Theater Directors / Choreographers - David & Patti

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For 3 weeks (May 1-21), we had the pleasure of seeing and listening to Patti D’Beck and David Leong tell stories. As two people that have been long time Broadway performers, directors and choreographers, their backgrounds, experiences, and incredible “inside” stories are fun for those with a variety of interests. They have collaborated on nearly 40 Broadway plays and musicals. In addition to being a great couple that have a style and synergy that is very entertaining, they both have been professional speakers, professors and love to share their passion to teach and share giving them all the ingredients that make them amazing storytellers.

With 11 presentations including many slides, movie clips and inside stories, there was too much to include in a footprint so here are the titles and some of the slides we particularly enjoyed and helped us reminisce the "good old days" (some of the presentations were just too good and filled with content so they covered 2 sessions): “Great Songs From Great Movies Worldwide, Part 1 & 2” with some of the best memorable songs and scores. In the category of movies, “The Golden Age of Hollywood Movie Musicals I & II” we heard some great music and saw some of the classic dancing that we always remember from the movies. This was enhanced with their personal stories about working with some of those stars. “The Secret Stories of the World’s Most Beloved Songs” and “Unforgettable Crooners” had us thinking about these great singers and how they compare with today’s stars.

Then we went to TV and recounted the revolution of TV and the difference it made in our lives as it influenced us (children of the 60's and 70's) in so many ways (maybe not always good) in: “How 1960’s TV Changed The World” followed by their session on the “1970’s SITCOMS- Pushing The Envelope and Raising the Bar”, a time when the programs were no longer “idealistic’ but more “realistic”, reflecting the world as it really was with hard issues and often discussing them with humor. Their last entertainment related session was on “The International History of Television Game Shows” a category of TV that has been around since the beginning with shows that were amusing and often very educational as we learned and had fun at the same time (somewhat like Trivia on the ship).

In addition, they did a great job with two sessions that were a little different but also entertaining as we learned about “Great Inventions of the Last 100 Years” with some strange and surprising stories of where discoveries, inventions, and innovations came from. And from their experiences in writing/teaching these classes and being the consummate storytellers, they did a great practical session with a high level how-to on “How to Tell Your Stories on Paper and In Person”. (see separate posting on 5/21/26) .We loved every one of the sessions and often took notes not only on the content in order to share it with others but on their style and techniques for communicating their messages and keeping everyone interested. We even spent quality time with Patti and David (off of the stage) a few times and had dinner together. Wonderful people we will stay in touch with. Maybe someday we will be on the Cruise Ship Enrichment Circuit!Read more