Most actors don’t fight real fires in their rehearsal process… and usually, the stage doesn’t move. Yet, three Camp Broadway featured players have experienced exactly that as they perform on the seven seas.
After working for multiple years with Camp Broadway, Isaak Olson, Alexandra Schwartz, and Carver Duncan are all production cast members on various cruise lines!
Isaak is a singer on the Regent Seven Seas Explorer, while Alexandra and Carver are both sailing aboard the Viking Sea (of Viking Cruise’s Ocean Ships) together. Alexandra is a lead vocalist, and Carver is a mainstage performer. They all have had an extremely interesting journey thus far! Not only do they have to rehearse all FOUR to SEVEN shows, but they’ve each had to go through some very unique processes even before any character shoes stepped foot on the ship.
ALEXANDRA: “Training for this was intense. Before we even got to rehearsals we had to go through a week’s worth of Sea School, taking seven certification courses for various areas of maritime safety and knowledge. We even had to take a firefighting course, and actually had to fight fires! Fire suit and all!”
ISAAK: “In terms of training, I’ll just put it like this: there is a LOT. Safety training, fire management training, crowd control training, harassment prevention training, public health training. And then on top of that, the crew has a safety drill once every week–we are very prepared for any kind of danger/ emergency we might encounter.”
However, this preparation didn’t stop once the ship leaves the docks.
CARVER: “Also on board, the crew does weekly drills to keep all our skills up to snuff! Better safe than sorry!”
The actual rehearsal process to learn each show was very hectic as well.
ALEXANDRA: “We do seven shows on board. That rehearsal process, before we got on the ship for installation, was only four weeks long! It was like mega Camp Broadway crunch time! It was amazing, but also a lot of material to grasp in such a short amount of time.”
Isaak was in for a special treat, being that he was among the first cast on board a brand-new ship.
ISAAK: “We got to be a big part of the creative process of the shows. Normally when you learn your staging for a cruise ship, the shows have already been set, and you just learn where you are supposed to stand; but we got to help build the characters and staging that will be used from here on out.”
CARVER: “It’s an incredible opportunity – getting to perform some really cool material while doing it in a different place every night! I feel very lucky.”
Isaak has been touring all around Europe as well. In just the first five months, he had visited over twelve countries already!
ISAAK: “My favorite part has been seeing so many new places. I’ve been all over Italy, France, Spain and Greece, as well as visited Portugal, Monaco, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Morocco, and today we’re in Israel!”
However, A typical day aboard the ship is much different than our everyday lives on land. Not many people get the opportunity to explore a different country every couple of days, but each actor is able to venture into foreign lands when the ship stops before their shows! Carver and Alexandra claim that their evenings get very busy. After spending the day sight-seeing, greeting guests, and setting up game equipment, they have brush-up rehearsals and then perform up to two shows each night. Issak says that cast members host games on his ship too, as well as explore and rehearse in the mornings before an evening show
As any actor can imagine, the productions themselves also have some differences when compared to the stationary sets on solid ground. While the setup of the theater itself is pretty similar, outside forces (like a lot of waves) could cause some issues- or even cancel a show!
ALEXANDRA: “So far the hardest part is that we perform after the ship has left port and is sailing from one destination to the next most nights. So, sometimes you have to deal with rough seas and rocky nights! When the boat is rocking, it adds this whole other level of concentration and focus. Not only do you have to focus on the show you are doing, but also just staying standing! It’s funny though, sometimes it seems harder to stand still on stage on a rocky night, than to dance on stage on a rocky night! ”
To make the process easier, Alexandra and Carver’s ship uses a giant LED screen in place of a set.
CARVER: “Viking has very state of the art lighting, sound equipment and LED screens to transport the audience wherever the story takes them! The LED screen is kind of like a giant TV at the back of the stage and is an awesome way to indicate change of scenery without relying on physical flats or drops.”
Also, living on the ship with all the other cruise-goers means that the actors will often see their audiences on a regular basis.
ISAAK: “You live where you work; so, unlike in a theatre where your audience leaves and goes home at the end of your performance, you have to get used to being around your audience constantly, maybe seeing them the next day at lunch for example.”
However, between all the beautiful destinations and shows of a lifetime, some aspects of the cruise paradise take adjusting to as well.
ISAAK: “The hardest part is adjusting to the time difference–it’s a 10 hour difference between me and my family right now, so it makes it really hard to contact home.”
CARVER: “I think being away from home will be hard to get used to – and also the limited cell service and wifi! Thankfully, our ship has free wifi which is a great luxury… but sites like YouTube or Netflix don’t work as well as they do on land. So, that’ll be a definite adjustment! I love my YouTube! Also – here’s hoping I don’t get sea sick!”
To get through any rocky waters, they have some great pre-show rituals! Of course, to get the nerves out and stay pumped-up, sometimes you just have to blast a great playlist before a performance.
ISAAK: “I’ve made myself a giant pre-show workout playlist, and our stage manager lets me connect it to the theatre’s speaker system, so we get to all rock out while we warm up for the show. It’s
got tons of stuff on it: Bruno Mars, Calvin Harris, Lady Gaga, The Chainsmokers, Rihanna–I even have a couple by One Direction and J-Biebs haha!”
CARVER: “I always warm my body up to whatever is on my Spotify. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been jamming to Hamilton. Come on – those beats are amazing! Also, doing cardio to the Legally Blonde cast recording is AWESOME. By the time you’ve finished ‘Positive’, you’ve worked up a massive sweat!”
Want to perform around the world too? No matter what level of experience you have, all three stress how important it is to work your hardest in order to achieve your goals.
ALEXANDRA: “Keep working and training! There is always room to grow, and the further along in your training progress the more it will support and help you in a professional setting! Also, remember to always enjoy what you are doing.”
CARVER: “Train as much as you can and live as much as you can! Education cannot be underestimated. It takes an incredible amount of technique and mastery to be able to perform at your best eight times a week. It’s the marathon of show business. So, training is imperative. […] And on top of that, LIVE LIFE FULLY! Your work will always be more nuanced and truthful if you’ve experienced something first hand like what your character goes through in the play.”
ISAAK: “Do your homework! Don’t only learn in rehearsals–go home and work on the music/choreography you’re given. Never settle for just being pretty good or mediocre. Always work to improve yourself–there is NO limit to your potential!”
Looking to pursue a career in the theater industry? Alexandra, Carver, and Isaak say that Camp Broadway can help prepare you, and bring you a step closer towards making your dreams a reality.
ALEXANDRA: “Camp Broadway is amazing training as far as learning, understanding, and mastering a normal theatrical rehearsal process. Obviously, in my situation the expedited rehearsal process involved with Camp Broadway is similar to the rehearsal process for the shows I’m doing on the ship!”
ISAAK: “Camp Broadway is such a great asset to anyone who wants to pursue a career in this business. In my opinion, the most valuable thing to gain from CB is a understanding of what it means to be a disciplined performer. Anyone who’s been at camp with me knows I love to be silly, but I also know when it’s time to focus and be quiet.”
CARVER: “Camp Broadway is great because it exposes you to what it feels like to be rehearsing a show on a professional level. Camp Broadway days are long but that’s what it’s like when you’re rehearsing for Broadway or a tour or a cruise ship! Long days full of new music, new choreography, new lines… all of it! So, if you can handle a week at CB, you’re one step closer to being able to handle a week on Broadway!”
So, better pack your sunscreen, Camp Broadway! Looks like you’ll be off on some great journeys.
