Cascading Over the Waves!

by Bill Giduz

 

Sean Emery's father,  a Navy man. advised his son to join the service and see the world. Well. Sean has seen the world from a boat during the past two years. but the wise son found a more clever way to do it!

 

Rather than swabbing decks. he's lounging on the deck. collecting a good paycheck. sharing a cabin with his wife. Meg. and working less than two hours a week. The Emerys are among a large number of jugglers who work as entertainers aboard cruise ships.

 

Cruise lines are building more ships as cruises become a more popular form of vacation. And almost all of those boats feature live entertainment as one of their guest services. The entertainers they are hiring are primarily dancers, singers, magicians and jugglers. One old-timer described cruise ship cabarets as "the resurrection of the vaudeville circuit."

 

Jugglers have apparently been working cruise ships for a good while. Dick Franco said many jugglers used to work in exchange for free passage to and from Europe in the days before airplanes. Franco said he found Cunard and Star Line stickers on some of Bobby May's old luggage. Lotte Brunn said she worked many fine cruises as well.

 

Some jugglers like the lifestyle. and others find plenty to complain about. But like it or loathe it. many jugglers are finding work on the high seas today. Those working out of the U.S. that Juggler's World interviewed include Ben Decker, Wally Eastwood, the Emerys, Dick Franco, Jay Green, Dan Holzman, Mark Nizer and Jack Swersie. The list of those joining them from time to time includes Bamaby, Bill Fry, Thien Fu, Edward Jack,man, Tyler Linkin, Dan Menendez and Tim Nolan.

 

But before more jugglers decide to rush the gangplank. the veterans warn that there are things beginners should know. Performers describe cruises as floating amusement parks for the guests. The doors are closed and you can't get out for a week. One juggler warned of the "contrived entertainment formulas" on cruise lines. "It's the same thing over and over each week." he said. "They have special events that they may expect you to work. like pirate night. or the captain's party. It can be monotonous. Some aren't proud of the shows. either. One juggler called this particular form of entertainment "the essence of mediocrity."

 

On board the ship, you're either a paying guest or a paid employee. And if you're a paid employee they expect you to act like it. The management expects the hired help to always put on a good face for passengers. That can be as simple for a

juggler as putting on a good show or as difficult as holding your temper when someone tells you your act stinks. If you don't hold your temper, the management will definitely boot you from the boat.

 

"Steady work is the biggest advantage" said Sean Emery. He spent five

years running around New York City "doing Bar Mitzvahs at 3 p.m. corporate shows from 8-11 p.m. and cabaret shows at 2 in the morning."

 

Things are relaxed on board a cruise ship. An entertainer only does two or three shows per week. and there's absolutely no opportunity for work in between.

"On a two week cruise we'll do two or three shows." said Meg Emery. "But since it's the same audience, you've got to show them something different each show." The Emerys mix a variety of vaudeville skills to present audiences with a high energy. visually appealing act. The premium on shipboard, as most other venues, is on entertainment.

 

Sean tumbles onto stage wearing spats and a funny coat with tails. He then performs with a single hat, nesting cups, cigar boxes, a nine box herringbone balance, an umbrella and ball on a string, and hat. ball and cane. Next he asks for an audience volunteer and pulls the obligatory beautiful girl (his wife. Meg) out of the crowd. He mounts a unicycle and asks her to dance with the band striking up a tango. The audience realizes what's up when he rips off the lady' s dress on a spin move to reveal a costume beneath. The pair then passes six clubs and Sean spins a plate on a mouthstick and juggles clubs while idling on the uni.

 

Their second act is about the same length. 20 minutes. With "La Bamba" as background music. Sean does routines with three, four and five balls. He announces he will do nine balls. and juggles three sets of three attached to each other. "They love that type of sophomore humor." he said.

 

Meg joins him on stage and they do three club steals and runarounds. She takes the clubs by crawling between his legs, then he steals them back in a leapfrog takeaway. He completes the vaudeville smorgasbord with fire eating, torch juggling and juggling two machetes and a twin-bladed ax.