THE heart and soul of entertainment at sea is the cruise ship singer,
from the piano man to the cast members of theatre productions.
But what is it like for the performers, living onboard and singing
the same songs for months?
Kyle Pressley, a tenor from the Silver Shadow ensemble known as
the Artists of Silversea, is on his second contract with the luxury line.
Raised in Texas and based in New York, he received his Bachelor
of Fine Arts from the University of Oklahoma and performed with
the Dallas Shakespeare Company and New York’s Sanguine Theater
Company.
But for eight months this year, his Silversea schedule demands
singing seven days a week in the ship’s Athenian Lounge.
The program includes opera, Broadway, Beatles, Abba and
Motown shows, with no days off.
However, a singer’s workload is light compared to other crew, such
as waiters and bartenders, and allows plenty of free time.
A typical day involves getting up at 10am, then going on shore
excursions or exploring the port’s city or beach, possibly followed
by an onboard duty such as hosting golf-putting for half an hour,
before rehearsals at 8.15pm and the 45-minute shows.
Then there are the short performances at the ship’s cocktail parties
and welcome events.
“Sometimes it stretches me as a performer, but we get to see the
world and have a good time,” said Kyle.
“I’ve been to places I never thought I’d see, like the pyramids in
Egypt, Venice, Rome.”
Singing on a cruise ship has its differences, mostly positive, he
said.
“Everybody wants to be part of it, to meet you & socialise with you.
“You get out in the audience, sing to the women, and sometimes
they get on stage with you.”
The negative is “trying not to go crazy stuck on a ship” for so long.
“I go to the gym, use the internet to keep in touch with people at
home, and of course, you always have to find a lady friend here or
there,” Kyle said.
However, the friendships with other cast members and the “great
community atmosphere” in the crew areas are worth the sacrifices
made.
The financial stability is also very attractive, with Silversea’s
singers earning three times what Kyle earned in regional theatre in
the US.
“With my accommodation and food provided, I’m saving money,
so I feel very lucky to have this job.
“I love entertaining people, giving them a good experience,” he
said.
He’s also learned how to dance in platform shoes in the Abba
show.
“That taught me a lot of respect for women,” he laughed.
Ultimately, the 26-year-old would like to make it big on Broadway.
His dream role? Billy Bigelow in a revival of ‘Carousel’.
To see Kyle perform with the other Artists of Silversea (Jonathan
Shade, Jovani McCleary, Wendee Bresee, Anastasia Lange and
Kashena Simpson), book yourself a Silver Shadow cruise online at
www.silversea.com or call 1300 306 872.
