“Titanique” Takes Final Broadway Bow with 12 Standing Ovations — and “Titanic” Star Billy Zane in the Crowd (Exclusive Details)

The actor joined an ecstatic crowd for the hit musical comedy’s final Broadway performance before celebrating with the cast backstage

NEED TO KNOW

• Billy Zane attended Titanique’s final Broadway performance at the St. James Theatre on Sept. 20
• The Titanic star laughed throughout the show, wiped away tears and later celebrated backstage with the cast
• Titanique received 12 standing ovations during its emotional closing performance and will launch a North American tour in 2027

Titanique promised it would never let go. On Sunday night, its fans proved they wouldn’t either.

The hit musical comedy played its final Broadway performance on Sept. 20 at New York City’s St. James Theatre, bringing its acclaimed limited engagement to an end with an electric sendoff that included 12 standing ovations from an audience determined to show the cast just how much joy the show had given them.

And among those cheering them on was a particularly fitting guest: Titanic star Billy Zane, who played Rose’s wealthy fiancé Cal Hockley in the 1997 blockbuster that Titanique so lovingly parodies.

The actor, 60, appeared to be having an absolute blast throughout the night, smiling and laughing as Titanique gleefully skewered the movie that made him a household name. At several points, he could also be seen wiping tears from his eyes.

After the performance, Zane headed backstage, where he posed for photos with the full company — including John Riddle, who plays Titanique‘s wildly reimagined version of Cal.

A source on the scene tells PEOPLE that Zane was equally enthusiastic when meeting the cast.

“He couldn’t have been nicer,” the insider says. “He was telling everyone how great the show was and how much fun he had. He kept laughing with them about moments he loved throughout the night, and complimenting them on their performances.”

“The whole cast was so thrilled to have him there,” the source adds. “It was like the cherry on top of an already delicious sundae.”

Zane later shared his own rave review on Instagram. “What a tremendous production!!” he wrote. “Should have won 4 Tony Awards! Honestly one of the most beautiful and surreal experiences I’ve ever had. Thank you all! May it run forever!”

Zane’s appearance made an already emotional evening even more special.

From the moment the cast took the stage, the sold-out crowd was ready to celebrate, frequently stopping the performance with thunderous applause. By the time the final notes of Céline Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” rang through the St. James, the company had received 12 standing ovations over the course of the night.

The energy transformed the usual relationship between performer and audience. For much of Titanique‘s Broadway run, its company had spent each night throwing everything it had at the crowd — powerhouse vocals, rapid-fire jokes, absurd pop culture references and an anything-can-happen sense of chaos.

On closing night, it often felt as though the exchange had reversed; the audience was there for them.

Fans rose again and again, cheering after beloved jokes, musical numbers and entrances as if to thank the company for the joy Titanique had brought to their lives. Cast members visibly soaked it in, with the evening carrying the celebratory energy of a victory lap and the emotion of a goodbye.

Director and co-writer Tye Blue acknowledged that bond after the performance, taking the stage to thank the cast, crew, orchestra, producers and the many others who helped bring Titanique to Broadway — as well as the fans who had followed the show from its earliest days.

“Many of you who are here tonight, you’ve been with us since Los Angeles, you’ve been with us downtown, uptown, all over the world,” Blue told the crowd. “This has been an unprecedented experience for all of us here. A true dream come true.”

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Blue also paid tribute to the show’s longtime company manager and associate general manager Casey McDermott, who died just days before the closing performance, telling the audience she would “forever be a part of Titanique.”

And in true Titanique fashion, he saved a special thank-you for the show’s devoted LGBTQ+ following.

“We made this show from an honest, authentic place. We didn’t realize it was going to become a big gay thing, but you made it a big gay thing,” Blue joked. “Thank you for bringing your friends over, and over, and over, and over again. This is a gift. It belongs to all of you as well.”

It was an appropriately euphoric ending for a show whose own journey has been nearly as unlikely as the version of Titanic it tells.

Written by Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and Blue with choreographing by Ellenore Scott, Titanique imagines Céline Dion hijacking the familiar story of Jack and Rose to explain what really happened aboard the Ship of Dreams — naturally, through her own catalog of hits.

The musical began as a one-night-only concert in Los Angeles in 2017 before arriving in New York at The Green Room 42 the following year. A fully staged production opened Off-Broadway in 2022 at The Asylum Theatre, where strong word of mouth and a devoted fan following helped turn what was intended as a limited engagement into a surprise smash.

It eventually transferred to the Daryl Roth Theatre, where it continued its three-year Off-Broadway run, earning the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical and helping launch productions around the world including stagings in Australia, Canada, Chicago and Paris.

Its London production went on to win the 2025 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy and a trophy for Layton Williams’ supporting performance.

Broadway came next. After beginning previews March 26, Titanique officially opened at the St. James Theatre on April 12 and went on to receive four Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and acting nominations for Mindelle and Williams, who reprised his role as the Seaman/Iceberg across the pond.

Mindelle led the Broadway company as Céline Dion alongside Rousouli as Jack Dawson, Riddle as Cal Hockley, Jim Parsons as Ruth DeWitt Bukater, Melissa Barrera as Rose DeWitt Bukater, Deborah Cox as Unsinkable Molly Brown and Frankie Grande as Victor Garber.

Sara Gallo, Polanco Jones and Kristina Leopold appeared as the Background Vocalists, while Tess Marshall, Brad Greer, Kyle Ramar Freeman and Terrence Williams Jr. completed the company as understudies.

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Sunday’s performance won’t be Titanique‘s final voyage.

The musical will launch a North American tour in 2027, with stops already announced for Los Angeles, San Diego, Charlotte, Oklahoma City and Washington, D.C. Additional cities, dates and casting will be announced at a later date.

Meanwhile, Zane won’t be away from Broadway for long.

Just five days after watching Titanique take its final bow, the actor will return to the stage Sept. 25 in Bill Pay The Musical, a one-night-only musical comedy at the Broadhurst Theatre. The appearance will mark Zane’s first Broadway performance in more than two decades. He last appeared on Broadway in 2002, when he stepped into the role of lawyer Billy Flynn in Chicago.

He’ll star alongside Tony winner Billy Porter and Broadway favorite Jessica Vosk in the fully staged production, mounted by financial technology company Ramp as an elaborate promotion for its bill-pay platform. Bill Pay The Musical features a book by Kevin Zak, with music and lyrics by Jason Michael Snow and direction by Keaton Wooden.

Theatergoers interested in attending can enter the free ticket giveaway lottery by visiting billpaythemusical.com

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