A Look Back...on Amsterdam

(Tomoko on one of the many bridges over a canal in Amsterdam)

Our week in Amsterdam was fabulous. The casting process was great, and we found some very good company members. We were impressed with the Dutch talent we saw -- although we had been told over and over again how small the Netherlands were and thus how small the talent pool is, we found that there are more all-around talents in the Netherlands than we have seen in most other countries. Most of the dancers can act and sing. Each actor came in meticulously prepared, with all the lines memorized. Actors apologized when they did not bring a prop with them (such as a golf club for Jake). We have never seen such committed auditions -- performers thought nothing of ripping off their shirts or having their shirt ripped off, and making out on the floor without being asked (sometimes for what seemed like an embarrassing eternity). The people were sweet and lovely, and tremendously giving. We still have some holes to fill in the cast, but we finished the week feeling quite good about the progress we'd made.

(David by where the Rijks Museum was, before the construction.)

Working in Amsterdam in the spring is a gorgeous experience. The city is simply stunning, with all the fresh greenery and the canals. Although we nearly got run over by bicyclists several times over (urban bike lanes are not something New Yorkers are used to), we fell deeper in love with the city. We changed rooms in our hotel half way through, which made a big difference to our stay. The hotel moved us to a larger room on the ground floor with its own terrace, which was airy and bright, with high ceiling and more closet space. We ended up loving our hotel and our room, as well as the location -- close to various museums and restaurants, as well as the Leidsplein, the city center. We could walk to most places, and it made our stay wonderfully enjoyable.

As I wrote before, we ate very well in Amsterdam. One night we found our way to Le Garage, only to remember that we'd been there before, almost a year ago on our first trip together to Amsterdam. David had wanted to go there since we arrived, as it got great reviews in the travel guides we have, but we did not remember that we'd already been there until we entered the restaurant. The restaurant decor is quite specific, and not easily forgotten -- bright, casino-style lighting over a black and red with mirrors all over motif. Luckily, we also remembered that the food was great -- and so we had a delicious meal. We got a bit tipsy on the wine along the way, however, and behaved in our usual silly manner on our walk home through the park from the restaurant.

(Aboard the Supper Club Cruise)

Our most unusual dining experience was the Supper Club Cruise. We had been to the Supper Club in Rome, but only to the club, and so we thought it would be fun to try dining at the club in Amsterdam. The Supper Club Cruise takes place on, of course, a cruise. The dining area consists of what is basically a massive sunken bed. Everything is white, and the tables are coffee tables on top of a white mattress with white cushions. One must take off one's shoes while dining and lounging, and one does not know what the menu will be. There is a DJ playing, and the dinner is served as the boat cruises around Amsterdam. The boat docks at the end of dinner, and turns into a club. We had a lovely 5-course meal, one of which was served in a silver DOG BOWL. A little odd, but the salmon ceviche was delicious. We had a fun time, befriended our dining neighbors, and enjoyed the music as well as the original ambience.

We really can't rave enough about Amsterdam. Beautiful, fun, culturally rich, lovely restaurants, beautiful people... and some terrific parties to be found. We highly recommend it.

TM