RV grad Detweiler pursues life as a music man
Cruise director now has a CD to his credits
By BRENDA J. DONEGAN
The Marion Star

MARION - Even though he has performed in New York and on cruise ships around the world, Marion native Kirk Detweiler has never forgotten his roots.

Detweiler performed the role of Marcellus Washburn in "The Music Man," which ended with a matinee Sunday after a five-show performance at the Palace Theatre.

The 1980 River Valley graduate attributes his interest in theater to his older sister, Karen, who now lives in New York, and George Schram, who directed the musicals while he was in high school and also several at the Palace.

"George had a big influence on me," Detweiler said. "This was my first time to perform in Marion with Clare as the director. She has always been the choreographer and George the director when I've been back to the Palace."

Schram described Detweiler as one he could depend on to do an accent or whatever in a role and at a young age, adding he believed Detweiler was probably in 10th grade. He also directed Karen in various productions at River Valley.

"Those kids were extremely memorable," Schram said. "She was good on stage, too. I was surprised at the direction Kirk took in his career. He chose to take a chance and he's done an extremely good job."

Detweiler said there have been other musicals he wanted to participate in but the timing from his job as a cruise director with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines didn't work. He works on whatever ship he is assigned to for four months, then has two months off, when he heads to Ohio to visit with family.

"In the past, I would often be home for the first weekend but had to report back to work for the second weekend of shows," he said.

When he learned this summer's musical, was "The Music Man" and the dates coincided with his "vacation" he sent Cooke a tape for auditions.

"I talked with Clare and told her if I'm in the show and in the chorus, I'm in the show and I'll take any part," he said. When he learned Ron (Boose), Brad (Bebout), Kristi (Cooke Wink) and Andy (Harper) were in the show, it heightened his desire to be a part of the cast. "I had worked with all of them and knew it would be a great show. I had a call from Clare while I was in Alaska. She told me they were casting right then" and she would call him back.

The return call was the offer to play the role of Marcellus. He left the ship Serenade of the Seas, arriving a couple of weeks into rehearsals for "Music Man."

"It was a lot of fun, especially working with Ron," he said. "We had worked together in 'South Pacific' when George was the director."

Schram said Detweiler played the role of Lt. Joe Kable in the 1997 production of "South Pacific" performed in the courtyard at Harding High School (now Grant Middle School).

"He makes Marcellus doesn't he," Schram asked. "Of course he and Ron play off each other real well. I am so proud of what he's done. I talk about him a lot and what he's accomplished."

Born at Marion General Hospital, to Donald and Polly Detweiler, Kirk said he received a lot of support from his parents and siblings when he headed off to college and decided to pursue a degree in theater. He spent his freshman year at the Ohio State University at Marion, then transferred to his parents' and his sister's alma mater, Kent State, where he received a degree in telecommunications and a minor in theater and dance.

During the summers of his college years, he worked at Cedar Point - the same as his sister. It was there that he met and became lifelong friends with Lisa Asher. He said a few months later, Asher recommended him for a job with a production company in Florida that cast for dinner theaters and cruise ship shows. He said he was a singing waiter before landing a gig as a singer in a revue which performed on an American-Hawaii cruise ship out of Honolulu.

"I kinda followed in my sister's footsteps," he said. "She also went to Kent State, performed at Cedar Point and to the cruise ship. We were in the same cast. It was cool."

When that gig ended, he said he moved to Los Angeles where he moved in with his sister, Karen, and a friend, adding he worked a variety of jobs but nothing permanent.

"I couldn't get back on a cruise ship fast enough," he said. His hard work on the ship paid off with one promotion after another. He was appointed a cruise director in 1989, at age 27 and became one of the youngest cruise directors in the history of the industry.

"I've done 19 ships in my career," he said, adding Royal Caribbean currently has 20 ships in its fleet. "I've done three new take outs (maiden voyages of the cruise ships)."

Detweiler said people have a misconception of the duties of a cruise director with many often mentioning that it is a gravy job. "Some think that all I do is perform in the welcome aboard, run a few game shows and the farewell show," he said, adding he also performs on theme nights, '50s and '60s night and sometimes does a Cabaret show.

He noted that he has about 120 in his department that he oversees every day while aboard ship with 80 percent of his job duties he must do behind the scenes such as scheduling, payroll, paper work and overseeing the entertainment. His work week averages about 90 hours, he said.

He has also had the opportunity to meet and perform with several famous people including Ben Vereen, Charo, Jerry Van Dyke, Bobby Rydell, Susan Antone, Jim Nabors, Lorna Luft, John Davidson, Norm Crosby and the Osmond Brothers among others.

For a conversation starter, Detweiler said he often shares that he is from the Marion, Ohio, area - home to a U.S. President, Warren G. Harding and the small town of Waldo, famous for fried Amish bologna sandwiches.

In 1998, he shared his two months vacation time between Marion and New York City and began doing cabaret shows directed by Asher and musicals directed by her husband, Jeff Waxman. Detweiler said he did two shows in 1998 "The House is Rockin" and "White Boy Sings the Blues."

Detweiler said Asher had just recorded her first CD which was produced by her husband and decided he wanted to do the same. He recorded "Random White Boy," which was released in May 1999. He released his second CD, "Shades of Wrong" in March 2005. It may be purchased online at CDBaby.com

"I spent last summer promoting it (CD)," he said. "That's been fun."

Before reporting to Mariner of the Seas on Aug. 20, in addition to "Music Man," Detweiler will perform Aug. 4 at Club Diversity in Columbus with Bobby Hamlin and with the "random white band" Aug. 14 at the Laurie Beecham Theater on 42nd Street in New York City.

Detweiler is married and has a daughter, Meredith, age 7.

Reporter Brenda Donegan 740-375-5150 orbdonegan@nncogannett.com

Originally published July 31, 2006