Back stage on a cruise ship yields neatly packaged treats, treasures
- Christene Meyers
- Feb 7, 2014
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 14
SINGERS, HOOFERS, MAGICIANS ANSWER SEA'S SIREN CALL TO ENTERTAIN PASSENGERS
Gowns, boas, beautifully pressed and stored, await their time in the spotlight. A stage hand does inventory.
STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER
SPACE IS SMALL, but spirits soar for thousands of Broadway babies singing and dancing their way around the world on top cruise ships.
For these talented hoofers, jugglers, comics, singers and actors -- would-be Broadway babies -- production values are large aboard the best ships, including Royal Caribbean's Serenade of the Seas.
Full-scale but shortened versions of Broadway hits such as "Chicago" are produced to the delight of audiences as the ship moves through the waters......
Additional entertainment on upscale cruise lines ranges from classical guitar, jazz piano and versatile duos, to acrobats and even ice skating.
BACKSTAGE on a moving ship, there is truly a place for everything. On a multi-thousand-ton vessel filled to capacity with passengers and crew, the entertainment is a huge draw. Cruisers -- especially those who've logged many miles on the world's oceans and around her ports -- expect and desire top shows.
We want sets that sparkle, special effects that dazzle, costumes that convince and a fine orchestra.
That happens aboard today's top-ranked ships. They audition around the world, rehearse usually in Florida or California, then set sail to engage and enthrall us while we're enjoying our holidays on the water.
WE RECENTLY spent an entertaining morning with the dancers, singers, instrumentalists, magicians and comics aboard Serenade of the Seas, in the Royal Caribbean International fleet.
She was in the last few days of a splendid Atlantic crossing from Barcelona, to Cadiz (with a land tour into Seville), through the Canary Islands and into the Caribbean, finally docking at the port of New Orleans.
THE SHIP-SHAPE, energetic ensemble came from Atlanta, Los Angeles, Tampa, Chicago and other U.S. cities -- with a few Brits and Aussies thrown in the mix.
Most had been with the company for several years -- one for 14 -- and all described with animation and enthusiasm their at-sea adventures.
THEY WERE FULL of fascinating anecdotes. One daughter of a Royal Caribbean seamstress described her "family affair" with the sea, and her mother's talents at letting costumes in or making them larger, depending on the size of the performer.
WHILE THE production rigors call for shapely and fit performers, the bodies range from small and short to tall and thin, and a few of the specialty singers are not necessarily tiny. Thus the expensive costumes must be able to be let out or taken in as the performer's size dictates.
Costumes are mended and laundered on a regular basis, to keep them shiny and sparkling. And an inventory is taken after each show to make certain everything has been returned to its place.
THE DAY we toured the backstage area, we walked past gleaming percussion instruments and behind the stage curtains to a well organized world of hats and shoes, gowns and sequins, and a veritable steamer trunk of props.
COMING SOON: Tips on the intricacies of renting a car abroad, inside Oregon's internationally famous Shakespeare Festival, a traveling musician's life, explorer Cabrillo and his legacy and monuments in San Diego, Ashland Oregon's lively cabaret, plus a view from the bridge and a visit to the venerable Queen Mary, now a Long Beach hotel. Remember to explore, learn and live, and please tell your friends to visit us Wednesdays and weekends at:
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