JLMoran Posted May 6, 2019 Report Share Posted May 6, 2019 I know there was a little bit of discussion around this on another thread over in the News & Rumors board, but I figured I'd start a dedicated topic on this to see what people might come up with. I have a couple of shows in mind that I think would not only be good additions to Royal, but at least one would be a show they could add to a smaller ships with a smaller theater since it was originally performed on a small stage and needs pretty much zero large set pieces. What show might that be? STOMP! If you haven't seen it, it's a fantastic show. All kinds of percussion-based music and dance numbers using stuff you'd never think of -- oil drums, garbage can lids, push brooms, plastic grocery bags, etc. One or two numbers might have to be dropped for safety reasons (e.g., a short bit where everyone is flicking Zippo lighters on and off), but the amount of equipment needed isn't huge / doesn't take up a ton of space (apart from the four 50-gallon oil drums used in one of the numbers) and the routines aren't anything that puts the performers at risk on a rocking ship. In a similar vein, I'd love to see Royal get into a partnership with Blue Man Group to put a show on one or two their Quantum ships. If they can do We Will Rock You, I'd think a BMG show would be doable as well (although maybe some more risk there in rougher seas with the show's use of various liquids that could spill and cause slipping risks). What are some other shows you've seen that, while not on Broadway, were really good entertainment and could theoretically work on a cruise ship? Especially a smaller one so they could start getting away from the Vegas-style revue shows the smaller ships are currently stuck with! Lovetocruise2002 and Fuzzywuzzy 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunkelBierJay Posted May 6, 2019 Report Share Posted May 6, 2019 1 hour ago, JLMoran said: In a similar vein, I'd love to see Royal get into a partnership with Blue Man Group to put a show on one or two their Quantum ships. I'd like to see Blue Man Group on RC as well. I am pretty sure they are already on Norwegian Epic, although I don't know if that is an exclusive deal. Lovetocruise2002 and bhageerah 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted May 6, 2019 Report Share Posted May 6, 2019 Two great suggestions already! I would be all for STOMP and Blue Man Group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cruise Junkie Posted May 6, 2019 Report Share Posted May 6, 2019 4 hours ago, DunkelBierJay said: Blue Man Group +1 On That!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whenismynextcruise Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 I vote for anything new at this point. Just off of Anthem to Bermuda today. We love the ship and have zero complaints. Its time to change the shows up though. We have been on Anthem 6 times in as many years and We Will Rock You is as tired as it was 6 years ago. Spectre changes a little (very little). I assume there are reason for never changing shows but they are a mystery to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted May 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 2 minutes ago, whenismynextcruise said: I assume there are reason for never changing shows but they are a mystery to me. @twangster actually had an interesting thread on that very topic a while back. It boils down to the extreme difficulty in getting set pieces on and off of the ship. It's something that can really only be done during a dry dock, so they tend to keep the shows for 5-10 years and line it up with the dry dock schedule. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whenismynextcruise Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Thanks @JLMoran I am now better informed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolly Ogre Posted May 9, 2019 Report Share Posted May 9, 2019 Rocky Horror and or Sgt Peppers. Oh and maybe a laser light show with the Doors or Led Zeppelin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 I like the music ideas :) Maybe Beatlemania, Beehive, or Big Band music :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditchdoc Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 Stomp was the first thing to come to my mind. Other than that … there are a lot of really good tribute bands out there though most music after the 70's is pretty much lost on me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted May 10, 2019 Report Share Posted May 10, 2019 4 hours ago, whenismynextcruise said: I assume there are reason for never changing shows but they are a mystery to me. Broadway shows are complex. Someone owns the rights to a show and Royal (or anyone who wants to offer the show) must pay them. In many cases the contracts are complex to make sure two different production companies don’t offer the show in the same area and compete. A company who paid millions to offer a show in NYC wouldn’t want a cruise ship offering the same show based in NYC. Why pay hundreds to see it on Broadway when you can go on a cruise and see it plus get a cruise? Not all shows adapt to a ship. The sets can be complex and often a show doesn’t want their show compromised by modifying a set or eliminating set