[IMAGECAPTION]PHOTO: An ace performance of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from "An Evening with Sir Tim Rice" onboard Seabourn Encore. (photo by Jason Leppert)[IMAGECAPTION]
Luxury cruise ships can pale in comparison to mainstream counterparts when it comes to entertainment.
However, the Seabourn Encore is striving to outshine its predecessors with a stronger lineup, thanks mostly to Sir Tim Rice.
By virtue of size alone, most luxury liner theaters cannot measure up to the grandeur of those now rolling out on standard and premium ships. Even within the Carnival Corporation, Holland America Line's Koningsdam has newly set sail with the fantastic World Stage. While Seabourn seriously raised the bar with its own Grand Salon on the Encore, it's nowhere near the technical achievement of the former.
That's perfectly alright. Simple works wonders too. And in paring shows down to their basics, a well-balanced alternative sometimes emerges.
Encore's Grand Salon is certainly an upgrade over the show lounge that came before on Seabourn Quest. The audiovisual package has been enhanced, and the LED walls of Holland America's World Stage have rubbed off a bit with Encore's own large video backdrop. As for blocking, two expanded bandstands have provided more room for a small but very talented live orchestra to be split on either side of the center stage. The amplified sound in the venue is also impressive.
Of course, the technology has to service worthy shows, and a cast of four ace vocalists and two great dancers do a very admirable job of activating the space for two main performances during a week-long cruise.
Fans of Rice's work will be particularly fascinated by the behind-the-scenes nuggets he shares about each piece-like the times collaborating with Andrew Lloyd Weber and why he had to write a new song for the film version of "Evita" in order to be considered for an Oscar.
Disney aficionados like myself also like his discussion of how he came in to finish lyrics for "A Whole New World". Or how he was told he could have any composer he wanted for "The Lion King"-save for Alan Menken who was concurrently working on "Aladdin." When he asked for Elton John, he admitted Disney would never get him, but, as we now know, the company did. And the rest is history.
Of course, it's the live performances that anchor the show, and they are excellent. Standouts are definitely "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," but all the numbers are wonderfully performed and really do go to show how well a simple production can shine without all the bells and whistles. Bravo!
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