Toronto Fringe Review: Being Celine

Extravaganza Productions presents Being Celine – a show that is part-concert, part conversation with none other than Céline Dion. Laura Landauer (directed by Lisa Abbott) plays the titular role, employing her long-running impersonation of the songstress. 

The premise of the show has Céline gracing us – a lowly Fringe audience – with her presence. Over the course of the hour, she performs many of her fan favourites, interspersed with mocumentary-style videos and short monologues about her life and her relationship to superstardom. 

Landauer’s depiction of Dion clearly comes from a place of passion and dedication, as she perfectly delivers many of Céline’s unique mannerisms and vocal affects, both conversational and musical. Further, this show had some of the best costuming I’ve seen in a Fringe show yet.   

While I found Landauer’s impersonation and vocal delivery impressively entertaining, I’m not sure it had the staying power to warrant a full hour. I walked away thinking that the impersonation is the show, and nothing more. The show followed a pattern: song(s), monologue, video (while Céline changed costumes), repeat. By the second or third time through this cycle, I found it tedious. Even if the show was intended for lighthearted laughs only, many of the jokes had the same punchline of “Céline is trying to be relatable and sticks out like a sore thumb in the process”. 

I think this show has a very interesting premise, given the mythology we (as Canadians) have about Céline, and, more topically, her recently publicized health struggles impacting her ability to perform. I think Landauer created an accurate depiction of Céline’s tendency to play it safe with her public persona (not delving into politics or other sensitive matters, focusing on family and children, etc.), but it would have been interesting to get a glimpse into something more intimate and vulnerable.  

While Landauer has crafted an impersonation that is very true to reality, for the purposes of a stage show, I think it would have been more interesting to see a character develop throughout the performance – even if that character is created with more artistic liberty over accuracy.  

Being Celine is on now until July 13 as part of the Toronto Fringe. Tickets and Info Here.