How is it possible that you’ve never missed a performance? Don’t you
ever get sick or take a vacation?
This work ethic comes from the days I was a bandleader before Cirque.
I was the front man, the contractor, and I owned the sound and lighting
systems plus the truck to move it around. If I couldn’t do the gig, the whole
band was out of work. So, I took that responsibility very seriously. I never
missed a single gig in my whole 40-plus-year career, and I just brought
that mindset to my job at Cirque. Fifteen years and more than 7,000
shows later, I still have a perfect attendance record.
What does your gig entail from a musical standpoint?
Our music is very modular. The songs are made up of many small sections
that can be lengthened,
shortened, repeated,
or omitted as the action
onstage requires—at a halfbar
count cue. The music
follows the action onstage.
With acrobatics, elaborate
stage automations, mishaps,
and unforeseen situations,
the band’s job is to provide
a seamless musical score to
the show. Being the lead guitarist, I provide solos that can be resolved
within a bar. They can be short or long but must be resolved on cue.
How much longer do you think you’ll do this show?
I love this gig! I play with some of the best musicians anywhere, and
I’m working with the best organization of its kind in the world. The music
is original, eclectic, and fun to play. I could do this for another ten or
15 years.