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'Jersey Boys' headlines array of new Norwegian Bliss entertainment

The 2006 Tony Award winner for best musical, 'Jersey Boys,' and a new, original show created by Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Warren Carlyle will headline the Norwegian Bliss main stage.

Anne Kalosh, Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

April 22, 2017

3 Min Read
Credit: Seatrade Cruise News

Debuting in spring 2018, the ship also will feature a new comedy club and nightlife venue, a new theatrical cocktail hour experience, 'Happy Hour Prohibition - The Musical' and an outpost of the legendary Beatles’ venue The Cavern Club.

'Jersey Boys' goes behind the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons and features hits including 'Sherry,' 'Big Girls Don’t Cry,' 'Oh What A Night,' 'Walk Like A Man,' 'Can’t Take My Eyes Off You' and 'Working My Way Back To You.'

As one of the longest running shows in Broadway history, including many world tours, 'Jersey Boys' has been seen by more than 24m people worldwide. It is written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe.

Norwegian Cruise Line is developing an original musical theater show created and produced for Norwegian Bliss. The Cuban-inspired Broadway-style musical is by Warren Carlyle, who most recently choreographed Broadway's 'Hello, Dolly' starring Bette Midler and directed and choreographed 'After Midnight,' which earned a Tony in 2014 for best choreography and is currently playing on Norwegian Escape.

The new show will feature costumes by Cuban-American fashion icon Isabel Toledo, who's designed for first lady Michelle Obama and earned a Tony nomination for best costume design in 2014 for 'After Midnight.' Isabel’s husband, Ruben Toledo, will be developing the new show’s art and scenic designs; his work has appeared across the globe including in Vogue magazine, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

More details about the show will be shared this fall.

In a new concept exclusive to Norwegian Bliss, the Alibi is a comedy and nightclub space that will feature sets from popular stand-up comedians, and then transform to a chic nightclub late in the evening. Alibi will feature two comedy performances six nights a week, offering both family-friendly and adult comedy shows. Patrons who visit the swanky club will find intimate seating and cocktail tables during comedy performances, while those who go after 10 p.m. will see a black and white chevron patterned dance floor, LED disco lighting and a DJ spinning today’s hottest hits.

Passengers will have the opportunity to travel back in time to Jan. 16, 1919—the eve of the Prohibition era—for a rowdy good time with the new show 'Happy Hour Prohibition - The Musical.' Created by Broadway sensations Holly-Anne Palmer, whose talent has been featured in hits like 'Bring It On' and 'Jersey Boys,' as well as Liz Muller and Collin Simon of Pipe Dream Theatre, 'Happy Hour Prohibition – The Musical' will hit the high seas after playing nearly two years in New Orleans and New York City.

The cast in Miss Lulu’s infamous New Orleans speakeasy, Mahogany Hall, will entertain with tales of bootleggers and choreography by Broadway veteran Lauren Lim Jackson, set to some of the era’s most famous tunes including 'Let’s Misbehave,' 'Happy Feet' and 'Makin’ Whoopee.' During the one-hour performance, the audience will sip Prohibition-era specialty cocktails, each with a modern twist. The show will run on select evenings as a happy hour pre-dinner show and once each cruise as a late night, adults-only show in the Alibi Comedy and Nightclub.

In an expansion of the successful partnership that began during Norwegian Epic’s recent renovation, the popular rock and roll venue The Cavern Club also appear on Norwegian Bliss. It's inspired by the Liverpool club where the Beatles performed frequently in the 1960s. Shows include nightly live performances and a Beatles cover band singing hits like 'Penny Lane' and 'Yellow Submarine.'

The 167,000gt Norwegian Bliss will debut in Alaska, sailing from a newly expanded Pier 66 in Seattle, before sailing its inaugural winter season in the eastern Caribbean from PortMiami.

About the Author

Anne Kalosh

Editor, Seatrade Cruise News & Senior Associate Editor, Seatrade Cruise Review

Anne Kalosh covers global stories, reporting both breaking and in-depth news on cruising's significant people, places, ships and trends. A sought-after expert on cruising, she has moderated conferences around the world, including the high-profile State of the Industry panel at Seatrade Cruise Global. She created and led the acclaimed itinerary-planning case study for Seatrade's cruise master classes held at Cambridge and Oxford universities. She has been the cruise columnist for AFAR.com, and her freelance stories have appeared in a wide range of publications, from The New York Times to The Miami Herald.

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