Do Princess production shows tell a story?

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

I just want to say that although I find the shows on Princess incredibly dull I still feel that we should all give credit to the cast and crew of all of them. They didn't choose to put on that program and clearly they all do their best to make it entertaining. I have done a lot of amateur theatre over the years and I can differentiate the efforts of the cast from those of the management and believe me when I say that the show might not be to my taste but the cast are simply superb in what they are asked to do. Very talented IMO.

 

 

[Strauss1020]

15 minutes ago, Snaxmuppet said:

I just want to say that although I find the shows on Princess incredibly dull I still feel that we should all give credit to the cast and crew of all of them. They didn't choose to put on that program and clearly they all do their best to make it entertaining. I have done a lot of amateur theatre over the years and I can differentiate the efforts of the cast from those of the management and believe me when I say that the show might not be to my taste but the cast are simply superb in what they are asked to do. Very talented IMO.

 

 

I agree without ever seeing the shows in person. In ballet companies, the dancers are only paid for the weeks that they are either on stage performing or rehearsing for a performance. The dancers don't have a salaried position. Therefore, I supposed that the cast members probably take these parts when they're not working in another dance company. From what I've seen, they live in cramped spaces, rehearse hard and then do two shows a night, working six day weeks. Only a youngster would have the energy to keep up with the grind. 

 

I'm sorry if my remarks seemed at all pointed towards the performers or the stage directors or the lighting designers or stage hands. You're absolutely right in assuming that they bear no responsibility in the choosing of the material. My criticism in towards the higher-ups in Princesses and Celebrity's entertainment division. They've made awful decisions in putting on plotless shows with no storys or dialogues! 

 

If the dining rooms served up a "liver night" featuring beef livers, lamb livers, pork livers and chicken livers for the evening entree, there would undoubtedly be an uproar. The chefs and cooks may do their best in the food preparation, the servers may be wonderful and attentive. However, most people would be very angry that the bone-headed decision to have a "liver night" was implemented. I feel the same way about the shows that I've observed. A lot of others feel the same way. Other folks might be fine with the shows. Some people really like liver. But a lot of folks feel the same way I do i.e. the shows on Princess and Celebrity are lame. 

 

Both Princess and Celebrity are premium cruiselines. The fares are higher then NCL or RC. Folks who cruise the premium cruiselines expect and should receive more. Generally they get more for the extra money; better food, better service, a quieter, less crowded environment, better shore excursions. And yet most people agree that the entertainment on NCL and RC is better than Princess or Celebrity. This doesn't need to be the case. From what I can see, the theaters are very nice on both Celebrity and Princess. Both cruiselines may hire fine performers and stagehands. The problem is at the top!! Someone needs to hire creative minds to write and compose a show!! A lot of us don't like liver!!!

[Thrak]

@Strauss1020: The solution to your issue is obvious. Don't sail with Princess. Sail with Disney. problem solved. No need for so much drama.

[TRLD]

20 hours ago, galensgrl said:

Well if other lines can find a way, perhaps Princess and the lines that don't do shows with a story might re-evaluate their entertainment offerings. Our first Princess cruise in August is on the Enchanted Princess. I'm curious to see if it's as good as I imagine it to be. Our favorite so far has been Holland America, but again we have the urge to try Princess this time to see what our overall satisfaction will be. Happy travels!

Lorie

Considering that Holland did away with their song and dance production shows (that were pretty low energy and very Lawrence Welkish)  replacing them with dance shows when they focused their entertainment on music walk, and have only recently added singers beck into their production shows, your comment seems at odds with many others.

[lstone19]

22 hours ago, startedwithamouse said:

Magic to Do isn't a magic show and has little to do is with magic acts.

 

Correct. "Magic To Do" has its origin as a title as the opening song of Pippin (music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, original Broadway production directed by Bob Fosse) and IMO, is more a reference to the magic of live theater as a story comes alive right in front of you (Pippin is a show within a show - the song Magic to Do breaks the fourth wall and has the cast singing to the audience welcoming them to the show). Read the lyrics of the song and it will make a lot more sense.

Edited March 13 by lstone19

[Strauss1020]

3 hours ago, Thrak said:

@Strauss1020: The solution to your issue is obvious. Don't sail with Princess. Sail with Disney. problem solved. No need for so much drama.

