Port Lucaya Market-place’s latest installment to its entertainment schedule filled Count Basie Square to capacity Friday evening with anxious spectators, curious to find out what the buzz was about all week concerning the new show.
The brainchild of Port Lucaya Marketplace management, “Tropical Beat” arose from a challenge made by the late Grand Bahama Port Authority Chairman Edward St. George to the management team last year spring.
The challenge put forth by Mr. St. George to the Marketplace’s management team was to “come up with something that is uniquely different but yet keeps in flavour with Bahamian culture and heritage,'” Port Lucaya’s director of entertainment, Karen Bain, vividly recalled.
Quickly putting their heads together, Mrs. Bain said that The Bahamas’ tropical climate and pulsating beat of Junkanoo were the elements that contributed to Tropical Beat’s title and theme.
“All of the costumes, the music, the stage design, the choreography was centred around that theme,” Mrs. Bain said. “And we stuck to it.”
Before the show was launched, Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe said that the contributions to Freeport by Mr. St. George and Grand Bahama Port Authority Co-chairman Jack Hayward have made the city an envy of The Bahamas. Pretty soon, Minister Wilchcombe said that it will be the talk of the Caribbean and renowned throughout the world.
Tropical Beat was to have first been premiered last year but was stymied by Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. Its premiere date was then scheduled for April of this year. However, when Grand Bahama Port Authority executives announced that they would be doing something special in recognition of Freeport’s 50th birthday, it was decided that the show’s premiere should coincide with the Port Authority’s activities schedule, Mrs. Bain stated.
Dignitaries in attendance to view the show’s premiere included Port Authority executives Jack Hayward, Lady Henrietta St. George, Albert Gray, Barry Malcolm, Ian Barry, and Willie Moss. Government officials included Minister Wilchcombe, Minister of Health and Environment Dr. Marcus Bethel, MP for Marco City Pleasant Bridgewater, MP for High Rock Kenneth Russell and others.
Aside from the lively and vigorous dance steps exhibited by the Marketplace’s male and female dancers, Ron “The Emperor Duke” Russell left natives and tourists alike gawking with his limber limbo demonstrations. He particularly got the crowd going when he cradled a 130-pound woman in his arms and toted her beneath the limbo stick, which was positioned just inches above the ground.
Natalie Seymour, whose stage name is “Desire: Queen of the Firedance,” was also a favourite among attendees. Her firedancing experience spans over 15 years.
The success and stellar performances by Tropical Beat performers prompted Grand Bahama Port Authority’s Jason Pinder to say that natives do not have to travel abroad to be properly entertained
“We have a lot of wonderful entertainers right here who will take us back to where we needed to be,” Mr. Pinder said.
Tropical Beat can be seen each Friday at Count Basie Square beginning at 9:30 p.m.
By JEREMY FRANCIS, Freeport News Reporter
