Monday, March 23, 2015

Holland America Line's Got The Beat

Aboard Holland America Line’s new ms Koningsdam, entertainment will meet innovation with a new main theater design that surrounds the audience with a 270-degree LED screen. Breaking from the line’s traditionally styled theaters, The World Stage (pictured here) is a flexible space that can have multiple stage configurations, ranging from in-the-round to the more conventional proscenium staging. The theater will initially host five new productions performed in repertory by a cast sourced from around the world.

At two stories high and 250 feet long, the high-definition LED screens will make The World Stage a trend-setting theater at sea capable of showcasing an array of performances and productions. Enhanced by state-of-the-art lighting, projection, and sound systems, the screens enable the environment of The World Stage to change throughout the day to present anything the designers can imagine. For example, the room can evolve effortlessly from an Italian palazzo for a concert performance to an imaginary world for innovative production numbers.

“The World Stage on Koningsdam will enable us to debut new entertainment concepts to delight our guests with shows they’ve never seen before,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “Having the flexibility to configure the room into many different and vibrant settings enables us to set new heights for cruise entertainment in this extraordinary theater at sea.”

Music Walk
Musical entertainment is taken to a new level with the energetic Music Walk area featuring all genres of music showcased in venues including Lincoln Center Stage, performing chamber music nightly; Billboard Onboard where live musicians rock the crowd with chart-topping hits; and the popular B.B. King's Blues Club in the Queen's Lounge bringing the best of Memphis music to sea.

Guests will be able to let the good times roll in B.B. King's Blues Club, making it the eighth ship in the fleet to feature the Memphis music experience. Direct from Beale Street, the B.B. King All-Star Band, an eight-piece group featuring two vocalists backed by rhythm and horn sections, brings the best of the city's music to sea. From funky and fast to soulful and smooth, the band performs six nights a week in the Queen's Lounge. During performances, the venue evokes the atmosphere of their namesake clubs on land with images of the legendary blues guitar legend. Exclusive specialty cocktails from the land-based clubs also are served, featuring the tasty, rum-based Lucille and Rock Me Baby concoctions.

Holland America Line is using 50 years of chart-topping hits as the framework for a new live interactive music experience called Billboard Onboard that will debut as part of the Music Walk complex on the line's first Pinnacle-class ship, ms Koningsdam. The new programming is in partnership with Billboard, the leading global destination for charts, news, trends and innovations in music. Billboard Onboard will showcase the talents of live musicians, including two pianists, a guitarist and a DJ, who will take turns performing dynamic shows centered around the interesting facts and figures of the music industry as chronicled by Billboard. Between the nightly sets and songs, guests can sing and play along with trivia questions presented on screens throughout the room.

Holland America Line has also announced the launch of Lincoln Center Stage, a new onboard live music venue created in an exclusive partnership with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, a leader in artistic programming, arts and education and community relations. Under the exclusive partnership, each Lincoln Center Stage will showcase an ensemble performing chamber music. These world-class musicians will perform multiple programs nightly. On those occasions when guests are enjoying a leisurely day at sea aboard ship, the ensemble also will play afternoon recitals. Lincoln Center Stage will debut on ms Eurodam in January 2016 and on ms Koningsdam as part of the Music Walk complex and on ms Oosterdam in April 2016. Programming on additional ships will be announced at a later date.



Image & Video Courtesy Holland America Line

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