I am planning on going on a Disney Cruise. I'd just enjoy sailing on other lines as well. I understand that there's no perfect cruiseline. As you must be aware, Disney is 2 to 3 times as expensive as Princess and Celebrity. Furthermore, I'm at a point in my life where I don't want to be surrounded by kids 24/7. Don't get me wrong, I love kids. I have 3 daughters of my own. I'm constantly around them in ballet classes at my full time employment. I just want a little break when I'm on vacation. (I know about the "Quiet Cove" section on DCL ships). Furthermore, DCL usually sails at full capacity so, while it's attractive to me, it isn't perfect; no cruiseline will be perfect for anyone. 

 

I'd like to try out Princess and Celebrity. I've read passenger complaints about shower curtains in the Princess cabins. Well, the new Sun Princess got rid of the shower curtains. Celebrity was charging for their once complimentary cookies. After a lot of complaints, they stopped doing that. Apparently, both companies listen and try to improve and innovate their product. 

 

I've read a lot of complaints about Celebrity's new "infinite balconies". I've read criticisms that dealt with the Wi-Fi and medallions on Princess ships. Are my complaints about shows offensive? A lot of folks don't think so. A lot of people seem to think that the shows should change. Others seem to feel I'm attacking their own personal belief system. I can tell you that I have huge disagreements with others when it comes to favorite interpretations of the symphonies of Beethoven, Brahms, Shostakovich and especially Mahler. However, I'm willing to simply shrug my shoulders and live let live. 

 

Why is it that when I simply express that wordless, plotless variety shows are silly, people take it very personally (I'm not referring to you Thrak), however some have seen what I've said as a personal affront. Are they truly that insecure? 

Edited March 13 by Strauss1020

[SCX22]

Princess doesn't want to pay for the rights for copyrighted material.  Instead, they hire Broadway producers, like Stephen Swchartz of Wicked fame, to make original shows for them.  Having said that, most of the shows use songs/scores that are already well known.  Trying to pay someone to compose new material for a few ships costs a lot of money.  It's a one time gig for the hired producer; it's not like Broadway where there are ticket sales and the revenue has potential, so the producer probably charges Princess a high one time fee for their services.  The Secret Silk is the one Princess show that has a pretty original score.

[Ombud]

34 minutes ago, Strauss1020 said:

Why is it that when I simply express that wordless, plotless variety shows are silly, people take it very personally (I'm not referring to you Thrak), however some have seen what I've said as a personal affront. Are they truly that insecure? 

1st: welcome to Cruise Critic. I notice that you've only posted on this thread and I'm fairly certain that you can find a line that has full productions. But not at this price point. 

 

For THE LAST TIME: not all Princess shows are plotless despite how YouTube presents them. There's a variety (music, comedy, skits with a plot -- see my 1st response, magic -- yes it is there for those interested, and someone with a buskers background [like the Mighty Quinn]). It's just that you haven't cruised with Princess so don't really know and some cannot understand that the Secret Silk (a story about a magic swan trading her feathers to benefit a man who saved her from the stew pot) or 5 Skies (a story about a video gamer progressing thru the game to free the princess) or Spotlight Bar (what happens in an ordinary bar as patrons go thru break ups / make ups / stood ups / and closing up aka: Central Perk / Cheers). 

 

But if you expect a full musical in 35-45 minutes with a program handed to you upon entering the theater then this is not the cruise line for you. 

[Strauss1020]

32 minutes ago, Ombud said:

1st: welcome to Cruise Critic. I notice that you've only posted on this thread and I'm fairly certain that you can find a line that has full productions. But not at this price point. 

 

For THE LAST TIME: not all Princess shows are plotless despite how YouTube presents them. There's a variety (music, comedy, skits with a plot -- see my 1st response, magic -- yes it is there for those interested, and someone with a buskers background [like the Mighty Quinn]). It's just that you haven't cruised with Princess so don't really know and some cannot understand that the Secret Silk (a story about a magic swan trading her feathers to benefit a man who saved her from the stew pot) or 5 Skies (a story about a video gamer progressing thru the game to free the princess) or Spotlight Bar (what happens in an ordinary bar as patrons go thru break ups / make ups / stood ups / and closing up aka: Central Perk / Cheers). 

 

But if you expect a full musical in 35-45 minutes with a program handed to you upon entering the theater then this is not the cruise line for you. 

You're correct in your assessment that I'm new to this community. I did see that Royal Caribbean currently has a production of "Wizard of Oz" and has also produced "Grease" on some of its sailings. I've seen where "Jersey Boys" and "Hairspray" have been produced on NCL or RC (I can't remember who did what). 

