Andre Rieu Soap Part 2
On the road to New York ( January 12, 2007, Dutch TV TROS)
Translated by Ineke Cornelissen/Sonja.
The buses are ready to leave.
Andre to Manoe: Oh no, one person is missing.
Manoe: Roland van den Berg, he is always early.
Andre runs over to Kerstin: Roland van den Berg is still sleeping. Can someone call him?
Kerstin: "I had one packet left" and she hurries into the hotel. Just at that moment he comes down the hall. Kerstin
says: O boy, just in time!
Pierre: Good morning. We are good on schedule. Normally we are a bit later, but this is the first day, everyone is
motivated, all is going well. No setbacks so far, we can be proud of that.
Andre: Pierre (my youngest son, I have two: Marc is the oldest and Pierre), had been my production manager for
the past 6 years. That means that everything you see on stage is organized and arranged by him. He takes care
that everything arrives here and leaves again on time…the whole organization, all over the world, it really is a huge
responsibility.
Pierre: These are our quarters for today. We get up around 8 o’clock, go into the hall, set up the production office.
First we look in the hall to make sure everything is here that needs to be here. Normally, I go to the production
office, set up the office, unpack the cases, turn on the computer. My duty is more the organizing of the tours. Not
so much the individual concerts. Organizing the tours really is different again than setting up the concerts. The
setting up of the concerts is more Roos department. My main duty is the preparation for the concert specials and
for the whole tour. Roos Aerts, the stage manager, is more responsible for every single concert on stage.
Roos: As soon as the trucks arrive, we start unloading the trucks. In the meantime I get all details from the event
manager, the contact person for the hall. According to a fixed scheme we start with the rigging, the frame which
holds the sound and the light. Next the installation of the lights, speakers and video screens. Next we build up the
stage. At last the stage for the orchestra is built, growing slowly…. chairs, instruments, attributes, etc.
After the show the same, but the other way around, back into the trucks.
Frank Steijns is checking the carillon. Reporter: What are you doing? Frank: I am checking if the carillon still works.
This is the first electronically controlled carillon in the world. I play it live, it can be played softly and hard, you
hear? Before every concert I have to check if it still works. There is a lot of electronics inside which a normal
carillon (in a church tower) does not have. This is also the first mobile carillon which tours the world. But it works
and I am pleased.
Andre: Frank is a very special person, versatile and musically very talented. He plays piano, organ, violin, carillon.
He is a nice guy to have in the orchestra. I am still surprised by all those characters who make up this orchestra. I
use to arrive at a rehearsal and see all those faces asking: “what are we going to do today?” It is quite a
responsibility. I have to say something, and that is kind of fun and exciting for me and they want to know what we
are going to do. All those characters together, fantastic!
Sanne playing the sax.
Frank: I was unemployed for only one night in my live. The day after I graduated I received a call from Andre at
7:30AM. He said: “Hoi, Andre speaking, can you join me tonight in Nijmegen? I need another violin player”. Half an
hour later, I went to his home immediately, the sleep still in my eyes. His son Pierre, who was about 12 years old at
that time, made me a very strong cup of coffee for me, the strongest coffee I ever had! Andre and I talked and made
music for about one hour and I joined the orchestra that night in Nijmegen. Never to leave again!!
Frank and Sanne are practicing (Frank on the piano and Sanne saxophone). Andre is listening and says to Sanne:
“Nice! Can you do something crazy, for instance stand on the piano or something like that….”
Andre: Sanne joined the orchestra a year ago. Frank and she saw each other and
bang… sparks flew. (The background music is playing “All you need is love…”). Love at
first sight. Yes, there are more couples in my orchestra, a lot! Married couples, who met in
the orchestra and got children in the orchestra: Lin and Ruud, Jet and Ton, Tanja and
Roos, (Tanja is shy, hiding behind her Cello), Pierre and Suzan….. I may even forget
some….
Reporter to Pierre (who is standing there with Suzan on his back): How is it, touring
together?
Pierre: “Very heavy!”. Both are laughing a lot. Love - beep- you then hear on the TV.
Pierre: O no, it is very nice, for sure.
Ton Maessen and Jet Gelens: today we are married for 3 years. Ruud is sitting
next to them, but Jet says: “WE” looking at Ton. Reporter: Where did it start?
Ton: It started here, in the orchestra.
We see Frank and Sanne playing the piano together, four hands on the keyboard.
One person of the crew got hurt. Pierre: Yes, this happens as well when touring
with a lot of people. Accidents happen, this man cut himself while exiting the bus.
