"Hairspray" to Meet the Waves on Oasis of the Seas

It isn't the first cruise line to present abbreviated musicals on a stage at sea (NCL used to do that routinely about twenty years ago), but Royal Caribbean Intl will be doing it in a big way on the world's biggest ship. The Tony award-winning Broadway-licensed musical, ‘Hairspray,’ is set to debut on RCI’s highly anticipated Oasis of the Seas when the ship sets sail from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale, FL) in Dec 2009. One of two productions to take place in the ship’s grand Opal Theater, Hairspray will open with a wide array of cruise industry firsts that the cruise line will debut with the launch of Oasis of the Seas and is another addition to its diverse entertainment offerings.

The show is licensed to Royal Caribbean for three years aboard Oasis of the Seas with an option for a fourth year. Under the agreement, the show will be available exclusively to the cruise line, ensuring the ‘feel good’ performance will be the only of its kind at sea. 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 RCI’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 7-night cruise itinerary, ensuring that guests have the opportunity to see the show at their leisure during their vacation.

Did you know that in the early years of cruising, shipboard entertainment consisted of little more than poetry readings and recitals that exhibited the talents of fellow passengers? Find out more about what you'll find on board in Cruise Diva’s That's Cruise Entertainment!