Cruising Into Your Performance Career

Beyond the glamour of Hollywood stardom or Broadway fame, performers can find nearly unlimited avenues to practice their craft, or carve out a career making full use of their talents.

- Paul Fanara

Stage entertainment is by far one of the most common of these avenues, in every corner of the world. One such little, but big, stage can be found in the luxury travel and tourism industry upon the many cruise ships that voyage to tourist destinations world-wide.

As a progressive part of the entertainment industry, cruise lines work hard to keep up with the latest entertainment trends, and bring a robust entertainment experience to their guests. Developing new stage performances that rival the high-end production numbers commonly seen in places like Las Vegas, the cruise industry continuously seeks to take the on-ship entertainment aspect of their product to new heights, making it a larger selling point to attract customers.

Kimberly Powell is a Buffalo-based performer who found her niche in this exciting field. Starting with her first open-call audition for Carnival Cruise Lines in 2012, she has set-sail on an entertainment career that she has found both challenging, and rewarding. After her first successful audition in which she was one of 15 out of 90 competitors selected from a New York City-based audition, Powell has been thriving as an entertainer on the high seas.

“Aside from performing, my favorite part has been the people,” Powell said in a recent interview. “I’ve made the best connections and the best friends I think I’ve ever made. When you’re onboard, it’s a family feel. You live, eat and breathe your performance, and you perform with this family. It is amazing.”