Cirque du Soleil – “Alegria”
Europe & S. America
Jan. 5 – Feb. 11 ~ London, England
Feb. 22 – April 29 ~ Barcelona, Spain
May 10 – July 15 ~ Paris, France
July 26 – Aug. 26 ~ Gijon, Spain
Sept. 14 – Oct. 7 ~ Curitiba, Brazil
Oct. 19 – Nov. 11 ~ Brazillia, Brazil
Nov. 22 – Dec. 16 ~ Belo Horiz, Brazil
We’re back at the Royal Albert Hall for 6 weeks with “Alegria” again. All of us are extremely glad to get out of the big top and into a proper theatre for a change. London is still one of my favorite cities in the world and thanks to global warming – it’s not even that cold and rainy now! Anyway, Happy New Year everyone and I wish you all a peaceful and prosperous 2007. Cheers!
As the 4th largest city in Europe, Madrid seems to be a place for nightlife, business, and tourism. Most people don’t have dinner before 10 PM and therefore it is not uncommon for bars and clubs to stay open until at least 4 AM… Of course, in observance with the local tradition, a daily ‘siesta’ for 3 hours in the afternoon is necessary with this kind of lifestyle. When exploring the city center on Gran Via there are several Spanish versions of Broadway classics such as Los Productores and Mamma Mia as well as new release films at La Palacia de la Musica such as Los Infiltrados. One also doesn’t have to venture far before confronting one of the many roundabouts that circle beautiful monuments and plazas like the Puerta de Alcala (pictured). The ancient Spanish architecture is everywhere and it makes me wonder what it would be like to be back in a new ‘modern’ city in N. America again… But then again, where could I have tapas and hear the best flamenco music in the world if I wasn’t here?
There’s been no shortage of excitement and adventure for me while traveling through Europe over the last two weeks. 48 hours in Paris was infinitely good for the soul – from eating crepes while promenading down les Champs Elysees to traversing the stairs up la Tour Eiffel – I have never felt so at home and comfortable in all of Europe. One of my friends wrote to me saying that he could see me living there and playing in an African hip-hop band or something… Maybe I should listen to my friends more often. Then I spent 3 crazy days in Budapest dodging political protests and demonstrations that were taking place in front of their grandiose Parliament. I remember taking a taxi along the Danube River hearing the Eastern European pop music blaring on the radio and looking out the window witnessing the ancient and eclectic architecture as it whizzed by. What a surreal spectacle… After all of this, I landed in Frankfurt and experienced the premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s show “Dralion”. The Asian influenced acrobatics, music and staging were phenomenal and once again I was truly inspired by yet another one of Cirques unique productions. Escaping the police who were collecting tickets on the train (because we didn’t have any) was just the icing on the cake. Now, it’s flooding in Madrid, as we get ready for another 7 weeks of relentless shows… Until next time – take it easy and keep in touch.
Here I am in Brussels, the capital of the European Union, wondering what to do (besides 10 shows a week!). I’ve only had a taste of the infamous Belgian waffles, beer, and chocolate so far but have not been disappointed – to say the least. Brussels definitely has a rather diplomatic feel to the city and seems to ooze with cross-cultural people who mostly speak French, Flemish and English. I guess that my gig here with the circus and it’s 117 employees from over 13 countries will fit in rather nicely and hopefully be successful. Already today we performed for the lovely Queen of Belgium and she seemed delighted. Sometimes I have to remind myself that the story of “Alegria” with its undertones of joy and sadness and the struggle for power has a real importance and is still relevant to our current state of affairs on the global level. Maybe it is our duty as artists to make this statement more apparent and to try and actually make a difference in the world…
Eating some delicious wienerbrood at the Copenhagen airport the other day was definitely a fitting ending to my week of travels in the “Viking” country of southern Scandinavia. From the picturesque view of Nyhavn to the exquisite shopping district of Strojen – Copenhagen seemed to be one of the nicest cites that I’ve visited. Cruising through the rolling plains out in the Danish countryside filled with those big white skinny windmills was even more tranquil and therapeutic too. Fortunately my local friends Martin and Rasmus pointed us in the right direction and gave us the royal treatment regarding hospitality. I must admit that eating those eggs straight from the chickens in Martins backyard was a real treat! Even the Carlsberg beer tasted better in the country where it is manufactured. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to go back again someday…
One of the best parts of my job is that I occasionally get to meet famous people. Yea, that’s me (pictured) with Chuck Leavell (keyboards) and Ron Wood (guitar) from the Rolling Stones backstage at their concert here this week in Amsterdam! To make things even better, the very next day Ron and his wife Jo came to see us perform with “Alegria” along with the Stones long-time sax man Bobby Keys. I still can’t quite believe it and this dream would have never come true if it wasn’t for my extremely generous neighbor from Georgia – Mr. Chuck Leavell. We all had a blast and Chuck and the Stones looked and sounded incredible. Thanks a million Chuck and keep on rockin’ those 88′s in the free world!
There is no place like Amsterdam. These vast lowlands that were always subject to flooding were almost completely overlooked by the ancient Romans and therefore gave this region the privilege of developing freely without restrictions by open-minded and wealthy traders as well as connosseurs of the exotic. The beautiful weather this time of year brings out the tourist in all of us but the laissez-faire attitude that this region was built upon keeps everyone in good spirits. As the fresh aroma of herbs float through the canals, window shoppers casually peek into the districts sprinkled with red lights in hopes of purchasing a few minutes of love. Nothing really seems to matter here and literally ‘anything goes’ but in a unique way that’s what keeps the society under control and rather peaceful. I only wish that more people and places in the world could embrace such a concept.
After 5 long and somewhat ambitious months here in Italy, it’s now time to take a quick tour break before heading to Amsterdam in July for our next jaunt of the European tour. Although Italy and I did not always agree, I think that I will come away from this experience with a lot more appreciation and knowledge of the immense history and culture here as well as a much deeper understanding of why the Italians do what they do and act the way that they act. I will definitely miss the Italian café, vino, gelato, siestas, historical sights, and the slightly dramatic attitudes that permeate this crazy country… Maybe someday I’ll have the opportunity to come back for some more of it’s romance. Ciao Italia et grazie mille!
Without a doubt, climbing all 294 crooked and deeply worn stairs to the top of the infamous ‘Leaning Tower of Pisa’ was just the beginning of my adventure into the beautiful Tuscany region of Italy a few weeks ago. It all started in Pisa as I walked through the gate of Santa Maria that opens into the mysterious Piazza dei Miracole (Square of Miracles) where historical monuments and buildings – including the tower – can be found that span over 3 centuries (11th-13th AD). From there, I went to Viarregio and wined and dined with my old musician friend Andrea before he played a gig with some rather bombastic Italian rock-n-rollers. Even the house table wine in Viarregio was amazing and it was even more assuring to find out that they celebrate Mardi Gras there also. I eventually stayed the night in Luca in a cozy little chateau overlooking the vineyards where I woke up to roosters crowing and the smell of a hearty home-cooked Italian lunch compliments of Andrea’s mother. It’s definitely times like these that make life on the road a little more enjoyable! If only it could always be this good…