 

When I lived in Kansas City, there was a wonderful dinner theater venue that produced wonderful plays with old t.v. actors (I saw Sally Struthers, Don Knotts, Jaime Farr, Bonnie Franklin, Marion Ross, and Michael Learned in several different plays). All were very entertaining. All acted in plays that told a story. The dinner theater was VERY successful. It wasn't easy to get tickets. They made their venue extremely profitable.

 

My point is that both NCL and RC have a lower price point then Princess or Celebrity. I would just prefer a quieter, calmer vacation then the big megaships that those lines offer. I don't think it's a prohibitive price that stops Celebrity and Princess. NCL and RC have seemed to go in a different direction. Princess and Celebrity have made a very conscious decision to produce, for the most part, shows without dialougue or plot. Maybe "Secret Silk" will be to my liking. However, I've read lots of complaints about the production shows on these lines. 

 

This isn't going to stop me from cruising with Princess or Celebrity. Who knows, when I cruise with them I may end up trying out a production show. If I don't like it, I won't go to the shows. I'll sit in the hot tub when it's far less crowded.😀

Edited March 13 by Strauss1020

[MacMadame]

On 3/12/2024 at 11:29 AM, Strauss1020 said:

As it is, the production shows on Princess and Celebrity seem to be about as entertaining as old Lawrence Welk shows except the music on Lawrence Welk was worse.

Sorry, but I grew up on Rock 'n Roll. 😉 

 

On 3/12/2024 at 2:53 PM, galensgrl said:

Well if other lines can find a way, perhaps Princess and the lines that don't do shows with a story might re-evaluate their entertainment offerings.

Maybe enough people like the shows as they are and hope Princess doesn't change them. 🤷‍♂️

 

When I was a kid, in the years we were flush, we'd go up to NYC to watch the Radio Music Hall Rockettes. The shows were great! But didn't tell a story.

 

Both kinds of shows can be fun and entertaining. I don't see why everything has to tell a story, especially as a lot of original stories are lame.

 

[MacMadame]

1 minute ago, Strauss1020 said:

My point is that both NCL and RC have a lower price point then Princess or Celebrity.

You've said that a few times. But IME with NCL at least is that it is more expensive than Princess for a similar itinerary.

[TRLD]

1 hour ago, Strauss1020 said:

You're correct in your assessment that I'm new to this community. I did see that Royal Caribbean currently has a production of "Wizard of Oz" and has also produced "Grease" on some of its sailings. I've seen where "Jersey Boys" and "Hairspray" have been produced on NCL or RC (I can't remember who did what). 

 

When I lived in Kansas City, there was a wonderful dinner theater venue that produced wonderful plays with old t.v. actors (I saw Sally Struthers, Don Knotts, Jaime Farr, Bonnie Franklin, Marion Ross, and Michael Learned in several different plays). All were very entertaining. All acted in plays that told a story. The dinner theater was VERY successful. It wasn't easy to get tickets. They made their venue extremely profitable.

 

My point is that both NCL and RC have a lower price point then Princess or Celebrity. I would just prefer a quieter, calmer vacation then the big megaships that those lines offer. I don't think it's a prohibitive price that stops Celebrity and Princess. NCL and RC have seemed to go in a different direction. Princess and Celebrity have made a very conscious decision to produce, for the most part, shows without dialougue or plot. Maybe "Secret Silk" will be to my liking. However, I've read lots of complaints about the production shows on these lines. 

 

This isn't going to stop me from cruising with Princess or Celebrity. Who knows, when I cruise with them I may end up trying out a production show. If I don't like it, I won't go to the shows. I'll sit in the hot tub when it's far less crowded.😀

Royal and NCL are also NA family focused mass market cruise lines, using much larger ships, usually focusing on relatively short, itineraries to repetitive destinations. They have based a major portion of their business on the ship is the destination approach. 

 

Princess, HAL and Celebrity are NA adult focused mass market lines. They tend to have longer itineraries to more unique destinations. Of these 3 Celebrity has the shortest average itinerary length and have the fewest unique destinations (about 350). Hal has the smallest avg ship size of the 3, with the longest avg itinerary length and the most unique destinations (about 550). Princess has the largest  average ship size of the 3, and are in the middle when it comes to the itinerary length and the number of unique destinations (about 450).

 

RCL and NCL are heavily the ship is the destination where as Princess is a comfortable means to get to many destinations. Considerably different focus.

 

[Luv2CtheMouse9]

We just returned from a 10-day cruise. The shows in the main theater were pretty awful. We enjoyed the comedians and the Rock Opera. The rest (8 other shows) were terrible. The talent was lacking. Many of them were like a High School performances or talent shows.  

