Sandals Negril remounts Moulin Rouge

Sandals Resorts International (SRI) has given another boost to the Caribbean's hospitality entertainment package, with the relaunch of its sultry and daring burlesque production, Moulin Rouge.

For the past two weeks, Sandals Negril Beach Resort and Spa has been coming alive with the spectacular cabaret-themed production.

The production was originally mounted a year ago at Sandals Whitehouse European Village and Spa as part of a special showcase for a large French-Canadian group visiting the island.

"Moulin Rouge is an ode to the international side of SRI's entertainment," said David Ellis, operations manager for the group's entertainment division.

"The Caribbean has always prided itself on having a wide variety of entertainment offerings. We have a growing international clientele, so we need to be innovative and consistent in order to keep our guests coming back and, ultimately, boost the image of our tourism sector," he said.

With staff movements, the original production was placed on hiatus but is now back as a weekly showcase at Sandals Negril with a few new kicks. Moulin Rouge is currently performed by a cast of singers and dancers called the Sandals Negril Show Players and retains its original burlesque genre with exciting dances to the music of Lady Marmalade and Madonna's Vogue, as well as a new touch of European 'Can-Can' choreography.

In a move to continuously raise the bar of the Sandals Resort's entertainment package and motivate its team members, Sandals introduced its first Show Players Unit, seven years ago at its Beaches Turks & Caicos resort with the nucleus of the first Negril Show Players Unit being formed shortly after in Jamaica at Sandals Negril, with the guidance and tutelage of former entertainment manager/choreographer, Andrew Martin, and then General Manager Wayne Cummings (now group director of business processes and administration).

Developing team members

"It gives us the flexibility of having more technically capable individuals to work in our productions and expand our entertainment programming. It unleashes the full potential in and develops our team members," explained Ellis.

Plans are already laid to have a St Lucian show players team to serve the company's three resorts in that island.

The show players production of Moulin Rouge follows the Caribbean Dance Tribute presented in 2005 by the Sandals Whitehouse's Entertainment Department.

The team involved in Moulin Rouge is already expanding to include two culturally inspiring productions - a traditional Jamaican folk show and a reggae show. Having established a show players team in Turks & Caicos, in Jamaica and soon in St Lucia, Sandals is expanding its entertainment show players' format across the Caribbean, boosting local culture in addition to a mix of tantalising international pieces.