On board

Perhaps singer-actress Julia Murney put it best during the final evening's entertainment on the Norwegian Dawn. "Being neither gay nor a family," said Murney, "I wasn't sure what I would find [on this cruise]. I found joy."

Whether gay, straight or a little curved, passengers on board the cruise ship couldn't help but be moved by the experience, the first time a ship full of gay and lesbian parents and their children took a week-long excursion that began in New York City, traveled to Florida and the Bahamas, and then back to Manhattan one week later.

For me, there were several moving moments aboard the mammoth cruise ship, though the first that leaps to mind occurred one afternoon in the Garden Cafe, one of the ship's nine restaurants. While having lunch, suddenly 50 or so little kids dressed in pirate gear and as happy as can be came running through the buffet restaurant on their way to the outside pools. The joy on the faces of these kids — a mix of races and ethnicities, some adopted, some from surrogates and many born to their parents — was extraordinarily touching.

As for the last night's entertainment, Seth Rudetsky — who had triumphed throughout the week with Rhapsody in Seth, Deconstructing the Brady Bunch Variety Hour and as accompanist to Billy Porter — assembled a group of terrific theatre performers for an evening simply titled "Broadway Belters." The aforementioned Julia Murney kicked off the concert with a thrilling version of "Life of the Party" from the Off-Broadway musical in which she starred, The Wild Party. Murney possesses one of the best belts of her generation, and the more and more I hear her, the more convinced I am that she should star as Eva, should the announced Evita revival, scheduled to kick off in London, happen.

Elaine Brier followed, reprising a comedic number she and Rudetsky often performed at Rose's Turn in the West Village: an audience-participation version of the Beatles' tune "All Together Now." Host Rudetsky then introduced Paul Castree and Gavin Creel, whose tenors soared on Side Show's "Who Will Love Me As I Am?" Originally sung on Broadway by conjoined belters Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner, Rudetsky said he believes the Henry Krieger-Bill Russell ballad also speaks as a gay anthem.

A vivacious Andrea Burns — seen on Broadway in The Full Monty and on tour in Parade — followed with a rousing version of the seventies hit "Love Will Keep Us Together." And, what might have been the vocal high point of the cruise's entertainment followed, Darius de Haas' spectacular version of Dreamgirls' "I Am Changing." De Haas had told Rudetsky that he wanted to perform a song that would bring down the house, and the actor did just that. The audience rose en masse as de Haas belted the final lines, "And nothing's gonna stop me noooooooowwww!"

Jason Little took to the Stardust Theatre stage dressed in full Hedwig gear and explained that his song "is about knowing that you're different, but instead of hiding it, celebrating it." He also dedicated his performance of "Wig in a Box" to the men and women who were part of the famed Stonewall Riots, which marked the beginning of the gay rights movement. "If it wasn't for them," said Little, "we wouldn't be here tonight."

Billy Porter let loose on Kander and Ebb's "And the World Goes 'Round," and Anika Larsen showed that she can belt with the best of 'em on "I Ain't Got Time" from Zanna, Don't!

The thrilling fight scene preceding the Dreamgirls anthem "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" was performed by Virginia Woodruff (Effie), Darius de Haas (Curtis), Andrea Burns (Deena), Billy Porter (Jimmy), Paul Castree (C.C.) and Julia Murney (Michelle). Woodruff then wrapped her hefty tones around the Dreamgirls show-stopper, again bringing the house to its feet.

Before introducing the final number, Rudetsky thanked the crowd for raising a generation who would not be homophobic. Saying it's every gay man's fantasy to perform the title tune of Dreamgirls with the original Michael Bennett choreography, he introduced the evening's "Dreamgirls," Gavin Creel, Jose Llana and Paul Castree, who did the number justice.

Touching photo montages of the entire week — assembled by Rosie O'Donnell and accompanied by the recorded vocals of Linda Eder — concluded the evening.

Final thoughts

Having never before been on a cruise, I have to say it's a terrific way to travel. Once your luggage is in your room, it's a completely hassle-free vacation. Should you forget anything, it's a quick trip back to pick it up, and other than the ship's casino, there's no need to carry any cash. For this cruise, all the meals were included in the initial fee (of the many restaurants there are a few that require an additional cover charge), and drinks and other merchandise are simply charged to your account, which is encrypted on your room key.

The ship itself was enormous. I was on board for a week, and I know I didn't get the chance to enjoy everything it offered. Here's a bit of what I did take in: the huge Stardust Theatre, a plush, comfortable theatre with great sound that housed most of the week's entertainment; the Spinnaker Lounge, a large cabaret with different arrays of chairs and tables and a bar; the Fitness Center, which was open 24 hours a day, and featured treadmills, a spin-cycle room, weight machines, free weights; numerous pools and hot tubs on the ship's top deck as well as a more private indoor pool downstairs from the health club; Gatsby's Champagne Bar, which adjoined the piano bar where several Taboo cast members performed; and an internet cafe with approximately 20 computers. Other features included the Dazzles Lounge and Night Club, the Java Café, the El Dorado Spa & Beauty Center, a jogging track and a basketball/volleyball court.

Next year's cruise, it was recently announced, will depart from Boston and then make stops in Oak Bluffs (Martha's Vineyard); Newport, RI; Provincetown; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Bar Harbor, Maine; and then disembark in Boston. As soon as I get word about the entertainment for the 2005 cruise, I will post the news. For more information visit www.rfamilyvacations.com. Continued...