What we did enjoy were the game shows and trivia nights in Princess Live!, hosted by the assistant cruise directors. 

Edited March 14 by Luv2CtheMouse9

[startedwithamouse]

4 hours ago, Strauss1020 said:

Why is it that when I simply express that wordless, plotless variety shows are silly, people take it very personally (I'm not referring to you Thrak), however some have seen what I've said as a personal affront. Are they truly that insecure? 

On 3/12/2024 at 4:57 AM, Strauss1020 said:

I'm not entertained with some so-called singer or dancer screaming into a microphone while a dozen young idiots dance behind going from one monotonous, two chord pounding song to the next unrelated monotonous, two chord pounding tune!!

Because you didn't just "simply express" that. You started with this. 

 

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, Luv2CtheMouse9 said:

We just returned from a 10-day cruise. The shows in the main theater were pretty awful. We enjoyed the comedians and the Rock Opera. The rest (8 other shows) were terrible. The talent was lacking. Many of them were like a High School performances or talent shows.  

What we did enjoy were the game shows and trivia nights in Princess Live!, hosted by the assistant cruise directors. 

How many other production shows were there besides Rock Opera? Because there weren't eight. 

[Strauss1020]

52 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

Because you didn't just "simply express" that. You started with this. 

 

I apologize for what I said about the singers/dancers. I don't apologize for what I said about the music itself. What I heard when I listened to the some shows is EXACTLY an honest assessment. It's not an opinion, it's a provable fact!! I'm a musician with two degrees, who's been involved in music for over 55 years. I've also been blessed with perfect pitch. When I listen to a song, I can tell you what key it's in and quickly analyze the chords utilized. I'm afraid that I tend to be very dismissive of a good deal of both pop music and pop culture; most, not all. There's some interesting pop music (The Beatles and Queen are two groups that immediately come to mind) but most pop especially today sticks to 2 or 3 chords with no modulation and no fluctuation in tempo. I have NEVER heard a rap or hip-hop song that breaks this mold. 

 

One of my severe criticism' of current Disney is that Lin Manuel Miranda seems to be their favorite flavor for composing music to their current animated features i.e. Moana, and Encanto. Again, Mr. Miranda simply utilizes two and three chords that stay out of the way of his lyrics; lyrics that are written with much more care then the music. 

 

One of my strongest beliefs after spending 55+ years playing, coaching, learning and teaching music is this:

 

There are no rules in music, only sins; and the cardinal sin is MONOTONY!! 

 

That's why I want something different from Princess and Celebrity. I'm sorry if what I've said offends you.

 

 

Edited March 14 by Strauss1020

[galensgrl]

9 hours ago, TRLD said:

Considering that Holland did away with their song and dance production shows (that were pretty low energy and very Lawrence Welkish)  replacing them with dance shows when they focused their entertainment on music walk, and have only recently added singers beck into their production shows, your comment seems at odds with many others.

We sailed on Holland twice and had the best time with them. We sailed with Hal back in 2012 and 2014.I don't believe we went to any production shows because singing/dancing production shows in general are Lawrence Welkish it seems, so I wouldn't say their production shows were best. I wouldn't know. My apologies for any confusion.                                                                                                   

Edited March 14 by galensgrl
add a thought

[karatemom2]

59 minutes ago, Strauss1020 said:

I apologize for what I said about the singers/dancers. I don't apologize for what I said about the music itself. What I heard when I listened to the some shows is EXACTLY an honest assessment. It's not an opinion, it's a provable fact!! I'm a musician with two degrees, who's been involved in music for over 55 years. I've also been blessed with perfect pitch. When I listen to a song, I can tell you what key it's in and quickly analyze the chords utilized. I'm afraid that I tend to be very dismissive of a good deal of both pop music and pop culture; most, not all. There's some interesting pop music (The Beatles and Queen are two groups that immediately come to mind) but most pop especially today sticks to 2 or 3 chords with no modulation and no fluctuation in tempo. I have NEVER heard a rap or hip-hop song that breaks this mold. 

 

One of my severe criticism' of current Disney is that Lin Manuel Miranda seems to be their favorite flavor for composing music to their current animated features i.e. Moana, and Encanto. Again, Mr. Miranda simply utilizes two and three chords that stay out of the way of his lyrics; lyrics that are written with much more care then the music. 

 

One of my strongest beliefs after spending 55+ years playing, coaching, learning and teaching music is this:

 

There are no rules in music, only sins; and the cardinal sin is MONOTONY!! 

