Royal Entertainment Hint

[twangster]

Nick Weir has been at it again, hinting at a Broadway show that's coming back to a vessel "at some point in the future".

 

 

[4ensic]

"Everybody you watch

Got his brains in his crotch....

 

Ain't nobody got class?"

 

Chicago!!

[Matt]

I don't think I saw Chicago while it was on Allure.

[cruisellama]

With the shutdown of the major theater districts across the country, licensing of Broadway productions might become more available/affordable for shipboard deployment.  Some talent might even become  available for that venue.  There have been a lot of live entertainers unable to practice their art over the past year. Once cruising starts - so will on-board entertainment.

[Linda R]

I loved Chicago on previous cruises.  Am hoping it comes back to a ship I am booked on.   

[smokeybandit]

For as long as we've gone without cruising, "Drying Paint" as the featured show would attract a crowd

[CGTLH]

Potential Broadway show for Odyssey...

Wouldn't think hints would start dropping this early for Wonder. Would be a surprise if Harmony's show is changed during drydock. If that was case wonder what else is getting done unannounced.

[twangster]

I'm not sure they would do a Broadway show in China but who knows?

CATS! is pretty polarizing and has had a long run.  So has SNF (long run) but with the Liberty moving there's a whole new target audience. 

Hairspray on Symphony was known but didn't start when the ship first debuted in Spain.  Maybe they'll do the same with Odyssey.  

I wonder if their licensing agreement timers continued to countdown during the pandemic.  Maybe some are up for renewal.

[columbus_cruiser]

5 hours ago, Matt said:

I don't think I saw Chicago while it was on Allure.

Chicago was my first musical it will always have a special place in my heart. If it’s on Odyssey; I’ll be ecstatic. 

[Jill]

Hoping it’s on Odyssey. Although CATs could certainly go. Have never seen it and don’t want to! Hairspray was on oasis first time I sailed her and that was great. Next 2 times was Cats and skipped it. 

[FionaMG]

All of which just goes to show how everyone's taste differs.

I saw Cats a gazillion years ago in Edinburgh and really enjoyed it. I don't think I've seen it on one of the ships; if I have, it clearly didn't make an impression. Not sure if we would go and see it if it's on Harmony in September. I guess it would depend what else there was to do around the ship at the same time.

Hairspray was the show on our first-ever Oasis cruise back in 2012. DH left after 15 minutes, which involved having to squeeze past umpteen people because we were right in the middle of a row. I stuck it out for the whole thing but swore I would never go back and watch it again.

Grease was the one we all enjoyed the most. I would definitely go back and see that one again.

DH and I saw the Portuguese version of Chicago in Lisbon the night before we flew to Florida for our last cruise (Thanksgiving 2019) but have not seen it on a ship. We both enjoyed it so it would be interesting to see the English version.

[twangster]

55 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

All of which just goes to show how everyone's taste differs.

That and frequent cruisers neglect that typically just over 50% of a cruise is made up of new to Royal cruisers.  The next largest category are gold members so many of those are new to that ship and therefore they haven't seen the show.  Between the two groups the vast majority of guests on a typically sailing have not seen the show.

Less than 1/3 typically have been on the ship and seen the show.  

[LovetoCruise87]

Have not seen Chicago, but did see CATS

[SHIPHEAD]

SCRATCH CATS.....SERIOUSLY....NO PUN INTENDED

[twangster]

1 hour ago, SHIPHEAD said:

SCRATCH CATS.....SERIOUSLY....NO PUN INTENDED

Welcome to the message boards!

[DDaley]

I would love this one! I have been in this show twice because I don't mind doing/hearing it over and over. (Beat only by 3 runs of Avenue Q totaling 90 performances)

I have a staunch anti-Cats stance so when entertainment had opened on my May 2020 cruise I didn't even reserve it. Bring us anything else!! 

[dswallow]

The major Broadway-style show on any ship is only going to change after a drydock; it's the only way to replace the sets -- literally opening the side of the ship to move them in and out.

[stevendom57]

9 hours ago, dswallow said:

it's the only way to replace the sets -- literally opening the side of the ship to move them in and out.

Do they really open the side of the ship to change out sets? More details on this would be interesting.

[twangster]

57 minutes ago, stevendom57 said:

Do they really open the side of the ship to change out sets? More details on this would be interesting.

In some cases it has happened but that was a lesson learned so they try to avoid that outcome.

The license owners for these show are very particular about the sets.  Even minor changes to the set have to be approved by them.  A can of food on a cart in Hairspray has to be the exact can specified by the license owner of the show, no substitutes allowed.   In some cases set pieces have to be a certain size and they can't cut them.  This plays a part in the shows that are considered for use on a ship.  

Us cruise guests can say they should offer this show or that show but that show may have such wild set pieces it would be impossible to make it work on a ship. 

When they un-installed the show from Quantum when she headed to Asia it took them a month to break the set down and ship it back to the US, it was that complicated to get it off the ship while working around the other shows using the theater. 

[dswallow]

4 hours ago, stevendom57 said:

Do they really open the side of the ship to change out sets? More details on this would be interesting.

It's a common question during a backstage tour in the theater, and that's the answer to it, usually with some specific examples of parts of the sets.

