"moth-balled,'' a bright and encouraging story has emerged which suggests that one hotel operation, at least, is reversing the trend.

Now that the versatile Gene Steede and his Tropical Heatwave revue have opened with an all-Bermudian cast of nine at the Pembroke Princess, the number of local entertainers employed on a regular basis by the various Princess outlets amounts to an impressive total of 27.

In fact, the two hotels account for about 50 percent of all local entertainers regularly employed on the Island.

Princess Regional Vice President, Mr. Steve Barker says that his organisation believes that visitors enjoy seeing the Island's talent, and wherever possible, they are committed to promoting local performers.

It was Mr. Steede's runaway success at the Southampton Princess last summer, when he appeared as the warm-up act for the Follies show, that led to the decision to give him his own show this season. "Gene Steede is Bermuda's number one entertainer and we thought he was capable of putting together a whole show.'' This he has done and his two-hour revue at the Gazebo Lounge has been drawing big crowds, many of them from the cruise ships, since the show opened just three weeks ago.

Mr. Steede, as producer, has developed the show beyond his own Bermuda Triangle Band and also acted as talent scout, securing vocalist Dawnelle Robinson (who also appeared with him last year at the Southampton Princess) and Brian Butterfield's Voodo Dancers.

Not since the 1960s and the late Don Gibson's Holiday Island Revue has there been a major show on the hotel circuit that has been conceived and presented entirely by Bermudians. For Tropical Heatwave, Mr. Steede chose local designers and technicians to handle sound, stage effects and lighting, so it is a truly Bermudian affair.

The Bermuda Triangle Band contains some of the Island's leading musicians and features Dennis Fox (who is also the music director) on synthesizer and keyboards, Kevin Maybury on drums, John Lee on bass and Erskine Phillips, also on keyboards.

The music provides a mix that should appeal to most tastes and ranges from calypso favourites, popular vocals, gospel, snatches from Broadway and a virtuoso stint from Mr. Steede on the conga drums. The climax of the show is his rendition of the love song from Phantom of the Opera -- the number that proved to be a show-stopper when he first performed it last year at the Southampton Princess.

This year's Follies show, Dancin' in the Streets, is preceded by the Bermuda Steel Band. The Joe Wylie Trio plays each evening in the hotel's restaurant, Windows on the Sound, while the Pembroke Princess has Jimmy Chamberlain in the Colony Pub.

Other performers who spread their appearances throughout the various Princess locations include the Somers Isles Jazz Band, the Talbot Brothers, pianist Earl Darrell at the Waterlot Inn, and the Lloyd Williams Trio.

Mr. Barker, who agrees that entertainment is an essential factor in promoting visitor satisfaction, says it is hoped that improved opportunities will be offered during the winter months. "With the assistance of the new off-season committee, which is trying to develop tourism business for Bermuda in general, we are doing all we can to make this period as attractive as possible. This would include the provision of entertainment and we are going to see what can be done to put a show together that would benefit everyone -- the hotels, our visitors and, of course, the performers themselves.'' TROPICAL HEATWAVE -- is the name of top entertainer Gene Steede's all-Bermudian show at the Pembroke Princess. Pictured (left to right at back) are: limbo dancer Mary Dill, keyboard player Erskine Phillips, Gene Steede, base player John Lee, vocalist Dawnelle Robinson, limbo dancer Vincent Davis and Brian Butterfield. (Front row): drummer Kevin Maybury and music director Dennis Fox.