 

That's why I want something different from Princess and Celebrity. I'm sorry if what I've said offends you.

 

 

Perhaps you should just cruise for the overall experience and travel opportunity, not the entertainment. You consider yourself an expert in musicianship and have already determined the shows will not meet your standards - I would suggest you skip them or adjust your expectations. 
 

Again, this is not the Met or Broadway, which based on your comments might not even live up to your high standards - just guessing based on your Lin Manuel Miranda reference. 
 

Maybe there are other aspects of cruising that will meet with your approval. You can espouse your superior knowledge and taste in music and shows ad nauseam here. But it won’t change anything - the shows are what they are - many enjoy them because they accept them for what they are and appreciate the talent, enthusiasm, and energy of the young performers. 
 

Either choose a different cruise line with entertainment you find meets your standards or take a land vacation and go to a professional show or opera every night. If you cruise with Princess this is the entertainment offered and you can complain all you want - but it does you no good. I think you have made your position quite clear at this point. 

Edited March 14 by karatemom2

[Strauss1020]

1 hour ago, karatemom2 said:

Perhaps you should just cruise for the overall experience and travel opportunity, not the entertainment. You consider yourself an expert in musicianship and have already determined the shows will not meet your standards - I would suggest you skip them or adjust your expectations. 
 

Again, this is not the Met or Broadway, which based on your comments might not even live up to your high standards - just guessing based on your Lin Manuel Miranda reference. 
 

Maybe there are other aspects of cruising that will meet with your approval. You can espouse your superior knowledge and taste in music and shows ad nauseam here. But it won’t change anything - the shows are what they are - many enjoy them because they accept them for what they are and appreciate the talent, enthusiasm, and energy of the young performers. 
 

Either choose a different cruise line with entertainment you find meets your standards or take a land vacation and go to a professional show or opera every night. If you cruise with Princess this is the entertainment offered and you can complain all you want - but it does you no good. I think you have made your position quite clear at this point. 

I already stated that the lack of good evening entertainment wouldn't keep me from cruising. There are many aspects of both Celebrity and Princess that seem very, very enticing. I simply started out by stating 1) I haven't cruised as of yet; 2) I looked at what the shows were like on both Celebrity and Princess and 3) the production shows on both cruiselines seem to be terrible. 

 

I don't have unrealistic expectations. As stated before, the production shows don't need to be at a Broadway/West End level or to the standards of La Scala or the Met. I simply stated that I thought the shows would be much more entertaining if they had dialogue, a plot and story rather than just a variety show. I also brought up the fact that other cruiselines have, in fact, utilized this type of entertainment. 

 

Several people have rebuked me for having this opinion. Some have told me that I shouldn't cruise at all. I'm not sitting in an ivory tower castigating any show that can't live up to the high standards of an opera by Verdi, Puccini or Wagner. I'm simply saying that I feel that the production shows of Princess or Celebrity are lame. Many others concurr with this sentiment. 

 

Both Celebrity and Princess have made huge changes to their ships. Princess, whose ships in their Grand and Royal classes can be difficult to tell apart, made enormous changes to their most recent Sun Princess. If you observe the difference between the Millennium and Soltice class ships of Celebrity and the more recent Edge class ships, the fleet seems to be almost unrelated. 

 

Both cruiselines seem to be making huge transformations. I only hope that the oft disparaged production shows will change from the shows I watched on YouTube. When looking at the alterations that both cruiselines have implemented, no one in their design department seems to be accepting of your "it is what it is" attitude.

[SCX22]

The wow factor of the production shows definitely diminishes as you cruise with the same cruise line over and over.  The Princess Production shows such as Rock Opera, Encore, Magic to Do, Sweet Soul Music, etc. don't excite me anymore.  It's pretty much the same shows on repeat as you jump ship to ship.  They are on repeat, if on a back to back cruise.  I attend because the singing is usually pretty good to excellent (sometimes the soprano in Encore is hard on the ears) and it gives me something to do in the evening.  To be honest, I'm not sure that even with a plot, I'd be excited to see them over and over.  I'm much more excited about the guest performances. 

 

I don't think the production shows of a cruise line tip the scale one way or the other for cruisers when choosing a cruise.  Not everyone goes to the evening shows.  There are other aspects of cruising that people care about such as service, food, accommodation, etc.  Some are just brand loyal.

 

In cruising, there's no pleasing everyone.  There's a lot to do on the ship.  If something isn't pleasing to you, you're free to quietly excuse yourself from that event or activity at any time.  There are plenty of people who have walked out of a show in the theater mid-performance.  

