Let Us Entertain You
Posted: Mon Apr 30, 2012 3:34 pm
It’s not often that you see people dancing their way into a meal but that’s exactly what I witnessed this morning on the American Queen. Today was our Jazz Brunch and just outside the J.M. White Dining Room, a jazz quartet was playing. As guests were stopping to order Mimosas before heading into the dining room, one couple started dancing a bit and before you know it, the entire group was swaying to the music and clapping their hands. Many folks waited for a few songs before heading in to enjoy Crabcake Benedict and Shrimp with Cheese Grits, among many specialties.
For me, it reinforced not just how important entertainment is to American river cruising, but how it is everywhere you turn on the American Queen. For guests on this particular voyage, the wonderful voice of Judy Whitney Davis as she performed “Old Man River” at the christening ceremony was a taste of things to come. That first night out, the music of the Steamboat Syncopators set the stage for the Harry James Orchestra, who performed to a full house in the Grand Saloon, designed to resemble a small opera house in an 1800s river town. Directed by Fred Radke, the Harry James Orchestra took us all back to memories of the good old days with hits such as All or Nothing, Ain’t She Sweet, Up a Lazy River and more.
A voyage on the American Queen is about nostalgia mixed with contemporary comfort. The entertainment brings that note of nostalgia, sparking memories of the past with our guests. You can see it in their eyes, sense it with each tap of the toe and hear it as they clap along to the music. This inaugural season, headliners in the Grand Saloon will include the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Rat Pack Show, B.J. Thomas, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Platters, Bill Haley’s Comets, Annie Moses Band, The New Orleans Jazz All-Stars, Juggernaut Jug Band and Storefront Congregation. Our production shows, such as yesterday’s “Showboat Jubilee” and today’s “”Hooray for Hollywood,” always seemed to surprise our guests. For some reason, the level of talent and production values seem to exceed what most people think is possible on a riverboat. Of course, that’s why I love the American Queen: she always is prepared to delight you.
But the entertainment goes deeper than just a nightly show. Last night, it was fun to watch as our guests came up to a gentleman who was the spittin’ image of Mark Twain as we walked through the boat, complete with a white suit and matching white hair. Shortly after, he took the stage in the Grand Saloon for his one-man show, “Marking Twain,” in which he spun yarns in the voice and words of Samuel Clemens himself. Guests would wander in to see what the show was about, get engrossed in the stories, and quickly take a seat. The key to entertainment is engaging the heart and the mind and “Marking Twain” did that beautifully.
Our late night spot, the Engine Room Bar, was filled with the sounds of rock and roll from the 50s and 60s from our duo, Jackie and Bob. With its view through circular windows of the spinning red paddlewheel bathed in spotlights, it’s a cozy venue that promotes conversation and more than a little bit of dancing.
One thing our guests seem to enjoy the most is the piano music in the Main Deck Lounge at the entrance to the dining room. It’s such a comforting spot for a drink before dinner with its plush furniture and authentic Victorian décor. Overhead, the chandelier above the Grand Staircase gleams proudly and it becomes easy to be transported back to a time when a pleasant evening like this was the rule rather than the exception.
So far, you would think that all our entertainment revolves around music and while as important as that is, the tales of history by our Riverlorian, Travis, keep folks spellbound. For example, yesterday morning he gave a talk about how pilots used to read the signs of the river to determine the all-important channel long before lighted markers and GPS. This morning just before the Jazz Brunch, Travis traced the history of steamboating and the Green Line Steamers, predecessors to the Delta Queen Steamboat Company which built the American Queen in 1995. He is also available to chat with guests one on one out on deck and answer questions about the riverscape unfolding around us. I heard several guests sharing what they had learned with others as we made our way through locks on the Ohio River. I also have to say how fortunate we were to have Karen “Toots” Malloy aboard for this voyage, who spun tales of the old days gleaned from her many years as a Riverlorian with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company.
Our Chef de Cuisine, famed Southern Chef Regina Charboneau, has been aboard this voyage as well. When she hasn’t been working with our onboard chefs to tweak her recipes (one of her delightful salads is best served with a molasses vinaigrette rather than a lemon vinaigrette), she sat down with guests and explained her 12 tips for effortless entertaining. As the owner of Twin Oaks in Natchez, no one knows more about entertaining than Chef Regina.
