Juliet Mayhew, star of “Real Housewives of London,” made a surprise cameo appearance in Broadway’s musical comedy “Titanique” this past weekend, stepping into a role far removed from reality television dinner tables.
The show, which draws heavily on the music of Celine Dion, gave Mayhew, 49, a chance to return to a career she had before reality TV: professional performing. She trained at ArtsEd Tring, London Studio Centre and NIDA in Australia as a singer, dancer and actor.
“It was such a wonderfully bonkers, full-circle moment!” Mayhew told Page Six’s “Virtual Reali-Tea.”
The cameo opportunity started with an invitation to appear in the London production of “Titanique.” After several cancellations, which Mayhew joked were “almost as eventful as the Titanic itself,” the chance eventually moved to Broadway.
“Broadway has always been a dream, so the thought of actually stepping onto that stage was incredibly exciting and surreal,” she said.
The Costume
For the role, Mayhew wore a custom costume designed in London by William F. Henderson, who has worked on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and trained at the same drama school as Mayhew. The centerpiece was a Titanic-inspired hat nearly a meter long and 60 centimeters high, topped with feathers. She completed the look with rubber gloves and a feather duster.
“It took two people to get me into the outfit. The waist was snatched! I could barely breathe, but darling, apparently that is the price of Broadway!” Mayhew said. “I’m Australian. We don’t take ourselves too seriously. Go big or go home, mate!”
Coming Home to Performing
Mayhew said the performance reconnected her with skills built long before reality TV.
“Being on Broadway was a dream come true,” she said. “It felt like coming home to a part of myself that had been there all along.”
She described feeling immediately comfortable once on stage. “The second I was out there, I was completely in my element,” she said, noting she sang, danced, improvised and even performed a time step.
She said hearing the audience react to her live was the most surreal part of the experience. “There’s no retake and no edit,” she said. “You’re listening to the actors, bouncing off their energy, improvising, playing with the audience and trusting your instincts.”
Mayhew, who has appeared on two seasons of “RHOLDN,” said reality television turned out to be good preparation for live theater. “You can arrive thinking you know where a scene is going, somebody says something completely unexpected and suddenly you have to react and run with it,” she said. “Broadway might actually be the calmer option!”
A Housewives Reunion in New York
Mayhew’s New York trip included time with “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” stars Sutton Stracke, Erika Jayne and Tracy Tutor, who were in the city filming during New York Fashion Week. The group connected at Sutton’s fifth annual Celebration Honoring Women Pioneers of Circular Fashion at the Martha Graham Dance Center.
Mayhew said she bonded with Stracke, 54, a fellow trained dancer, and could picture her taking on a Broadway role — specifically “Mame.”
“With two former dancers, a live audience and permission to improvise, I’m not entirely convinced either of us would stick to the script,” Mayhew said. “And frankly, that might be the best part!”
Asked which Celine Dion song best fits her Titanic-themed cameo, Mayhew chose “The Power of Love” over the more obvious “My Heart Will Go On.”
“I’m an enormous romantic,” she said. “For me, love is the great anchor in life: my husband, my family, my faith and the people I cherish. Celine doesn’t merely sing a love song. She launches it into another stratosphere!”
Several reality TV personalities attended Mayhew’s Broadway debut, including “Love Island USA” Season 8 winners Bryce Alakai and Trinity Tatum, as well as “Selling Sunset” star Amanza Smith.
“Titanique” wraps up its Broadway run on Sept. 20. “The Real Housewives of London” airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo, with episodes streaming the next day on Peacock.
