‘It is going to be a week of how I want everyday life to be’ – Drew Baker on his role for Floating Festivals Stages

All aboard Explorer of the Seas for the Floating Stages Musical Theatre Festival at sea from 14 to 18 October 2019, leaving Southampton for Dublin and then returning to Southampton.

On-board entertainment includes musical appearances by Alfie Boe, Sheridan Smith and Collabro plus the incorrigibly comic Joe Pasquale and popular show Avenue Q.

DREW BAKER is curating an enrichment programme for Stages and here he explains what you can expect…

How did you become involved? 

Actually through a friend who put me forward and said ‘Drew can do that…’ and here we are. It is actually very exciting and something that I have loved curating.

Your career started as an actor, a graduate of the London School of Musical Theatre. On leaving did you go straight into musical theatre? 

Yes indeed, I was very lucky to go straight to America and perform in The Merry Widow and then I came back and performed in a tour of Magic of the Musicals. In a bizarre move my career as a performer then mainly stayed in opera or operetta.

This will be your first time joining Stages. What attracted you to getting involved in a musical theatre festival at sea? 

What wouldn’t attract a lover of musical theatre? It is going to be a week of how I want everyday life to be… full of wonderful people who sing to communicate and have a ball! I needed no persuasion.

You have many strings to your career bow and now you are responsible for the enrichment activities on Stages – workshops, Q&As, musical theatre classes, as well bringing your successful SingEasy onboard. Where do you find the time for all of that? 

That is something I ask myself all of the time. However, everything just seems to happen – I guess when you love what you are doing you don’t mind spending lots of time making it work.

Stages has its own SingEasy Cabaret Bar during the cruise. Is this only for the special guests or for anyone to show what they can do in the field of cabaret? 

SingEasy is a singalong concept, which is all requests, so the passengers will be requesting the songs, the pianist will play them and the hosts will lead the entire room in a singalong. There will be some special performances as well, we will hold an open mic night when anyone can get up and sing – a perfect opportunity to get up and show us what you can do.

Apart from your work with Stages, you are also involved with The Piano Works in London. What exactly does this entail?

I am the creative director for The Piano Works and SingEasy. That means that I oversee everything creative within the company – from sound and lights to musicians and singers. It is so much fun and no day is the same.

What next? Have you got more exciting plans in the pipeline?

I will be back to work at Piano Works and SingEasy and preparing for an exciting Christmas, and lots of cabarets there. Also, I am directing a musical in the new year – I can’t say too much at the moment but I am sure the announcement is imminent.

The Stages Musical Theatre Festival Cruise runs from 14-18 October 2019. The Royal Caribbean Explorer of the Seas offers luxury stateroom accommodation, a wide variety of restaurants and bars, West End style theatre, three swimming pools, six whirlpools, spa and fitness centre, outdoor cinema and a selection of luxury boutique shopping experiences.

Booking for the 2020 experience is already available at www.floatingfestivals.co.uk

Compiled by Michael Darvell