Off-Broadway Access Review -
Titanique

Find my other reviews & learn about my reviews here

 
 

General Note

This is a review of the accessibility of the theater, of the lighting/sound/scent design of the show, and a list of content warnings as a way to prep folks with various needs before they go see it. 

This is not meant to scare anyone away from seeing the show. Most productions have about the same amount of content warnings and sensory warnings to go along with it, they’re just rarely explicitly written down. 

For some people, knowing these things ahead of time makes it easier to enjoy the show because they know what to expect. And, often, makes those people more likely to see it in the first place. I hope that it’s helpful! 

I am also happy to clarify any specifics, just send me a message or an email and I will respond when I can.

Off-Broadway Note

Most of my reviews are of Broadway shows & theaters. This is not one of them. 

The thing about off-Broadway is that the theaters tend to be smaller and tend to not necessarily have been originally built to be theaters. 

This means:

  • The same lighting & sound design as on Broadway will inherently seem brighter & louder

  • There will be more stairs and less of the retrofitted accessibility we see in  larger theaters

  • The budget is often smaller (i.e. retrofitting things for accessibility is way harder for these shows)

Please do not compare my reviews and conclude “Off Broadway is doing a worse job at this and we should focus on fixing that”. The industry is a problem as a whole, everyone needs to work on it, and Broadway often can afford to do this but won’t. Off-Broadway can also do better but the odds are against them. Let’s not forget that.

Theater

Daryl Roth Theatre

All comments on the accessibility of lighting are in reference to seats in the center of row J.

Bathrooms:

  • no explicitly gender neutral options

  • down a flight of stairs

  • there is an accessible restroom in the lobby

Other theater accessibility:

  • there is a flat no-step connection to the street (corner of East 15th & Union Square E)

  • there’s an elevator to the basement (where the bar is) though the space isn’t wheelchair accessible

  • rows A through D are step free, after that there’s one step between each row with handrails

  • the theatre does not offer assistive devices

Click here for more information on the physical accessibility of this theater.
(This theater put the most thorough description of accessibility I have ever seen on the site, it’s wonderful)

Light/Sound/Scent

General:

  • This show has a LOT of moving lights (it’s a campy comedy musical, this isn’t surprising) so I likely missed a few, if you’re photosensitive just be warned (and know that this show is 150% worth it)

  • The show runs 100 minutes with no intermission

  • Noise level - would personally recommend earplugs

  • Celine’s dress is really really sparkly, creates a bit of a disco ball effect

  • The show involves some level of audience participation for some in rows A-D

Pre-Show:

  • moving lights on the audience

  • shiny blue heart of the ocean slowly spinning on center stage (creates a disco ball effect)

  • loud pop music playing

Please enjoy my terrible explanations of where things take place, I am VERY unfamiliar with Celine’s music

The Show:

  • Opening - white strobes on center stage (I believe it happened twice)

  • Celine reveal - flashing lights

  • “I’m Alive” - flashing lights in the middle of the song

  • “Taking Chances”- moving lights at the end

  • “Beauty & The Beast” - flashing light & louder audio after first chorus

  • Grindr joke - there’s a moving light on the audience right after this joke

  • Irish dance song - moving lights at the end

  • “To Love You More” -

    • big bright light on the audience in the middle of the number, Celine kinda preps you for it

    • strobes later in this song

  • Blackout - a lot of lights move on audience after this and during the following number

  • Captain’s number - small quick moving light at the end of the song

  • Captain’s second number -

    • some elements of the audio shake the seats a bit

    • lots of flashing lights at the end of this number

  • Tina Turner -

    • flashing lights after she is announced

    • quickly changing lights and moving lights on the audience during the entire time she is onstage

  • “I Surrender” - when Celine is center and Jack/Rose are on the back of the boat there are moving lights on the audience

  • “A New Day Has Come” - moving lights somewhere in this song, my notes say “on SS” and I don’t know what that means I am so sorry

  • Final number - loud sing-a-long of “My Heart Will Go On”

Content Warnings

This kinda contains spoilers! Be warned!

General:

  • sexual innuendos/jokes

  • abusive mother and partner

  • several references to suicide

This is a very quick comedy where you can’t think about anything in depth for more than like 0.2 seconds before you’re on to the next laugh so the potentially triggering things don’t really hit as such/if they do you forget about it really quickly.