ALRIGHT. So yesterday we were docked in Recife, Brazil. Because the Brazilian cast signed on, they needed the stage for rehearsals so we got the afternoon off. Jessica, Derrick and I decided to walk around the town for a bit of fresh air. We went to eat in the mess and as we were leaving, we heard an "Alpha" alarm over the intercom. This means there is a medical emergency. Whoever sounded the alarm didn't turn the intercom button off so we heard snipits of the conversation that followed which was panic about the gangway. Calvin, one of our stage staff, came to warn us that there was an accident just off the gangway and we should wait a bit before leaving. He had been out there, just behind an elderly couple, when a wall from an old rusted building toppled onto the lady. OB, our production manager, helped pull her out and sound the alarm. Even though we waited an hour, when we got off there was still a lot of blood and the scene was erie. The wall was huge, it hadn't been just a small chunk of a door or something.
We thought that was surely the craziest thing that would happen today. After dinner, Jess and I got into our pajamas and were going to call it an early night because we were preparing for opening night of Broadway Rhythm and Rhyme the next day. Just as I was getting ready to climb into bed, Wesley (Dance Captain) calls us to say we have an emergency meeting backstage. Jess answered the phone and said it was about our visas, because I had thought it would be about the lady. When we were all gathered Wes told us that there had been a processing issue with some of our visas. They were kicking people off in Lisbon for not having the proper documentation but now that we have reached Brazil, we have learned that 113 crewmembers do not have visas. I guess because there are 3 ships here-Splendour, Monarch, and us, we were the last to be processed so they aren't finished. The Brazilian authorities boarded our ship last night, including several undercover police, and made a list of people who needed to immediately stop working.
For the cast, the Americans are ok and Philip and Connie (Australian and Argentinian) are good. But our three English and our South African were on the list. So we are down two singers, a girl dancer and our dance captian. Two of our costumers were on the list and Sandie, our choreographer. The Brazilian cast was told they are opening their show tonight, they signed on last night. They are freaking out but we are trying to help them as much as possible. The latest we have heard is everyone on the list needs to pack and be ready to sign off tomorrow in Salvador. They have to stay there while their visas are being processed. If they are approved, another boat will bring them back to the ship, wherever we are. If not, they are sent home. Which means we are sent home as well becasue we can't do a show with all those people missing. Two dancers, ok. But two singers as well? OB says the production show would be closed.
That's all we know as of now, it's just a matter of how fast they can get this done. I don't know who messed up but I have a feeling it's the corrupt Brazilian government because the company was fined $500 for each crewmember who didn't have a visa. The ship is ridiculously short staffed so the captain will start asking us to take up extra shifts as cooks or cleaners. OB is refusing to send us out of the theater though, so I think we will be helping the Brazilian cast as backstage staff (since Calvin was on the list and he is the only stage staff who knows the job, we just got two brand new people back there a week ago). I am more than willing to help them of course. I will keep you updated when I know more. Keep your fingers crossed we can get this sorted out!!!! :/
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