Big cut below his knee so we wait for medical assistance. It has to be stitched.
Pierre invites him sit down in the entrance of the bus. Suzan says she cannot stand to see blood. Bringing the
bandage, OK, but otherwise I don’t like to see it, scary, my stomach will do funny things. The ambulance arrives,
takes the person to the hospital. Pierre says: Typical American exaggeration, maybe they send 6 ambulances for
one cut….. When the ambulance has gone, Pierre says…”one assistant less”.
Andre: Pierre always went along with the truck. At the time we only had one 3rd hand truck, purchased from a
bakery. That was our first truck, and he always traveled along with that truck and they would allow him to open
and close the tail board. And he would be toiling away. Then I would hear from the responsible person: " he works
as hard as an adult". And he would asked: “Can he join us again…” That’s how he learned the business. I am
happy, first of all, to have my son around. Everything is going so well.... But also because he holds a major
position of trust. It really is great that he does this, a lot of money passes through his hands. Because he is my son
I can rely on him and trust him. Things go really well. Really fantastic, I am a happy man.
Pierre: My father always says: you need to be surrounded by people who are more capable than you, who know
more than you do. That’s the best way to learn in life. For me is my father my big example. I learn a lot from him. I
admire his motivation and spirit he expresses in the company. And the energy he has. It really is splendid.
The orchestra and Andre are playing a very fast Happy Birthday. They play it four times and they shout Hurrah
(very fast!!) twelve times. Andre says: "One Happy birthday and three times hurray for each of the people who
celebrate their birthdays, Three times today for(Cord(je), Three times for Els who had her birthday, three times for
Linda who had her birthday and three times for David who has his birthday today. Anymore, we have never had
four before. Suddenly we hear thunder and lightning outside. The orchestra reacts surprised, and make some
siren sounds on their instruments.
Next picture: Andre walks into an empty arena, greets the sound crew. Andre says
softly in the camera: “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Wim van der Molen. He
makes sure the sound is perfect. He has been with me already for 10 years!”
Andre gives a sign and Suzan who is standing on stage, starts to sing “Don’t cry
for me Argentina”. Andre is talking in his small microphone: “Can the camera
move a little to the left? Yes, thank you”.
The reporter, outside the arena, is interviewing Dan Lycan (the bannerman) and
other people (younger and elder) from the audience. He asks if they know where
Andre is from. Holland?, o no Austria, Denmark, Italy, France, Norway….. Which country?? Holland?? One man
recognizes: O yes, of course, the flying Dutchman, that makes sense.
Andre: I personally tune the orchestra daily. I get the “la” from the piano and I tune all instruments. It is not a ritual,
but a necessity. We all have to be tuned before we go on stage. An out of tune orchestra, we really have to tune
first.
Frank is standing next to Pierre. Frank is jokingly playing out of tune and “eating” the violin with a lot of cracking
sounds. He demonstrates a few notes of the Blue Danube and he plays the last two notes on his teeth….. Pierre is
amused by Frank’s show!
Andre (behind the stage): I think we walk the wrong way. Well done Johan! Sorry! That direction! Johan (Andre's
bodyguard) guides the orchestra to the stage entrance, twice the wrong direction.
Johan is embarrassed, specially while the camera is there, he asks to cut it. Andre
laughs, says: “No, we won’t cut this!!” The orchestra members are teasing Johan by
making sheep noises. Andre is teasing too, asking: “Johan, which way shall we go??
We’ll all follow Johan, that way!”
Andre: “Johan died 25 deaths at that moment. He did not know where to hide. He
hates the camera presence anyway. But we made a joke out of it. A very comical
incident. Going on stage like that and the atmosphere starts out OK!
Johan where are we going? Oh, this way, really. We are going this way.
We see Chris and Siggy Plewa dancing and later on in the audience. (It was the Atlantic City concert).
Andre: I remember, long ago, with the (Maastrichts) Salon Orchestra, we played every Sunday in a house in
Slenaken (town in Limburg) for the PvdA (political Party), for 100 persons, two times 45 minutes. There was such a
nice cosy atmosphere, just like here tonight. You just feel it.
Later I am going to write a book about audiences. It is so interesting! Every audience reacts in a different way.
Even in the same city, in the same hall, the reactions in two concerts can be totally different. I think it can be
caused by the reaction of one single person which can set the tone for the evening.
A 96 year old man tells Andre he had danced tonight for the first time in his life. It causes hilarious recordings.
Have you taped that man? Unbelievable, he looked like 75. Can you imagine? I am 56, so 40 years to go, and still
that condition, pfff, great!!
