It’s the ‘Last Dance’ for the Donna Summer Musical on Norwegian Prima

August 8, 2024 Randy Young

Last Updated on August 20, 2024

For years, Norwegian Cruise Line has set itself apart by offering Broadway-caliber entertainment across its newest ships. Since early 2023, Norwegian has been canceling these shows one by one in a cost-cutting measure. While it initially seemed that the Prima class would be spared from these reductions, recent news confirms that the Broadway musical on the Norwegian Prima is the latest casualty.

Summer: “The Donna Summer Musical” Will End This August

When the Norwegian Prima was first announced, one of the marquee attractions was “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” a Broadway show brought to life in the Prima Theater. Norwegian collaborated with the original Broadway producers and recruited seasoned stage actors, including American Idol Season 2 finalist Kimberly Locke as Diva Donna, to deliver a top-notch performance.

“Norwegian Cruise Line is known for its unwavering commitment to bringing Broadway-caliber entertainment to the high seas, having previously debuted “Kinky Boots,” “Six,” “Jersey Boys,” “Footloose” and more across its current 17–ship fleet, and this latest addition to the Company’s lineup is another first for the cruise industry.” – Norwegian Cruise Lone July 2022 Press Release.

The musical followed the live of disco legend Donna Summers. On the Prima, the show ran for 75 minutes with no intermissions, covering 20 different hits from the songstress.

Unfortunately, this summer will be the “Last Dance” for the Donna Summer-inspired musical. According to details on the Norwegian Cruise Line website, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical will be discontinued starting on the August 25th sailing.

This isn’t the first time a show has been removed from the Prima. The ship also featured a beatbox / tap-dancing show called “Noise Boys” from the creators of “Choir of Man.” That show was cancelled in January 2023.

Replacement Show is “Bossa Nova Beat”

The show will be replaced by “Bossa Nova Beat,” a Latin music dance show. This new production appears to be in partnership with Burn the Floor, a company known for its high-energy dance shows currently featured on ships like the Breakaway, Getaway, and Epic. According to Burn the Floor’s website, “BURN THE FLOOR is the ultimate high-voltage theatrical dance experience, exploding with jaw-dropping choreography, heart-pounding music, and breathtaking moves.”

My Take: Norwegian’s Entertainment Cutbacks May Cost Them

Norwegian used to be known for its high-value production shows on their ships. With their cutbacks, Royal Caribbean is quickly taking that mantle with other cruise lines close on their heels. In investor calls, Norwegian’s leadership cited the high ongoing costs of these shows as the reason for the changes. The plan is to pivot towards Norwegian-produced shows, which will feature the same performers across multiple nights, or game shows like “Wheel of Fortune” and “Deal or No Deal.”

I saw the Donna Summer Musical while I was onboard the Prima, and while it wasn’t my favorite show, it was enjoyable and had a packed house to watch it. Recently, on my 10-day cruise on the Norwegian Viva, I checked out Beetlejuice, which was impressive, the sets and cast rivaling anything I’d seen on Broadway. In fact, in terms of entertainment, that show was the highlight of the cruise. Most of the other productions onboard felt like typical low-budget cruise ship entertainment, way behind shows on Carnival, Celebrity, or Royal Caribbean’s newest ships.

Norwegian’s entertainment cutbacks mean I am less likely to recommend them for non-port-intensive cruises. If it’s just a standard cruise to the Caribbean and you like interesting nighttime entertainment, it might be better to start looking at other cruise lines.