[Ombud]

@Strauss1020 IMHO you've dug yourself a hole that you cannot climb out of. And now dig deeper. You won't have any difficulty discerning the differences between a Grand Class and a Royal Class ship should you ever visit them. Now if you'd said between Crown and Grand Class,  I'd agree.

 

Once you stop letting YouTube form your opinions and rely more on real life, you might find that real life is kinda nice, whether it's cruising, land based trips, or simply the Philharmonic.  Just keep a positive attitude / life is too short for anything else

 

 

 

 

Edited March 14 by Ombud

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

I do think sites like YouTube have a part to play when forming an opinion and just because you haven't done something in person it doesn't mean you cannot then have an opinion. 

 

For example... take the recent post by YT cruisers "Cruise with Ben and David" regarding the appalling treatment they received from MSC on their last cruise (If you haven't seen it then it is worth a viewing - it is quite staggering!)... I have never sailed with MSC but their experience has made my mind up never to do so. Does that make my assessment invalid just because I have never sailed with MSC myself? I think not.

 

The danger is to make YT and online sources your primary source of info on something and we should all try to avoid that but often it is difficult.

[TRLD]

11 hours ago, galensgrl said:

We sailed on Holland twice and had the best time with them. We sailed with Hal back in 2012 and 2014.I don't believe we went to any production shows because singing/dancing production shows in general are Lawrence Welkish it seems, so I wouldn't say their production shows were best. I wouldn't know. My apologies for any confusion.                                                                                                   

Lot of changes since 2012 and 2014.

[Mangrove Snapper]

 

On 3/12/2024 at 7:57 AM, Strauss1020 said:

I happen to work as a professional pianist for a very major ballet company. This doesn't mean I necessarily want or need to hear great symphonies or operas or ballets on a cruise. It DOES mean I want to be ENTERTAINED!

 

In your profession, I would hope you realize that different things entertain different people and what entertains you is not universal.  For example, I've been to the Boston Ballet and NYC Ballet multiple times (live, not on YouTube) and it was beautiful and I appreciated the experiences.  And each time I left thinking "are you not entertained?" and the answer unfortunately was "no."  Opera I can get into; ballet I can't.  When I was younger there was a good deal of thinking "I should like this" then you realize "I don't care for this and I don't need to" and you move on because people like different things. 

 

Feel free to think I'm a boor for thinking ballet is a bore.

 

10 hours ago, Strauss1020 said:

It's not an opinion, it's a provable fact!! I'm a musician with two degrees, who's been involved in music for over 55 years. I've also been blessed with perfect pitch. When I listen to a song, I can tell you what key it's in and quickly analyze the chords utilized. I'm afraid that I tend to be very dismissive of a good deal of both pop music and pop culture; most, not all.

 

Speaking of provable facts - in real life that pop music and rap and hip hop that you disparage sells well so apparently lots of people aren't dismissive of it.  I go to a lot of concerts (live, not on YouTube) and I certainly can't speak for everyone there but I would guess the majority don't care about chords but just like the music.  People like different things. 

 

Besides, complaining about people's different tastes in music has always felt get off my lawnish to me.  I hated hearing "music was better back in my day" when I was a kid so that's something I've never done, especially now that I'm old enough to be a grandmother.  People are allowed to like different things. 

 

8 hours ago, Strauss1020 said:

a plot and story rather than just a variety show.

 

I've always thought Celebrity's shows like "Life," "Chandelier," and "Colors of Life" do have a story in the same sense that Cirque du Soleil shows have a story.  Those stories aren't told with dialogue but with the music and sets.  Variety shows are random acts, these aren't random.  Maybe it's just me but I've always understood the story with Celebrity's shows or Cirque du Soleil when I've seen them (live, not on YouTube).  Maybe others don't think there's a story.  Like I said, people are different and interpret things differently. 

[Strauss1020]

1 hour ago, Mangrove Snapper said:

 

 

In your profession, I would hope you realize that different things entertain different people and what entertains you is not universal.  For example, I've been to the Boston Ballet and NYC Ballet multiple times (live, not on YouTube) and it was beautiful and I appreciated the experiences.  And each time I left thinking "are you not entertained?" and the answer unfortunately was "no."  Opera I can get into; ballet I can't.  When I was younger there was a good deal of thinking "I should like this" then you realize "I don't care for this and I don't need to" and you move on because people like different things. 

 

Feel free to think I'm a boor for thinking ballet is a bore.