Phone call: Kerstin is calling Don, she connects with Andre. Where are you? Andre: I am in Detroit.
We see pictures of Kalki and Linda crossing the street on their way to a shopping mall.
Kirsten says: Not only the hotel is important for the atmosphere, but the whole environment. It is a combination of
good hotel, good food, etc. That is why Andre brings his own catering on tour. Typically for Andre: the orchestra
has to feel comfortable and good during the tour, he takes great care about that!
Andre, still talking to Don by phone, explains that his philosophy is to never stay away from home longer than 2
weeks. For he has young orchestra members. They are young parents with young children and he wants to keep
the families alive!
Reporter to Kalki and Linda: do you shop every day? No every other day!
Kirsten says she works in the spirit of Andre to keep the orchestra happy. She knows they love to shop, so she
plans a hotel next to a mall, to keep the orchestra content. Not for me, but it is pleasant if I can go as well. If they
are happy, I am!! Regularly Andre says: “Again a hotel next to a mall?”
Rene Henket: It is now (looks at his watch) 11.15 a.m. We leave at 2.30 p.m. So we have a few hours to spend the
money!
Kirsten shows a bag from GUESS. 5 minutes inside, this is going totally wrong!
Teun Ramaekers and Jean Sassen, on their way to the outlet mall, says: of the wiskeys and factories we are going
to “fit” as well…..
Frans Neus: The worst part of the tour is strolling around in a mall. I cannot find anything, but I have to bring
presents, otherwise I am not allowed to come home!
Suzan, Carla, Manoe, Linda and more orchestra members: Yep, we scored! They show what they have purchased:
clothes and shoes. (Carla was talking Dutch!!).From the other side of the street Noël Perdaens is showing a new
pair of briefs?? Frans Neus bought polo shirts for his daughter and her friend.
In the meantime Andre is in his hotel room, making phone calls and playing with the most fascinating automatic
fireplace (a gas fire place you can turn on and off with a switch) he has ever seen. He switches it off and on.
Andre: I had not discovered it before, otherwise I had been playing with it all night
long!
This part of the documentary ends with Teun Ramaekers and Nathalie Bolle playing
the flute together. One blowing, the other pressing the buttons.…… What a fun
they have!!!
On the road to New York ( January 12, 2007, Dutch TV TROS)
Translated by Ineke Cornelissen/Sonja.
The buses are ready to leave.
Andre to Manoe: Oh no, one person is missing.
Manoe: Roland van den Berg, he is always early.
Andre runs over to Kerstin: Roland van den Berg is still sleeping. Can someone call him?
Kerstin: "I had one packet left" and she hurries into the hotel. Just at that moment he comes down the hall. Kerstin
says: O boy, just in time!
Pierre: Good morning. We are good on schedule. Normally we are a bit later, but this is the first day, everyone is
motivated, all is going well. No setbacks so far, we can be proud of that.
Andre: Pierre (my youngest son, I have two: Marc is the oldest and Pierre), had been my production manager for
the past 6 years. That means that everything you see on stage is organized and arranged by him. He takes care
that everything arrives here and leaves again on time…the whole organization, all over the world, it really is a huge
responsibility.
Pierre: These are our quarters for today. We get up around 8 o’clock, go into the hall, set up the production office.
First we look in the hall to make sure everything is here that needs to be here. Normally, I go to the production
office, set up the office, unpack the cases, turn on the computer. My duty is more the organizing of the tours. Not
so much the individual concerts. Organizing the tours really is different again than setting up the concerts. The
setting up of the concerts is more Roos department. My main duty is the preparation for the concert specials and
for the whole tour. Roos Aerts, the stage manager, is more responsible for every single concert on stage.
Roos: As soon as the trucks arrive, we start unloading the trucks. In the meantime I get all details from the event
manager, the contact person for the hall. According to a fixed scheme we start with the rigging, the frame which
holds the sound and the light. Next the installation of the lights, speakers and video screens. Next we build up the
stage. At last the stage for the orchestra is built, growing slowly…. chairs, instruments, attributes, etc.
After the show the same, but the other way around, back into the trucks.
Frank Steijns is checking the carillon. Reporter: What are you doing? Frank: I am checking if the carillon still works.
This is the first electronically controlled carillon in the world. I play it live, it can be played softly and hard, you
hear? Before every concert I have to check if it still works. There is a lot of electronics inside which a normal
carillon (in a church tower) does not have. This is also the first mobile carillon which tours the world. But it works
and I am pleased.
Andre: Frank is a very special person, versatile and musically very talented. He plays piano, organ, violin, carillon.
