The Tony award-winning Broadway-licensed musical, Hairspray, is set to debut on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas when the ship sets sail from Port Everglades in December 2009. Hairspray will be one of two productions to take place in the ship’s grand Opal Theater.
“We are thrilled to bring to our guests a ground-breaking entertainment feature such as Hairspray on Oasis of the Seas,” said Peter Compton, vice president, Entertainment, Royal Caribbean International. “The addition of this popular musical to Royal Caribbean’s entertainment lineup will undoubtedly take cruise entertainment to the next level and cater to the evolving tastes of vacationers. Guests will be able to enjoy an award-winning Broadway-caliber production on Oasis of the Seas along with a myriad of revolutionary onboard amenities for a most memorable cruise vacation.”
The show is licensed to Royal Caribbean International for three years aboard Oasis of the Seas with an option for a fourth year. Under the agreement, which was struck with the aid of New York City-based Musical Theater International and Broadway Theatrical, the show will be available exclusively to the cruise line, ensuring the ‘feel good’ performance will be the only of its kind at sea.
“All of us are delighted that Hairspray will set sail on Oasis of the Seas, the biggest, boldest and most exciting cruise ship,” said Margo Lion, Tony Award winning producer of Hairspray. “Just like the show’s heroine Tracy Turnblad, Oasis of the Seas will change the world!”
Hairspray earned a total of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, during its near seven-year run on Broadway, which came to an end in early January and is currently playing in London’s West End. Set in 1962, the show follows the story of Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big aspirations who wins a spot on the local TV dance program, “The Corny Collins Show” and finds herself transformed into an overnight teen sensation.
While the show has been trimmed just slightly to fit within the average 90-minute run time, consistent with Royal Caribbean’s theater productions, guests and Hairspray fans will be pleased to find that the hottest, high-energy numbers will remain on the playbill. The show will be offered three or four times on each seven-night cruise itinerary, ensuring that guests have the opportunity to see the show at their leisure during their vacation.
With the introduction of Hairspray, Oasis of the Seas will offer a myriad of diverse entertainment choices for guests including an innovative aerial show – yet to be formally announced – which also will make its home in the Opal Theater. In addition to the headlining shows, guests can visit Entertainment Place, one of seven diverse neighborhoods on Oasis of the Seas, which will offer Jazz on 4, an intimate lounge filled with live jazz and blues; Comedy Live, featuring side-splitting comedy; Studio B with an ice show, ‘Frozen in Time’ featuring the writings of Hans Christian Anderson; and more. Entertainment experiences also will be found in all of the remaining neighborhoods on Oasis of the Seas, including Dazzles, a two-floor dance lounge featuring musically-themed evenings; and the Boardwalk with AquaTheater – a one-of-a-kind venue at the stern of the ship – which will play host to two aqua shows, ‘Splish Splash,’ a comedy dive show and ‘Oasis of Dreams,’ featuring aquatic acrobatics synchronized to a spectacle of music and lights.
Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas will be the largest and most revolutionary cruise ships in the world when launched in December 2009 and December 2010, respectively. Both ships will span 16 decks, encompass 220,000 gross registered tons, carry 5,400 guests at double occupancy and feature 2,700 staterooms. Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas will tout the cruise line’s new neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas, which include Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, and Entertainment Place. The two ships will sail from their homeport of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
