The Showboat Majestic

Tom Reynolds had spent his entire life on the river. It ended there too. The News-Herald of Franklin, Pennsylvania speculated that the tug’s engine had ‘kicked,’ causing the Captain to fall into the chilly waters of the Kanawha where he drowned. He passed alongside the ship he had helped build, the one he lived on, the one he ferried to towns big and small along the shores of mid-America’s waterways. “Majestic” was the name emblazoned on the side.

- The Showboat Majestic docked at Cincinnati's Public Landing in February 2019.

Captain Reynolds’ demise was one of the final footnotes of a tradition well into its twilight. Supposedly born into a family that had been practicing the trade for generations, the late Captain was one of the last authentic “showboaters” around.

- The showboat's 221 seat theater.

Theater has existed in the hearts of empires and on the frontiers of burgeoning nations. Actors had always been among the sailors, explorers, and pilgrims seeking out fresh life, opportunity, and audiences in the “New World.” As people continued to cross the Atlantic, the rivers of America propelled them forward. And the stage followed.

- Decorations around the stage.

- Architectural details on the ceiling.

A vessel known as the Floating Theatre was the first purpose-built showboat. Launched in Pittsburgh in 1831, British immigrant William Chapman Sr. lived alongside his family and fellow actors, all of whom sailed on the ship that doubled as their traveling performance space. They sought out crowds among the riverbank communities of Manifest Destiny. The floating theater concept proved popular and was soon duplicated by others who introduced circus acts and even equestrian demonstrations onboard their own vessels.

The first showboat era came to a close when rivers like the Ohio and Mississippi became strategic arteries for the Union Navy during the Civil War. Following the Confederacy’s surrender, the showboat tradition resumed and even grew. Grand, floating theaters were towed by support vessels or built within steamship superstructures bearing names such as Goldenrod, New Sensation, Water Queen, Princess, and Majestic.

Captain Tom Reynolds had completed a great deal of the construction work himself when Majestic launched from Pittsburgh in 1923. A tugboat named Attaboy was paired with Majestic to tow the Captain’s new floating theater on the interior waterways. For decades, Reynolds quartered with his family on the ship and presented shows up and down the current. Often, his company would partner with academic institutions to source theatrical productions. The Majestic would make an extended stay in various ports as students regularly came aboard to perform.

In 1959, Reynolds sold his ownership of the boat to Indiana University, but continued to maintain and operate the vessel on behalf of the school. In December of that year, an unfortunate accident claimed his life. The growth of America from a wild frontier into a combined continent (along with the evolution of technology) had already diminished the traditional riverboat trade. Showboats had long been dwindling in numbers when Indiana University sought to sell the vessel. By this point, the Majestic was just as much a historical attraction as well as an entertainment option. Refitted with a steel hull after the United States Coast Guard placed new restrictions on wooden vessels, the cities of Louisville and Cincinnati both placed bids. Seeking to redevelop their respective riverfronts, both municipalities sought a unique attraction that harkened back to the riverboat era which had given them life. The Queen City won out and in 1967, The Showboat Majestic was placed at the city’s public landing.

Cincinnati has an interesting relationship with its riverboat history. The riverfront ballpark features architectural details that reference the steamboats of old and for years—a music and arts festival known as ‘Tall Stacks’ was a massive draw that brought thousands of people (and several riverboats) to the banks of the Ohio River. Tall Stacks faded away, though, and over the years various riverboat attractions have come and gone. One local excursion company still offers cruises and another provides water taxi service to the stadiums, but multiple floating restaurants adorned with (real and fake) paddle wheels have been towed away or repurposed as casino ships downriver. A stoic monument to the city’s riverboat heritage stands on the banks, but like the vessels it memorializes—it no longer spouts steam or whistles. Before there were stadiums and sprawling riverfront parks, though, the Majestic had sat just off the shore, under a bridge, connected to a parking lot that was accessible so long as the river wasn’t flooding.

- Showboat Majestic with the BB Riverboats fleet docked on the Kentucky shore in the background.

For decades, a dedicated community of subscribers attended the Majestic’s productions. She was placed onto the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 and a partnership with the University of Cincinnati continued to bring student productions aboard. Eventually, the ship’s showcases were planned and executed by a local nonprofit who poured their heart and soul into the red and white riverboat.

- [LEFT] Program for the University of Cincinnati's 1974 Showboat Follies series (via UC Library), [TOP RIGHT] The Showboat Majestic docked at the city's public landing in an undated photo some time after 1988 (via UC Library), [BOTTOM RIGHT] Majestic and Attaboy docked in 1943 (via The Library of Congress).

- The Majestic in 1975 featuring Frances McGee, one half of the celebrated vaudeville act Graham and Golden. Image via Kelly McGee Davis.

But by 2013, shows on the Majestic ceased. She sat moored on the Cincinnati riverfront for years while proposals to relocate or sell the ship fell through.

- One of two dressing rooms on the ship's upper deck.

- Piano on the theater's second floor and the apartment space.

Finally, in early 2019, a buyer was found and soon the ship will depart the Cincinnati riverfront just as so many other vessels once did.

The legacy of Captain Tom Reynolds will live on, though, not solely in old newspaper articles or yellowed production programs—but also in the ship itself.

New owners have pledged to restore the vessel.

She’s still the last of her kind.

• I had the opportunity to makes these photographs in partnership with Cincinnati Refined. Many thanks to the City of Cincinnati, Phil Armstrong, Katie Robinson, Ken Holloway, Rocky Merz, Jenny Mobley, and Steve Schuckman for their time and assistance.

• For years, I had been jogging by the Majestic as it sat adjacent to Sawyer Point/Yeatman’s Cove. Despite all I know about local history, I never realized it was a theater until after it stopped offering productions. The boat has been purchased by a couple from Adams County who have already restored one riverboat. A crowdfunding effort is currently underway to provide the ship with necessary repairs and utilize it as some sort of tourist attraction upriver. 

• The Tall Stacks Festival made its last appearance in 2006. I never had the chance to attend, but the festival is fondly remembered and one of the key things that embedded the notion of riverboats in Cincinnati’s late 20th Century identity. Felix Winternitz of City Beat authored a retrospective on the festival and its surprising demise. It’s a fantastic read. 

• Over the years, several attractions that toured, docked, or floated on the river have come and gone. A few were highlighted in a 2013 QC/D article.

• The Steamboat Monument mentioned in the above story sits near The Public Landing. It’s an impressive looking sculpture, but its audio and interactive features stopped working years ago. In 2014, The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Cliff Radel took a look at what happened. It’s an interesting story. 

• The Majestic is considered the last of its kind in terms of the era it hails from, but it's technically not the only remaining "showboat." The Branson Belle was launched in 1994 and cruises Table Rock Lake outside of Branson, Missouri. A more traditional riverboat that happens to be outfitted with a stage, it's often marketed as a "showboat." 

• The State Library of Ohio features several great historical photographs of the ship, including a shot of Captain Reynolds. 

- The Showboat Majestic can be seen docked under the former Central Bridge in the intro of 'WKRP in Cincinnati.'