04/30/04

The Celebrity Theater is the main show lounge on the ship and is used for everything from bingo, to lectures, to general ship meetings, to stage shows.  The entrance into the theater is reminiscent of some of the old opera palaces of the 40's.  You can enter the theater from the main level or you can get up to the balcony via the stairs on either side of the theater. 

There is a significant slope to both the main level and the balcony so there is a far better chance that you will not be blocked by the person sitting in front of you.  My only complaint was that the tables in front of the seats  were at an unusual distance apart from each other forcing you to share the same table with three or four people.  This would sometimes lead to boardinghouse reaches to get to your drink.  A suggestion for soda or water drinkers.  Get two glasses before the start of the performance since it is really hard to get around people after everyone is seated.

There is a full production area behind the theater where performances are filmed and lighting is controlled.  After the ladder guy totally embarrassed one of the guests by having her "assist" during his presentation, she was treated to a copy of her performance.  Considering what she was asked to do, there is no way that her friends at home would have believed her without that tape.

A small hint for those who want to meet the ships officers on the night they are introduced.  The officers all gathered in the balcony prior to being introduced and most snuck out immediately after they were announced.

The balcony seats were excellent.  You can see the difference in row height and how little chance there is of being blocked off by the person sitting in front.  The balcony on the sides almost extends all the way to the stage so you are not very far back from the action.  Another advantage of the balcony is that it is a lot harder to be selected for audience participation!