He is a nice guy to have in the orchestra. I am still surprised by all those characters who make up this orchestra. I
use to arrive at a rehearsal and see all those faces asking: “what are we going to do today?” It is quite a
responsibility. I have to say something, and that is kind of fun and exciting for me and they want to know what we
are going to do. All those characters together, fantastic!
Sanne playing the sax.
Frank: I was unemployed for only one night in my live. The day after I graduated I received a call from Andre at
7:30AM. He said: “Hoi, Andre speaking, can you join me tonight in Nijmegen? I need another violin player”. Half an
hour later, I went to his home immediately, the sleep still in my eyes. His son Pierre, who was about 12 years old at
that time, made me a very strong cup of coffee for me, the strongest coffee I ever had! Andre and I talked and made
music for about one hour and I joined the orchestra that night in Nijmegen. Never to leave again!!
Frank and Sanne are practicing (Frank on the piano and Sanne saxophone). Andre is listening and says to Sanne:
“Nice! Can you do something crazy, for instance stand on the piano or something like that….”
Andre: Sanne joined the orchestra a year ago. Frank and she saw each other and
bang… sparks flew. (The background music is playing “All you need is love…”). Love at
first sight. Yes, there are more couples in my orchestra, a lot! Married couples, who met in
the orchestra and got children in the orchestra: Lin and Ruud, Jet and Ton, Tanja and
Roos, (Tanja is shy, hiding behind her Cello), Pierre and Suzan….. I may even forget
some….
Reporter to Pierre (who is standing there with Suzan on his back): How is it, touring
together?
Pierre: “Very heavy!”. Both are laughing a lot. Love - beep- you then hear on the TV.
Pierre: O no, it is very nice, for sure.
Ton Maessen and Jet Gelens: today we are married for 3 years. Ruud is sitting
next to them, but Jet says: “WE” looking at Ton. Reporter: Where did it start?
Ton: It started here, in the orchestra.
We see Frank and Sanne playing the piano together, four hands on the keyboard.
One person of the crew got hurt. Pierre: Yes, this happens as well when touring
with a lot of people. Accidents happen, this man cut himself while exiting the bus.
Big cut below his knee so we wait for medical assistance. It has to be stitched.
Pierre invites him sit down in the entrance of the bus. Suzan says she cannot stand to see blood. Bringing the
bandage, OK, but otherwise I don’t like to see it, scary, my stomach will do funny things. The ambulance arrives,
takes the person to the hospital. Pierre says: Typical American exaggeration, maybe they send 6 ambulances for
one cut….. When the ambulance has gone, Pierre says…”one assistant less”.
Andre: Pierre always went along with the truck. At the time we only had one 3rd hand truck, purchased from a
bakery. That was our first truck, and he always traveled along with that truck and they would allow him to open
and close the tail board. And he would be toiling away. Then I would hear from the responsible person: " he works
as hard as an adult". And he would asked: “Can he join us again…” That’s how he learned the business. I am
happy, first of all, to have my son around. Everything is going so well.... But also because he holds a major
position of trust. It really is great that he does this, a lot of money passes through his hands. Because he is my son
I can rely on him and trust him. Things go really well. Really fantastic, I am a happy man.
Pierre: My father always says: you need to be surrounded by people who are more capable than you, who know
more than you do. That’s the best way to learn in life. For me is my father my big example. I learn a lot from him. I
admire his motivation and spirit he expresses in the company. And the energy he has. It really is splendid.
The orchestra and Andre are playing a very fast Happy Birthday. They play it four times and they shout Hurrah
(very fast!!) twelve times. Andre says: "One Happy birthday and three times hurray for each of the people who
celebrate their birthdays, Three times today for(Cord(je), Three times for Els who had her birthday, three times for
Linda who had her birthday and three times for David who has his birthday today. Anymore, we have never had
four before. Suddenly we hear thunder and lightning outside. The orchestra reacts surprised, and make some
siren sounds on their instruments.
Next picture: Andre walks into an empty arena, greets the sound crew. Andre says
softly in the camera: “Ladies and gentlemen, this is Wim van der Molen. He
makes sure the sound is perfect. He has been with me already for 10 years!”
Andre gives a sign and Suzan who is standing on stage, starts to sing “Don’t cry
for me Argentina”. Andre is talking in his small microphone: “Can the camera
move a little to the left? Yes, thank you”.
The reporter, outside the arena, is interviewing Dan Lycan (the bannerman) and
other people (younger and elder) from the audience. He asks if they know where
Andre is from. Holland?, o no Austria, Denmark, Italy, France, Norway….. Which country?? Holland?? One man
recognizes: O yes, of course, the flying Dutchman, that makes sense.