There are so many options to be entertained; it would be a challenge to experience them all. However, that is the beauty of a laid-back vacation on the river. You don’t have to challenge yourself. You can simply let it all unfold because you find yourself surrounded by options. And sometimes, the entertainment finds you and suddenly you’re dancing with your sweetheart outside the dining room before a good old-fashioned Southern-style brunch.
And that spontaneity is what cruising with the American Queen is all about.
For me, it reinforced not just how important entertainment is to American river cruising, but how it is everywhere you turn on the American Queen. For guests on this particular voyage, the wonderful voice of Judy Whitney Davis as she performed “Old Man River” at the christening ceremony was a taste of things to come. That first night out, the music of the Steamboat Syncopators set the stage for the Harry James Orchestra, who performed to a full house in the Grand Saloon, designed to resemble a small opera house in an 1800s river town. Directed by Fred Radke, the Harry James Orchestra took us all back to memories of the good old days with hits such as All or Nothing, Ain’t She Sweet, Up a Lazy River and more.
A voyage on the American Queen is about nostalgia mixed with contemporary comfort. The entertainment brings that note of nostalgia, sparking memories of the past with our guests. You can see it in their eyes, sense it with each tap of the toe and hear it as they clap along to the music. This inaugural season, headliners in the Grand Saloon will include the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Rat Pack Show, B.J. Thomas, The Lovin’ Spoonful, The Platters, Bill Haley’s Comets, Annie Moses Band, The New Orleans Jazz All-Stars, Juggernaut Jug Band and Storefront Congregation. Our production shows, such as yesterday’s “Showboat Jubilee” and today’s “”Hooray for Hollywood,” always seemed to surprise our guests. For some reason, the level of talent and production values seem to exceed what most people think is possible on a riverboat. Of course, that’s why I love the American Queen: she always is prepared to delight you.
But the entertainment goes deeper than just a nightly show. Last night, it was fun to watch as our guests came up to a gentleman who was the spittin’ image of Mark Twain as we walked through the boat, complete with a white suit and matching white hair. Shortly after, he took the stage in the Grand Saloon for his one-man show, “Marking Twain,” in which he spun yarns in the voice and words of Samuel Clemens himself. Guests would wander in to see what the show was about, get engrossed in the stories, and quickly take a seat. The key to entertainment is engaging the heart and the mind and “Marking Twain” did that beautifully.
Our late night spot, the Engine Room Bar, was filled with the sounds of rock and roll from the 50s and 60s from our duo, Jackie and Bob. With its view through circular windows of the spinning red paddlewheel bathed in spotlights, it’s a cozy venue that promotes conversation and more than a little bit of dancing.
One thing our guests seem to enjoy the most is the piano music in the Main Deck Lounge at the entrance to the dining room. It’s such a comforting spot for a drink before dinner with its plush furniture and authentic Victorian décor. Overhead, the chandelier above the Grand Staircase gleams proudly and it becomes easy to be transported back to a time when a pleasant evening like this was the rule rather than the exception.
So far, you would think that all our entertainment revolves around music and while as important as that is, the tales of history by our Riverlorian, Travis, keep folks spellbound. For example, yesterday morning he gave a talk about how pilots used to read the signs of the river to determine the all-important channel long before lighted markers and GPS. This morning just before the Jazz Brunch, Travis traced the history of steamboating and the Green Line Steamers, predecessors to the Delta Queen Steamboat Company which built the American Queen in 1995. He is also available to chat with guests one on one out on deck and answer questions about the riverscape unfolding around us. I heard several guests sharing what they had learned with others as we made our way through locks on the Ohio River. I also have to say how fortunate we were to have Karen “Toots” Malloy aboard for this voyage, who spun tales of the old days gleaned from her many years as a Riverlorian with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company.
Our Chef de Cuisine, famed Southern Chef Regina Charboneau, has been aboard this voyage as well. When she hasn’t been working with our onboard chefs to tweak her recipes (one of her delightful salads is best served with a molasses vinaigrette rather than a lemon vinaigrette), she sat down with guests and explained her 12 tips for effortless entertaining. As the owner of Twin Oaks in Natchez, no one knows more about entertaining than Chef Regina.
There are so many options to be entertained; it would be a challenge to experience them all. However, that is the beauty of a laid-back vacation on the river. You don’t have to challenge yourself. You can simply let it all unfold because you find yourself surrounded by options. And sometimes, the entertainment finds you and suddenly you’re dancing with your sweetheart outside the dining room before a good old-fashioned Southern-style brunch.
And that spontaneity is what cruising with the American Queen is all about.