Inside the Quirky, Fabulous World of Cruise Performers

[ view in [browser](. add esquire@newsletter.esquire.com to your address book ] [Esquire]( [Sunday Reads] FOLLOW US [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Pinterest]( [Instagram]( [You Tube]( [Google Plus]( [Inside the Quirky, Fabulous World of Cruise Performers]( On the final night of a Caribbean cruise in March, the Regal Princess is charging home from Cozumel to Fort Lauderdale and the ship's three-story atrium is thrumming with energy. The night before, a voting ballot was left on each passenger's pillow, next to a red-foiled chocolate. Now it feels like all 4,109 of us—almost twice the number on the Titanic—are here, spilling over spiral staircases and brass railings. Babies in strollers loll next to seniors in wheelchairs. A netted balloon drop bulges expectantly overhead. A full band and eighteen dancers from the ship's Broadway-style show vogue and vamp, juicing up the crowd. The tuxedoed cruise director struts in like a boxing emcee. "You’ve been seeing them allllll week," he booms, clutching an envelope. "Now let’s welcome back our four nomineeees!" The passengers cheer as four of the world's best cruise entertainers walk into the glare of a spotlight: British singer-comedian Jo Little sparkles like a disco ball in a glitzy red dress. Dapper quartet The Modern Gentlemen, who spent the last fourteen years crooning behind Frankie Valli, wink at the crowd, making the golden girls scream. Acrobatic piano man Tom Franek, wearing a near-bioluminescent pink suit, pulls grins so rubbery he seems Pixar-animated. Finally, the steely illusionist Michael Barron glides in serenely, as if he already knows whose name is inside the cruise director’s envelope. Then there's a hush. The splendidly named cruise director, Dan Falconer, milks the moment. Turning and turning to face the passengers, Falconer fakes once, twice, then booms, "The winner of the 2018 Entertainer of the Year is..." [READ MORE]( [MORE FROM ESQUIRE] [Esquire]( [The BTK Killer Brutally Murdered 10 People. In Chilling New Audio, He Explains Why.]( For 31 years, a seemingly uncatchable serial killer terrorized residents of Wichita, Kansas. The case remained cold for decades. But in 2005, investigators traced a floppy disk from the killer back to Dennis Rader, an unassuming father of two, Boy Scout troop leader, and the local Lutheran church president. Here's everything to know about Radar's shocking secret life as a serial killer—and where he is now. [Read On]( [Esquire]( [The Affordable Leather Jacket That Looks Like It Costs a Couple Grand]( A great leather jacket is an investment—but it doesn't have to be a huge one. While some designers are turning out options that cost as much as a used car, DSTLD makes a damn-stylish moto jacket that clocks in at just $400. The L.A.-based label packs some serious punch into a jacket that costs about a quarter of what it would at traditional retail. [Read On]( [Esquire]( [The Best Movies of 2018 (So Far)]( Even though we're only midway into 2018, a wide range of stellar offerings have already illustrated that, no matter the genre, potential greatness abounds at both the multiplex and the art house. [Read On]( [Esquire]( [Remember When Donald Trump Endorsed Eminem For President?]( Before he led an entire festival in a "F**k Trump" chant, before he went viral for his 2017 BET Awards cypher, Eminem and Donald Trump were actually friendly. Remember when Trump endorsed Eminem at The Shady National Convention? The 2004 MTV special, which aired during George W. Bush and John Kerry's election year, was a concert disguised as a political convention with cabinet members 50 Cent and Dr. Dre, campaign manager Ludacris, and an endorsement from "unofficial NYC mayor" P. Diddy. [Read On]( [Esquire]( [Justin Bieber Has Officially Worn the Sleaziest Outfit of Summer 2018 (So Far)]( Justin Bieber has stepped out for a night on the town with his beloved Hailey in clean, new-looking Vans. But the rest of his look? Well, it might make even the grimiest of South Florida's drug dealers a bit jealous. And that's what the Summer of Sleaze is all about. [Read On]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Privacy Notice]( [esquire.com]( ©2018 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019