All things considered, you can always remove sets without doing anything to the ship provided you don't care about preserving those parts of the set that would have to be torn apart.

I dug this info up, not quite complete but I took it through all the Broadway-style show info I could find, plus some original productions.
 

Allure - Mamma Mia (started May 2015 after drydock)
Allure - (original productions: Blue Planet)
Allure - Chicago (removed)

Quantum - (original productions, Sequins & Feathers)
Quantum - Mamma Mia (removed - was moved to Allure)

Anthem - We Will Rock You
Anthem - (original productions: The Gift)

Oasis - Cats (started fall 2014 after October 2014 drydock)
Oasis - (original productions: Come Fly With Me)
Oasis - Hairspray (removed)

Harmony - Grease
Harmony - (original productions: Columbus)

Independence - Grease
Independence - (original productions: Once Upon a Time)

Liberty - Saturday Night Fever
Liberty - (original productions: In the Air, Supreme Divas of Motown)

Symphony - Hairspray
Symphony - (original productions, Flight)

Odyssey - 

Spectrum - (original productions: The Effectors, Showgirl! Present. Future.)

Ovation - (original productions: The Beautiful Dream, Live. Love. Legs.)



There's a YouTube video where Royal Caribbean promoted having moved the show, though not really details... but still lots of show music and scenes and a fun watch.
 

 

[twangster]

Looks like no changes on Harmony.

[FionaMG]

3 hours ago, twangster said:

Looks like no changes on Harmony

In the entertainment department at least. Now I just need to know if there are changes to the itinerary that might affect my cruise in September. 

I don't suppose you have any inside information on that... ???

 

[twangster]

22 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

In the entertainment department at least. Now I just need to know if there are changes to the itinerary that might affect my cruise in September. 

I don't suppose you have any inside information on that... ???

 

I don't have access to any insider info so my assumption is cruises will sail the planned itinerary if possible.  If one country or another has virus related issues or if tropical weather enters the picture itineraries may change.

[Matt]

I recall Nick Weir (RC's SVP of Entertainment) saying last summer that there wont be any changes to shows on ships, primarily due to costs.

[twangster]

54 minutes ago, Matt said:

I recall Nick Weir (RC's SVP of Entertainment) saying last summer that there wont be any changes to shows on ships, primarily due to costs.

So do you think the Chicago hint is aimed at Odyssey?

 

[Traveler]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

So do you think the Chicago hint is aimed at Odyssey?

 

From all the Broadway shows the Chicago show is the one with the simplest set , mostly chairs as far as I remember therefore it's the cheapest one to add to a new ship .

[twangster]

The latest hint by Nick.

 

[Oliver]

Even Cats is better than Saturday Night Fever on Liberty. Although not by much.

[DDaley]

The only major show I can think of that has a Can Can in it is Moulin Rouge?! Seems a little risqué for a family ship, though. Although if we're getting the murdering wives of Chicago what's a little drug use and attempted suicide? 

[twangster]

8 minutes ago, DDaley said:

The only major show I can think of that has a Can Can in it is Moulin Rouge?! Seems a little risqué for a family ship, though. Although if we're getting the murdering wives of Chicago what's a little drug use and attempted suicide? 

I think the Vegas Showgirl production includes it.

[4ensic]

34 minutes ago, DDaley said:

The only major show I can think of that has a Can Can in it is Moulin Rouge?! Seems a little risqué for a family ship, though. Although if we're getting the murdering wives of Chicago what's a little drug use and attempted suicide? 

There is a Broadway revival of Cole Porter's musical Can-Can  http://cancanbroadway.com/, so maybe that signalled enough interest for RCI to purchase rights.

Granted that's a bit of a stretch, more of a summer stock show than a current hit.  It's so old I remember seeing it at the Muny in St. Louis when I was in grade school.

[twangster]

20 minutes ago, 4ensic said:

There is a Broadway revival of Cole Porter's musical Can-Can  http://cancanbroadway.com/, so maybe that signalled enough interest for RCI to purchase rights.

Granted that's a bit of a stretch, more of a summer stock show than a current hit.  It's so old I remember seeing it at the Muny in St. Louis when I was in grade school.

When Royal installs a show on a ship it has to have legs to go the distance.  (pun intended) 

[4ensic]

46 minutes ago, twangster said:

When Royal installs a show on a ship it has to have legs to go the distance.  (pun intended) 

Off on a tangent here. The show with the most legs would be kind of a cool (and really inexpensive) choice for a small ship - The Fantasticks!  (The only way there'd be a Can-Can is if they rewrote "Plant a Radish" to "Plant a 'Shroom".) 

40 years continuous Off Broadway.  And I'd bet some of the current performers were in a high school production.

Stage build out:  Raised diamond with two columns.  That's all.

The rights have to be inexpensive.  Maybe RCI could negotiate with the rightsholders to have a CGI Jerry Orbach as El Gallo.  Let's face it, an expensive set piece is the star of Flight,  so RCI has relied on outside tech to impress an audience.  Plus the show is guaranteed a 7 year run  and including a virtual character that doesn't interact with the live cast is easier than trying to  move around a ghost.

 

[twangster]

Found in the Royal app for Odyssey.