Tchaikovsky and Acrobatics

When my friend and I first arrived, we both had a long day. We joked about how we almost fell asleep in our seats when the lights were turned down, the night fell upon us, and the relaxing music started.

The conductor, Chloé Dufresne, who is also the music director of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic, and who recently debuted with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, led the orchestra. When Chloé spoke, she read with a French accent off of the notes in her hand. She said that she had just moved to the U.S, and what surprised her was that everything was so much bigger. Everyone laughed. She was humble, talented, and continued to use humor to talk about Tchaikovsky's music, and his background.

Performers were members of Troupe Vertigo, based in Los Angeles. They work with different orchestras, and coordinate their movements to the musical composition of the ensemble. Their artistic director, Aloysia Gavre, is the former director of Cirque du Soleil.

I had to cut, and compress these videos in order to fit blogger, which means that I had to pick and choose. Everything I posted here, according to my opinion, were some of their best work.

The fireworks at the end were absolutely beautiful, and better than last year. What was incredible was the coordination of the fireworks with the music. Oftentimes we sit, watch a show, and then get in our cars and leave. But we don't think deeply about how much work has gone into a performance. And I have to say, from the choreography, to the music, and the stage set up, a lot of work went into this magical night of performance. In the past, I didn't attend the Hollywood Bowl much, but the more I go, the more I appreciate their performances, and their hard work. 

Blogging, Burnout & Hollywood Bowl

I haven't been in a blogging mode lately. Mostly been spending time with friends and family here and there. Maybe it's a social media burnout, or perhaps it's a life burnout. Whatever it is, I don't have much to say these days which is rare. My friends and family say that I always have an opinion about everything, and then we laugh about it because most of the time, we're just shooting the breeze. Nothing serious. Just jabbing each other in good fun.

 

I know that I will eventually get out of this mode. I have no idea when. For now, I must accept that this is where I am. In the meantime, here are a few videos from a Hollywood Bowl event.

It was an event devoted to the music of John Williams—Et, Jaws, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Star Wars.

They sold lightsabers, and many in the audience bought one as they waved it back and forth. It was no longer white lights from mobile phones that people waved, but rather green, red, and blue, creating a Sci-Fi ambiance.

An evening with Tchaikovsky

Time for summer events. My friend and I opted for an evening with Tchaikovsky. The parking situation at Hollywood Bowl is nutty because all hell breaks loose while trying to get out when the show is over. So, we parked on a side street and took the shuttle. I personally prefer taking my car, and hanging out until the crowd leaves. But my friend wanted to do it this way. It wasn't so terrible. People were friendly, and we got to have interesting conversations. 

We got dropped off, and followed the crowd uphill. Because the show was on a weekend, most of the benches and tables were taken. We asked a family if we could share their table, and they said okay. In fact, when there is room at any table, everyone does this. No one has an issue with it. We pulled out our gourmet sandwiches from Subway 😀 and picnicked on a wooden table that overlooked L.A.

After picking up our cushions, we found our seats, and settled in. The orange hued sky, the soft breeze, the subdued lighting, musicians practicing, and the murmur of the crowd, gave the place a dramatic feel as we tried to stay in the moment and take it all in.

My friend pointed out the ballet dancers stretching on stage, which was unexpected. We had thought that there was going to be just an orchestra, and some fireworks toward the end.

Couple of notes: 

1. After you go through security, don't bother with the bathrooms you see right away because they are crowded. 

2. Get your cushions early because they run out. 

3. Don't leave your chair after the first intermission has ended. The performance that comes after the first intermission is sometimes short, and you will not be able to walk back to your seat, because the crowd walking toward you will not let you get through.