IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Martina Long

Her ship sailed to Boca Grande Friends

Martina Long is stepping into her new role as program director for Friends of Boca Grande, overseeing event planning and talent booking for the upcoming season – a shift from her experience on the other side of the stage, as a performer herself.

Long grew up in Fort Myers before her family moved to Venice. She attended Florida Southern College where she studied musical theater, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts.

Right out of college, Long charted a somewhat unexpected course: straight onto a cruise ship. She landed a role as an entertainer and launched her career at sea.

“I just auditioned, and I was brought on Celebrity cruise line as their main vocalist,” she said. “So, I did that. I traveled the world. I was also auditioning for regional theater, and tours and Broadway, but I grew up singing pop-rock style, so that’s kind of what I excel in, and that’s mostly what cruise ships do – reviews with famous songs like 80s rock. So, I was like, ‘Yeah, let’s do this.’ Plus, I love to travel.”

The first year working in the cruise industry took Long to Alaska.

“We did a seven-week cruise from Seattle to Vancouver, and we would stop in Alaska every week,” she said. “My second contract was Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii and New Samoa. And then my third contract was Europe.”

Working on a cruise isn’t just one big vacation, though. Performers have a rigorous schedule, beginning with rehearsal.

“Ahead of a cruise, the rehearsal process is six days a week, nine to five,” Long said. “They house us, and we go to the studios. You get vocally and physically in the best shape ever.”

Once aboard, the day-to-day depends on the route of the cruise; however, as a lead performer, Long was expected to perform multiple shows a day.

“On the seven-day cruise, I do three shows, two a night at 7 and 9 p.m. and then little lounge shows, and repeat,” she said.

Long had only ever been on one cruise before she started working on them.

“You either love it or you hate it,” she said. “Some people love going on cruises because it’s like an escape from reality. But then other people feel like you don’t have control of where you can go. And same with crew life, you know, some people are super lonely. There are some downsides, but I loved it.”

During Long’s eight years of cruising, she built up a bit of a following.

“You get these diamond cruisers, and they go on, like, 20 ships,” she said. “Like, I have a little fan group, and the beautiful thing is that I now can go to Scotland and I know who to stay with, or Australia and I know who to eat with. So, you just kind of get this little fan base, and then they’ll follow you on the ships.”

COVID-19 put a stop to Long’s cruise routes, so she came back to Florida to stay with her parents.

“I lived on ships ever since college,” she said. “So, I didn’t have a place to stay. I would just go on the ships, perform for eight months, come home for two and then go back … I had to stop because of Covid. But then during Covid, I wrote my own solo shows. Then my dad got sick, and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can stay on the ship for eight months anymore.’ So, what I did was become a guest entertainer, which is a solo show. I have a 60s show, a Broadway show and a show all about love.”

During this time, she would fly to a ship to do her solo show and then come back to Florida – a total of about three to five days.

At the same time that Long was writing her solo shows, she started working for the nonprofit United Arts Collier on programming and special events.

“I found that passion about planning and programming and booking entertainment,” she said, “and it kind of mingled into this passion, because I was booking entertainment while doing entertainment. So obviously I know good entertainment because I’ve been all over the world and worked with so many different people.”

She also got married to her husband, Pedro, whom she met on a ship. Pedro did activity programming on the cruise, and now he’s the activities director for the Sarasota National community. They have two dogs together and live in Venice.

Long’s role at United Arts Collier dovetailed into her new position at Friends. She had been to Gasparilla Island a few times, but she was mostly just familiar with The Gasparilla Inn and the beaches.

“I always knew that there had to be a job that was so drawing for me to take me away from performing, which is what I went to school for,” she said. “It had to be the right circumstances that I would take it. And with my other job, I was able to perform and work at the same time. But to really find a job that took me away from shifts had to be perfect, and this is literally my dream job, because I love events. I love doing themed events. And you’ll see this year, we’re just going over the top. Honestly, I know so many acts,” Long said. “But not just like singers or groups. I know magicians, ventriloquists, mentalists that I’ve met that I want to bring in.”

As program director, Long will oversee the planning, coordination and execution of community events and initiatives while collaborating with local organizations and performers.

She hasn’t entirely given up performing. On the side, she is in an ABBA tribute band that performs at various venues in the area.

Would she ever perform as part of Friends programming?

“Maybe, but not initially,” Long said. “I’m just so ready for season. Bring it on. I’m so excited. I can’t wait.”