I know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it's the greatest moment of my life, and all I have to do is enjoy it Being a writer and a creator of this show is incredible and can be overwhelming at times There's also an added pressure because like behind the scenes, it's like if something's not working, you're responsible for it.

The cast started calling me Nosferatu because I was like, I don't know if I'm allowed to stand, but I would literally just like would lurk.

And I listen and like, I'm like, okay, that's not working.

I'm just kind of like always like around watching.

We just finished rehearsal and we are on our way to Greenpoint right now.

And it's gonna be super fun.

I'm really excited.

How are you feeling?

Oh, my God, I'm going home.

What are you doing?

Going home.

Where?

Greenpoint.

Wait.

Right in the same building.

We live in the same building because we're sick.

Oh.

We're gross.

Yeah.

Can't get enough.

Oh, my gosh, Connie.

We call each other Will and Grace but poor.

And we mean that.

Unfortunately, I know everything about this man that I never needed to know.

We love each other so much that I think it is so apparent on stage.

And I feel like we've pulled out the best versions of each other and also, quite frankly, the worst versions of each other because we are both trolls.

How's the show going so far?

I mean.

It's a piece of shit.

Im kidding.

I hope you keep that.

Yeah.

Lets go to that one.

Cmon.

What does it feel like for us being creators and performers in a rehearsal in a rehearsal room?

Unbelievable, man.

It feels like we're both liabilities, to be honest.

Yeah.

There's moments where people look at us and like oh, is that funny?

And we're lik No.

Okay.

Do you think we can cross before No.

We have four seconds.

Okay, okay.

Tell the story of you being a singing waiter yet again Connie.

Come on, stop outing me.

The only other times that I've, had any other real jobs besides musical theater were in singing waitressing establishments.

So at 18, I worked at Showplace Ice Cream Parlor in Long Beach Island, which no longer exists.

Then I moved upwards to Ellens Stardust Diner at 22, 23.

Then, at the ripe age of 35, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my dreams of writing and fell into quicksand and worked at Micelli's Italian restaurant while also working at Rockwell Table & Stage where I met this one right here.

Well, reconnected.

Deborah Cox when she first met us, thought that we were married.

Sick, twisted.

You actually kissed me.

What is Titanique?

It's a great question.

The idea for the show started, like most good things, drunk at a bar.

I was living in Los Angeles with Constantine Rousouli and Ty Blue, and we were drunk one night, and Connie came up to me and he was like, wouldn't it be so good if we did Titanic with all Celine Dion songs?

And you'll be Celine, I'll be Jack.

We did our first reading in Los Angeles in a dance studio in 100 degree weather, because the air conditioning broke.

Ty put everything on his credit card, maxed out 10K on a credit card.

I was renting a dress from Rent the Runway.

I bought my wig on Hollywood Boulevard.

Connie's making all the props from Michael's.

Then take it to New York on a whim.

He invites Eva Price, who we did Cruel Intentions with, and she came up to him and she said I had no intention of producing this, and I watched it, and I have to produce it.

And from then we had real producers.

Then we start off Broadway in the basement.

Whole thing blows up.

We transfer to the Daryl Roth, we go all over the world.

Ten years later, we're finally here.

These kinds of stories, they don't happen.

You know what I mean?

That's why it's so special to me We are waiting for Miss Marla Mindelle to get her act together, to get her ass in a pedicab so she can wheel her ass in front of the St.

James Theatr Come on down to the St.

James.

I would say that I was blacked out the entire day It was the first realization, I think, that I had when I was in my Celine costume.

And I'm biking in a pedicab while “My Heart Will Go On.” Is blasting.

and all these people are in costume, and there are people lined up to like, get tickets.

Okay.

Who is coming to the opening night?

Sponsored by Office Depot.

What has transpired in the last five years of my life is nothing short of extraordinary.

Bye bye.

I love you so much.

Bye bye bye.

Then I was going to change into Marla clothing and go to the press event.

I feel kooky, crazy.

Four years ago, I would have done anything and everything to be here.

Like, truthfully.

My purpose is to just breathe in every moment and try to have a good time and not lose my mind.

We'll see.

Okay, so here we are outside of my theater girlfriend I never thought that I would be a leading lady.

My favorite thing about this theater.

I don't know if you can see my eyes.

This is, like, my favorite thing And so, yeah, we call it the Celine peep hole but the gays call it- Sorry, sorry.

Get her out!

Get out of my shot!

I just never thought that I woul ever be the face of any Playbill to be honest with you.

Its very ironic that I had to write it myself.

But.

But at the same time, I'm so grateful because this could be the only time that that happens.

Well, you must understand, the very first production of thi Off-Broadway was in the basement of a Gristedes where trash juice was leaking on my head as I sang My Heart Will Go On So to go from that with rats surrounding me as I put on my makeup to this is crazy.

I'm the Queen of Versailles RIP Thats her the Queen.

The Queen of the St.

James.

Actually, youre the queen of th Im the queen.

You're the king.

I'm the king.

This one's bothering me.

That one, yeah.

Thanks.

I'm so nervous because it's Celine Dion.

It's so, so much pressure to to be her and to sing the songs.

And I want to sound good, but at the same time, I just keep telling myself.

You just have to enjoy it.

Ok girlfriend.

Its showtime.

The first preview, it was like the gay Super Bowl.

Like we couldn't even get the lines out.

The show must be in two hours because people were just going crazy.

It was so emotional.

I don't want to cry.

It was so overwhelming.

It's been ten years to get it to this place.

I never thought it would happen on Broadway.

It was like the most electric, surreal, overwhelming, gratifying experience of my entire life.

What's next?

I don't know.

I got to open.

I got to open the show first.

I got to open the show first.

What's next is we have to go hom I'm tired.

I have rotisserie chicken in my bag.

Anyway, he's going to go eat a chicken.

I'm going to go try to sleep immediately and process and answer texts and emails and and my family was here tonight, so I essentially popped out of the womb with jazz hands because my father is also a composer for musical theater.

I would go to sleep listening to him play the piano.

Musical theater from the second I was, you know, out of the womb, I was like, this is what I'm doing for the rest of my life.

And it is all thanks to him.

The fact that he has a show off-broadway and I have a show on Broadway.

And the fact that both of us are doing something at the same time in this art for it is not lost on me.

It is opening night, and let's just say I'm already ready to get drunk.

I'm so happy.

I have a whole team of people making me look this beautiful, because I could never do it myself.

Know that.

It's like from prom.

It's amazing.

Thanks.

All right.

There she go, honey.

Nice.

There she go.

Oh, there she come.

There she go.

So welcome to Broadway Titanique So the Legacy Robe ceremony is given to the Broadway chorus member who has done the most shows.

I got emotional because it's just a long standing tradition and Broadway is all about community and caring about each other.

And I feel like our cast does th more then more than ever.

Strangely, I feel calmer than I should because I feel like I've already won.

Me even getting to this place and standing upright is a victor This is my dad, Steve.

Stephen.

Hello.

I can barely contain my emotion.

We're incredibly proud of her.

This has been such an amazing journey.

You can't cry because then I'll cry.

And, I know how hard it is to get her Yes.

And she did it with aplomb and resilience and tenacity.

And, we couldn't be prouder.

I feel so incredibly grateful.

I don't know if you've probably caught me sobbing.

I don't think my childhood self thought that this was that this was even possible.

I just wanted to be on Broadway, and I had no idea that I could write something and perform it with all of these people.

It is.

It is beyond dream come true.

I'm so happy.