NEW YORK — Neil Patrick Harris was the emcee. Jerry Seinfeld did a monologue. And Heather Headley sang. In the audience were such celebrities as Tim Gunn, Ty Pennington and Alan Cumming, and New York mayor Michael Bloomberg made a cameo appearance. But it wasn’t the Tonys or some other awards telecast. It was a star-studded presentation with musical numbers featuring dancers, singers, and special effects to celebrate the christening of Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, Fantasy.
Or as Harris sang to a familiar tune in his opening number, it was a “Super-costly-synergistic-tactical-promotion.”
Oh, and Mariah Carey did the ceremonial christening as the appointed godmother of the ship.The event took place Thursday evening at Pier 88 in Manhattan.
It was just a little over 13 months ago that media, celebrities and dignitaries were gathered in Port Canaveral for the christening ceremony of the Dream, the Fantasy’s older sister. That show was held on the dock with guests sitting in bleachers under the hot sun, the ship off shore in the background. Here’s a video of that ceremony.
I remember thinking at the time that it would be hard for Disney to top that show, which included pirates racing by in ships and a champagne bottle so large it had to be lifted to the ship’s bow by helicopter.
Disney topped it.
Perhaps the most unusual aspect of this christening was that it was held on board the ship. Guests walked along a red carpeted gangway to arrive in the grand multi-story (or multi-deck) atrium, where waiters passed classes of Taittinger champagne and hors d’oeuvres.
Following the reception, guests were invited into the stunning Walt Disney Theater, a 1,340-seat auditorium that is larger than many of the Broadway theaters just a few blocks from where the ship was docked. (Broadway theaters must have at least 500 seats.) The show began with a video that touted Disney’s long-standing relationship with New York, including not only its long-running musical blockbusters but also its television and movie productions.
After the tongue-twisting opening number (subsequent lyrics changed Super-costly to Super-splashy) with sailor-suited dancers that was reminiscent of Harris’s opening at the Tony Awards last summer (it looked as though it may have been choreographed by the same person), the host introduced musical numbers featuring the casts of the shows that will be performed on the ship.
He also introduced comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who riffed for about 15 minutes on such topics as people who drink too much coffee and the automation of flushing toilets and bathroom faucets.
Heather Headley, who starred in Disney’s musical “Aida,” sang three numbers to piano accompaniment. Harris walked into the audience
to chat with some of the stars — Gunn, Cumming and a very uncomfortable-looking Pennington were seated in the row behind me — and Bloomberg, who said he was excited that Disney will be docking a ship in the city permanently beginning this summer, but, since he is only paid $1 a year, he couldn’t afford to take a cruise.
By the way, it isn’t the Fantasy that will be cruising out of the Manhattan port but rather the older — and smaller — Magic.
The show ended with Disney characters and the casts of all the shows on stage and in the theater’s aisles. The guests were then invited back to the atrium for the official christening.
But even that was a bit different. Mariah Carey stood at the bottom of the sweeping staircase with Walt Disney Company President and CEO Robert A. Iger, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Thomas O. Staggs and Mickey Mouse while Headley’s husband, Nick Cannon, stood outside on the bow with Minnie Mouse. (In the evening’s only misstep, only one relatively small monitor showed guests in the atrium the actual bottle-break outside. (I think they missed a great opportunity by not getting Leonardo DiCaprio to hold Minnie out over the bow, but they’d probably blown the budget by that point.)
After more confetti and more champagne, guests went to assigned seating for dinner in one of the ship’s several restaurants for a “Taste of the Fantasy” dinner. I was seated in Animator’s Palette, which has added something really impressive not found on the Dream. (I’ll have more on that later.)
The night ended in the ship’s adult entertainment area, Europa, where several bars are themed for the great cities of Europe, though Harris said they don’t have one for Amsterdam. “This is Disney, after all, though I heard the brownies were amazing.”
The Fantasy will leave New York in a few days and make its first stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, for training. It will arrive at its home, Port Canaveral, later this month for its maiden cruise on the 31st.
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