than when they arrived feels incredibly meaningful.”
She adds, “I’ve also loved being part of helping dreams come true. This show literally started in the basement of a Gristedes [a largely New York-based century-old chain of grocery stores] and has now docked on Broadway. Being even a small part of that journey has been incredibly rewarding.”
And, of course, getting to experience the excitement of Tony Awards season is the biggest reward. Brady describes Tony Nominations Day as “surreal.” She was actually en route from her home market of Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, to New York when she watched the announcements on her smartphone.
“There was this mixture of excitement, nerves and complete disbelief happening in real time,” she joyfully recalls. “I was heading up to host some of the investors at the show that evening, so it was especially incredible that I got to celebrate with the cast and producing team that very same day. It felt really special. When the nominations came through — especially Best Musical — there were lots of celebratory texts; phone calls; and, without question, some champagne involved before 10 a.m.!”
A Date With Tony
And, of course, she is going to the Tony Awards show, right?! “Absolutely!” she exclaims. “I’m incredibly excited to attend. Part of what makes the Tonys so special is that it truly feels like a celebration of the entire theatre community — artists, producers, creatives, marketers, ticketing professionals, front-of-house teams etc. — everyone who helps bring live theatre to life.”
Brady concludes, “But most of all, I’m excited to celebrate with the ‘Titanique’ team and cast. I plan to soak in every single moment because experiences like this truly do not come along every day. . . . And, yes, finding the right dress has definitely become part of the adventure!”
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