Right now, we're sitting in the train station in Amsterdam, Centraal Station. No, that wasn't a typo. Literally every word in the Dutch language requires a superfluous vowel. So thus far, it has been quite hard to find relevant material for our blog - but our mom said our writers block would go away once we got on the train. Actually, her words were, "Once you get on the train, y'all will just whip it out." Good word choice.
Anyway, we passed a theater the other day and thought, "Great! We can see theater in Amsterdam and talk about it!" We took a look at the description of the show: "faljxpaebtppt opaiwn ero uibpbuu apeirut npawmr apwertuybbyv." Although we love shows that discuss apwertuybbyv, we had prior engagements.
So, theatre was a no-go. But we realized that whether you're in Amsterdam, Australia, or Alabama, the world of theatre and performing arts is around us. For example, Elyse ran into a 65-year-old brunette Mia Michaels in the Van Gogh Museum. Maybe she was getting inspiration for a new, weird modern piece involving sunflowers and bedroom furniture on a starry night? Another funny coincidence is that we swear Bernie Telsey bike-rode past us, sporting a chic pair of capris and a messenger bag slung over his shoulder.
Here's another example of why being in a foreign country does not stop one from throwing in an occasional theatre reference. While walking around a windmill village, Dad had to go to the bathroom. We saw the "toilet" building, with a Kings Dominion-esque turnstile in front of it and a sign saying, "Toilets: .50 euros." Dad, upon seeing this, exclaimed, "What is this? Urinetown?"
Nice. Young Steinwalker, we have trained you well.
As you all must know, there's a little part of Amsterdam called the Red Light District. For those of you who don't know what it is, basically it's a bunch of women standing behind window-paned doors, dressed in fluorescent bikinis illuminated by black-lights. Basically, men are paying to spend a night with a glowstick. Throw in a pair of sunglasses, a plastic fedora, and a lei, and voila, you're at a Bar Mitzvah!
What you might not know is that the Dutch people apparently take so much pride in this area. In fact, one might say it's about on par with Broadway. These women are at the top of their game. Which makes us wonder, what kind of audition did they go through in order to make it behind one of those esteemed window-paned doors? A contemporary monologue, a 32-bar ballad, and a lap dance? Looking for: Singers who Strip, Actors who Strip, or Strippers who Sing and Dance. Think Sinead O'Connor with an Eastern/Bulgarian twist*.
The world of theatre is around you and me, everywhere we look. Take a look, it's in a book...Reading Rainbow...Reading Rainbow, Reading Rainbow...
And by the way, they were involved.
*See this.
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