pieces to work on a ship. They can be very particular, right down to a can of soup on a cart that sits on stage for 10 minutes. Royal can’t just change the set, it all has to be approved by the folks who own the rights to that show. When they do find a show and set that can work on a ship, it can be a lot of work to figure out how to assemble massive set pieces that have to be stowed when something else is going on in the theater. Ship theaters are multi use versus a broadway theater that is dedicated to one show for months or years. Set pieces need to be secured in case the ship has motion. When Quantum left the US it took a month to break down the set and ready it for shipping. Royal has to carefully consider any potential show. Language, sexual references, etc. aren’t an issue on Broadway but for a ship it very well can be. To plan and cast a show and find the best talent around the globe to fill the cast is an incredible effort. They can only stay on a ship for 7 months due to maritime regulations so you need to cast two different groups of people. A year later and someone isn’t available or is injured or had a baby or... It’s a massive effort to cast hundreds of people across different ships on a constantly rotating basis. So it’s more complicated than most people realize. The Cruise Junkie, kadmgs, coneyraven and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whenismynextcruise Posted May 14, 2019 Report Share Posted May 14, 2019 I agree @DitchdocThis past thanksgiving we were on Anthem. We went to 270 for lunch. To our surprise there was a band that was there doing a sound check. To our even happier surprise they were a Journey tribute band. They were fantastic. We got to sit there and have lunch with maybe a dozen or so other people (it was a Nassau port day so no need to get off the ship and there were only a few people around) and we got treated to this impromptu set. The band was interactive with the few of us that were there. They played a few times that week and it was easily the best entertainment on a ship we have seen in many years of cruising. On another cruise line that inititals start with an N in February they had a Beatles tibute band that really looked the part but probably becuase of liscensing fees they didnt play many "hits" and it iwas in such a small venue people were literally packed in like sardines so it wasnt great while in another restaurant/bar they had a fantastic live country band that was super entertaining. Played everything from oldies to current hits. they had the crowds up and dancing and also very interactive. It really drew people in. as soon as they stopped playing (45 minute sets) the place cleared out. Made me wonder why they didnt play longer sets. The alcohol was feely flowing, people were eating apps so they were making $ for sure. We couldnt understand why they played for such short amounts of time. Obviously I dont understand the contracts that the cruise lines have with the entertainers and the scheduling of the entertainment during the cruise but IMHO I find that this is where the Cruise director and staff can fail. If something is popular and it is entertaining the crowd and they are selling booze/food then utilize that momentum and change up the schedule to fit the energy of that particular cruise crowd. Skid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDIAZ72 Posted May 14, 2019 Report Share Posted May 14, 2019 +1 for STOMP. I enjoyed it a lot in Madrid few years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted May 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2019 3 hours ago, whenismynextcruise said: as soon as they stopped playing (45 minute sets) the place cleared out. Made me wonder why they didnt play longer sets. The alcohol was feely flowing, people were eating apps so they were making $ for sure. We couldnt understand why they played for such short amounts of time. You'll find the same in the pub spaces on any Royal ship -- generally 45-minute sets followed by a break. From speaking to a couple of them, it seems they are there almost every night and perform from early evening until closing time. I have no idea if there are contractual reasons for the sets being that length followed by a break, but as the father of a young singer realizing she might want to get into performing as her main thing more than she first thought, I can tell you that she's learned they need to rest their pipes pretty regularly to avoid laryngitis and straining their vocal cords. Might very well be a contractual thing, but one that the performer (or their union, assuming they belong to one) has negotiated / required rather than something mandated by the cruise line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennyB Posted May 14, 2019 Report Share Posted May 14, 2019 I didn't read all the comments, yes, but have they ever rotated shows between the ships? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whenismynextcruise Posted May 14, 2019 Report Share Posted May 14, 2019 I wonder if there are any past or current ship perfromers in this group who might be able to shed some light on this. Maybe even a lurking Cruise Director..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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