So there you are, sipping your white wine aboard a sunset cocktail cruise, mingling with co-workers as you all enjoy the subtropical scenery gliding by. It’s the relaxing end to a day spent in meetings; and yet, it’s all just a little...predictable.
Unless the planner who organized the event went with Galaxy Productions, that is. Then suddenly, the peaceful setting is shattered by the roar of WaveRunners, whose riders board the boat—weapons drawn—and order everyone to the top deck while announcing that the vessel is being hijacked.
In a flash, the waiter who just served your sushi pulls his own gun and tries to take on the outlaws single-handedly. A battle ensues. The boat is being hijacked to an unknown destination. And Judy from accounting? Smiling from ear to ear.
Because by now everyone realizes that it’s all part of the fun, as an ordinary reception turns into a scene from a James Bond movie (complete with fake guns).
The “007” is just one of many scenarios offered by Fort Lauderdale-based Galaxy Productions (in conjunction with It’s Your Party, a Boca Raton event coordinator), which stages such over-the-top happenings throughout South Florida and all over the world.
“We’re known for the ‘wow’ factor,” understates Chad Everett, the company’s president. “We make it so you’re a part of the actual experience. You’re not just going to a party, or seeing the sights... you’re suddenly swept away in this theatrical experience.”
Other Galaxy themes include “Fire and Ice,” a clash of elements; “Underwater,” with mermaids and undulating sea creatures; and “Tropical Madness,” featuring all-night dancing to festive beats.
Galaxy performers are skilled aerialists, musicians, acrobats, dancers, and DJs, all at the ready to deliver some special event “shock and awe” to unsuspecting party-goers.
“You never know if the person sitting next to you is part of it or not,” Everett says. “You never know what to expect.”
South Florida’s proximity to the water and year-round mild weather make it a natural setting for Galaxy’s expect-the-unexpected philosophy.
“It’s a great way to experience the dynamics of South Florida, the edginess of South Florida,” Everett says. “We let other people do the hokey, tropical, Key West-wannabe theme...for us, that’s too much like going to Texas and having a barbecue.”
So how did the night end for the “hijacked” guests who took the cocktail cruise?
They wound up at a waterfront mansion in Fort Lauderdale, surrounded by Bond Girls, Bond impersonators and a variety of performers, including dancers and a few brave souls spitting fire.
The intriguing affair included dinner, drinks and a real casino created for the occasion in the basement of the house.
You only live once.
