Broadway on the high seas
Over the past seven years, the Amber Theater has shown a series of popular theatrical productions. But you won't find the theater on Broadway (a famous street in New York City with many theaters where you can see popular plays and musicals). It is on one of the largest cruise ships (游轮) in the world, Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas.
I recently traveled on the ship, where I met with the cast and crew (全体演员和工作人员) of Mamma Mia! They explained what it takes to put on a show at sea. “The safety of our guests and actors is our number one consideration，” said Samantha Grassano, who works with Royal Caribbean's stage crew. Since the ship moves constantly (不断地), sets have to be properly positioned.
Another difficulty is that the theater is used for different shows and activities during a given week. There might be a 3D movie, Bingo, and a Broadway show all in the same day, so a show's backgrounds and equipment have to be stored properly.
After talking with cast members and getting a backstage tour of the Amber Theater, I attended a production of Mamma Mia! Audience members loved the fulllength production. By the end of the show, people were on their feet, cheering and singing along.
Most actors have more than one duty on the ship. “When not on stage，” said dance captain Joe Conroy, “our dancers also help backstage with quick costume (服装) changes, lights, or other duties within the theater.”
Nearly 6,000 passengers — from babies to grandparents — sail on Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas each week. In order to attract people of different ages, shows include acrobats (杂技演员), actors, and even ice skaters. But productions at sea are worth all of the work for the smiles they bring.
From: kpcnotebook. scholastic. com
[语篇导读]
有这样一个剧院，在那里上演的节目颇受欢迎，但观众们必须登上一艘游轮才能一饱眼福。
[词海拾贝]
over the past seven years
在过去七年中
theatrical 剧院的
Broadway 百老汇
meet with 遇上
put on 上演
consideration 考虑
stage crew 舞台工作人员
be used for... 作……用途
background 背景
audience 观众
captain 船长，队长，长官
