Deborah Cox Dishes on Broadway’s Titanique, Working With Céline Dion and Finding Her Funny Side

The glamorous, golden voiced and unsinkable chanteuse Deborah Cox is returning to Broadway this season in Titanique, a high-camp retelling of James Cameron’s cinematic love story. Cox takes on the role of Molly Brown, a rags-to-riches socialite who survived the S.S. Titanic on the wings of her indomitable spirit. Hailing from Canada, Cox had her big break in 1994 when she was discovered by the legendary record executive Clive Davis. With buttery pipes and songwriting prowess to boot, Cox ascended to stardom as an R&B vocalist, releasing songs including platinum hit “Nobody’s Supposed To Be Here” and “Who Do U Love.”

Before she secured headliner status, Cox was a backup vocalist for Céline Dion, performing with her fellow Canuck on tour. It's only fitting that Cox would come on board Titanique, as the show features Dion’s catalog of hits and has an outsized version of the songbird serving as a narrator of sorts. The "splash hit" musical began previews on March 26 and officially opened on April 12. The Grammy-nominated diva dishes about her foray into comedy, finding strength from Molly Brown's legacy and working with her hilarious co-stars, including Jim Parsons.

First off, how did Titanique come on your radar?
Frankie Grande [who plays Victor Garber] was the one who was in the show when it was in L.A. We're close friends and we often talk about projects that we're a part of and that we enjoy doing. Fast-forward to last year, around Halloween time, I'm at Disney World with my family. Tye Blue, our director, sent an email with an offer about the Molly Brown character. So we got on a phone call and started to talk about the project because I'd never seen it. I hadn’t even seen clips, only murmurings, so it was kind of in my orbit in a very interesting way. I had the realization of, "Oh my goodness. This is the same show that I remember hearing about from Frankie before COVID."

What made you want to be involved in the project?
Tye and I had a great conversation. He started to talk to me about this character, Molly Brown, and how she was actually a real person. They really wanted someone to portray this anchor, this woman who was really strong-willed. I felt like it could be something that would be interesting for me. I didn't realize how comedic it was until I read the script and then I was all the way in.

The Unsinkable Molly Brown has been portrayed by the likes of Debbie Reynolds and Kathy Bates. She’s also, as you said, a real person who led an extraordinary life. How does it feel to embody her?
I feel so empowered telling Molly's story. It's a real pleasure to be up there, especially knowing the backstory of Margaret Brown and her dedication fighting for people who don't have much. She's seen both sides. Before she was rich, she was very, very poor, so she understood that her wealth should be a blessing to others. She fought for women’s rights and was very outspoken in a time where women did not have a voice. When she saw that the lifeboats could actually carry more people, she wanted to go back and save more people. I can't even imagine how grueling it must have been to hear the screams of people dying as she's trying to save as many people as she can. She survived a shipwreck, wrote an article about it, ran for Senate, drove an ambulance. The woman is fierce. So I feel like I have her fiery energy and the essence of her around me when I'm portraying this role.

Titanique features the music of Céline Dion, who is also a character in the show. Early in your career, you were a backup singer for Céline. Does this feel like a full-circle moment for you?
There's moments in Titanique where certain songs bring me back to being on stage with Céline. We did the Jay Leno show, we did Arsenio Hall. We did so many performances that were really memorable. Now that I'm in this show, it just reminds me of that time of trying to break into the industry as a recording artist. I ended up leaving her tour to embark on my own career and take a chance on myself.

Do you have any favorite memories of working with Céline?
I remember how funny she was and how lighthearted she was. Just a very kind person. She was never combative in any way and was always warm. Her and René [Angélil, Dion’s late husband and manager] were very close when it came to making decisions about her career, and I really admired her discipline in taking care of her voice. She was probably the most disciplined performer that I have ever worked with.

You made your Broadway debut as the titular princess in Aida. What do you remember most from that time?
I was a new mom with my son, who was like six months at the time, living here in the city and just juggling being a mommy and a Broadway star. I remember the incredible music of the show, the intensity that had to be portrayed between Aida and Radames. It really restored my love for theater, because I came up in that world before becoming a recording artist, which a lot of people don't know. I had my early days in the musical [Mama, I Want to Sing!] in Toronto. So when I made my Broadway debut, it was like, "Oh, this is what it's like." It reminded me of the collaboration of working with other artists, dancers, a crew; just having a real team that you work with every single night to bring a story to life.

In Titanique, you're exercising your funny bone. This is a side of you that fans might not be familiar with. How are you approaching the show’s comedy?
I've always loved Whoopi Goldberg and Carol Burnett and Goldie Hawn. I came up in the '80s watching these hilarious women. I think Tisha Campbell was probably the first performer that I saw that could sing, dance, act and be comedic. It's a fine line and I’m still learning. But I'm leaning on the younger Deborah, when I was 10, 11, 12 years old, playing on the playground.

Speaking of comedy, who in the cast has been making you laugh?
I would have to say Jim Parsons. He was born for this. He can do a line reading in so many different ways and it always reads funny. And then when he adds physicality and I see his work ethic, I'm just like, "That's why he's Jim motherf***ing Parsons," you know what I'm saying? Comedy is not easy. I also want to give props to Marla Mindelle. She's on stage 99% of the time and that's a very difficult thing to do as far as stamina and singing and acting. She's an MVP. She really has the essence of this hilarious version of Céline.

You co-produced the most recent Broadway revival of The Wiz and brought down the house as Glinda. Do you see any similarities between Molly Brown and Glinda?
I see a similarity in the nurturing aspects of those characters. When you're a person who has experiences, it's important to always be mindful of people that are inspired by you, watching you, following in your footsteps. I'm a pioneer. I've been in this game a long time and I've had to break doors open as a Black female performer doing roles that weren’t necessarily written for a Black woman. I think there's a bigger narrative in the roles that I've played and I'm happy that you recognize that. Especially now having a family, there’s always something in the back of mind saying, "Okay, how can I make this a teachable moment or something that someone can be really inspired and moved by?"

Last September marked 30 years since your debut album was released. You have had a number of remarkable accomplishments in the years since, including an induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. If you could go back to the start of your career, what would you tell your younger self?
The funny thing is, I listen to my younger self, if that makes sense. Like I said when I accepted my induction, rejection was my redirection and that has been something that I continue to live by. If a door closed, I would just go to the next door and knock on it, or try it and see if it would open. I think that's been part of my superpower, not letting any of that discourage me and not seeking validation from others. I never let a no stop me. I just let that motivate me.

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