Andre: I personally tune the orchestra daily. I get the “la” from the piano and I tune all instruments. It is not a ritual,
but a necessity. We all have to be tuned before we go on stage. An out of tune orchestra, we really have to tune
first.
Frank is standing next to Pierre. Frank is jokingly playing out of tune and “eating” the violin with a lot of cracking
sounds. He demonstrates a few notes of the Blue Danube and he plays the last two notes on his teeth….. Pierre is
amused by Frank’s show!
Andre (behind the stage): I think we walk the wrong way. Well done Johan! Sorry! That direction! Johan (Andre's
bodyguard) guides the orchestra to the stage entrance, twice the wrong direction.
Johan is embarrassed, specially while the camera is there, he asks to cut it. Andre
laughs, says: “No, we won’t cut this!!” The orchestra members are teasing Johan by
making sheep noises. Andre is teasing too, asking: “Johan, which way shall we go??
We’ll all follow Johan, that way!”
Andre: “Johan died 25 deaths at that moment. He did not know where to hide. He
hates the camera presence anyway. But we made a joke out of it. A very comical
incident. Going on stage like that and the atmosphere starts out OK!
Johan where are we going? Oh, this way, really. We are going this way.
We see Chris and Siggy Plewa dancing and later on in the audience. (It was the Atlantic City concert).
Andre: I remember, long ago, with the (Maastrichts) Salon Orchestra, we played every Sunday in a house in
Slenaken (town in Limburg) for the PvdA (political Party), for 100 persons, two times 45 minutes. There was such a
nice cosy atmosphere, just like here tonight. You just feel it.
Later I am going to write a book about audiences. It is so interesting! Every audience reacts in a different way.
Even in the same city, in the same hall, the reactions in two concerts can be totally different. I think it can be
caused by the reaction of one single person which can set the tone for the evening.
A 96 year old man tells Andre he had danced tonight for the first time in his life. It causes hilarious recordings.
Have you taped that man? Unbelievable, he looked like 75. Can you imagine? I am 56, so 40 years to go, and still
that condition, pfff, great!!
Phone call: Kerstin is calling Don, she connects with Andre. Where are you? Andre: I am in Detroit.
We see pictures of Kalki and Linda crossing the street on their way to a shopping mall.
Kirsten says: Not only the hotel is important for the atmosphere, but the whole environment. It is a combination of
good hotel, good food, etc. That is why Andre brings his own catering on tour. Typically for Andre: the orchestra
has to feel comfortable and good during the tour, he takes great care about that!
Andre, still talking to Don by phone, explains that his philosophy is to never stay away from home longer than 2
weeks. For he has young orchestra members. They are young parents with young children and he wants to keep
the families alive!
Reporter to Kalki and Linda: do you shop every day? No every other day!
Kirsten says she works in the spirit of Andre to keep the orchestra happy. She knows they love to shop, so she
plans a hotel next to a mall, to keep the orchestra content. Not for me, but it is pleasant if I can go as well. If they
are happy, I am!! Regularly Andre says: “Again a hotel next to a mall?”
Rene Henket: It is now (looks at his watch) 11.15 a.m. We leave at 2.30 p.m. So we have a few hours to spend the
money!
Kirsten shows a bag from GUESS. 5 minutes inside, this is going totally wrong!
Teun Ramaekers and Jean Sassen, on their way to the outlet mall, says: of the wiskeys and factories we are going
to “fit” as well…..
Frans Neus: The worst part of the tour is strolling around in a mall. I cannot find anything, but I have to bring
presents, otherwise I am not allowed to come home!
Suzan, Carla, Manoe, Linda and more orchestra members: Yep, we scored! They show what they have purchased:
clothes and shoes. (Carla was talking Dutch!!).From the other side of the street Noël Perdaens is showing a new
pair of briefs?? Frans Neus bought polo shirts for his daughter and her friend.
In the meantime Andre is in his hotel room, making phone calls and playing with the most fascinating automatic
fireplace (a gas fire place you can turn on and off with a switch) he has ever seen. He switches it off and on.
Andre: I had not discovered it before, otherwise I had been playing with it all night
long!
This part of the documentary ends with Teun Ramaekers and Nathalie Bolle playing
the flute together. One blowing, the other pressing the buttons.…… What a fun
they have!!!
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Wim van den Molen
Teun and Nathalie
Jet and Ton
Pierre
Tanja and Roos
Johan