Broadway Blog - Shows on the High Seas

Alistrair Smith in the UK Guardian takes on the subject of shows that are performed on cruise ships. This is certainly an area of the performing world that often gets derided and/or overlooked, but he argues that the increasing number of these productions which often play 1100+ seat theatres, and employ more than 70 performers, musicians and crew members are a more than viable and respectable place to perform and to see shows.

With Royal Caribbean having licensed productions playing of HAIRSPRAY and CHICAGO and other cruise lines putting on cabarets, their own productions and others full-scale Broadway shows on the way, he came away quite impressed with both the shows, and the theatres (which he notes are in better shape than many in the West End). 

To me, theatre is theatre and while the odds of seeing a great show on a ship vs. in a 'legit' theatre might be slightly skewed, you never know and it's a fully legitimate place to work as well. And, with most cruise ships serving pizza 24 hours a day -- how bad could it be?