Friday, January 12, 2018
Princess Cruises today revealed the third production show created in collaboration with Oscar-, Tony- and Grammy award-winning composer of “Wicked,” “Pippin,” and “Godspell,” Stephen Schwartz, and his team of professional creators.
“The Secret Silk,” is a remarkable tale of adventure, romance, and enchantment that features familiar music and brings together some of Broadway’s best to transport audiences onboard. The new show, created and directed by Tony Award-nominated John Tartaglia, debuts exclusively on Royal Princess starting in mid-February 2018 as the ship sails the Caribbean.
“Presenting this timeless, ancient fable as the third production in our partnership, through the accomplishments of John’s creativity and Stephen’s guidance and vision, will no doubt deliver an outstanding entertainment experience for our guests,” said Denise Saviss, Princess Cruise vice president entertainment experience.
“The Secret Silk” is the story of an Asian folkloric tale with a contemporary spin, featuring inspired performances through the use of music, dance, puppetry and visuals. Adapted from the ancient fable “The Grateful Crane,” the story features Lan, a beautiful, selfless young woman who possesses a magical gift, secretly creating brilliant silk fabrics. Audiences will be introduced to original life-sized puppet creations by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and an original song, “Sing to the Sky,” both made exclusively for the line’s production. A sneak peek at the newest show in the line’s repertoire can be seen here.
“I am thrilled to have John Tartaglia join me on this production journey with Princess,” said Stephen Schwartz. “His puppetry mastery is sure to dazzle guests on the high seas.”
“The Secret Silk” premieres aboard Royal Princess, followed by Island Princess in May 2018 for the Alaska season, and Diamond Princess in fall 2018. Production team for “The Secret Silk” includes:
John Tartaglia, (Creator and Director) an American puppeteer, actor, singer, dancer, voice artist, and comedian, whose theatre performance credits include a Tony Award nominated Broadway debut in “Avenue Q,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Shrek The Musical.” His acclaimed off-Broadway, national and international touring show “ImaginOcean” premiered in November as a new Jim Henson Company series on PBS entitled, “Splash and Bubbles.” John is also the host of SiriusXM On Broadway’s “Sunday Funday.”
Shannon Lewis, (Choreographer) is a veteran of 10 Broadway shows including starring in the original cast of “Fosse,” winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical. Choreography includes “Shrek the Halls,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” and “A Dog Story.”
Anna Louizos, (Scenic Designer) is a three-time Tony Award nominee with more than 18 Broadway shows to her credit. Currently her sets and costumes can be seen in “School of Rock” on Broadway, London, and the U.S. tour.
Clint Ramos, (Costume Designer) is a set and costume designer for theater and live events. He has designed over 200 shows on Broadway, both in the U.S. and internationally. He is the recipient of the Tony Award, Obie Award for Sustained Excellence, three Lortel Awards, the TDF Irene Sharaff Award, two ATW Henry Hewes Awards, and a Helen Hayes Award.
Brad Ellis, (Musical Director) is a former Los Angeles session musician who now orchestrates for major U.S. symphonies, and is best known as the curiously silent piano player on “Glee.”
Adam Gwon, (Original Song – Lyrics) is a composer and lyricist whose musicals have been seen around the world in more than 200 productions, including off-Broadway and in London’s West End.
Jihwan Kim, (Original Song – Music) is a composer and composition teacher based in New York. His works include “Cupid and Psyche” with lyricist Sean Heartley, “Cinderella After the Ball” and “The Nutcracker Sings” with lyricist Eddie Sugarman.
This theatrical partnership adds to the cruise line’s Come Back New Promise, a multi-million dollar investment to enhance the onboard guest experience, ultimately resulting in more transformative moments, lifetime memories and meaningful stories to share from a cruise vacation. The line’s partnership with Schwartz brings four exclusive production shows to Princess Cruises’ guests including “Magic To Do,” “Born To Dance,” “The Secret Silk” and a fourth to be debuted in 2019.
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