<![CDATA[Alexia Gardner

<![CDATA[Alexia Gardner - Newsblog]]>Fri, 24 May 2013 04:23:10 +0100Weebly<![CDATA[Farewell To Die Sonne Nubians]]>Wed, 08 May 2013 04:25:46 GMThttp://www.alexiajazz.com/1/post/2013/05/farewell-to-die-sonne-nubians.htmlI just took the AIDA DAS MUSICAL cd out of the CD player in my car the other day. Suddenly realized its been playing in my car for the past 7 months and now I am finding it difficult to choose which cd to replace it with.

When I am about to fall asleep, at night time, I usually go through my GERMAN lines in my head....... Now, I keep reminding myself there is no need to do that anymore.....

I used to enjoy running the Vacuum Cleaner over the floors while listening to my iPone 4 download of the AIDA tunes...... I don't enjoy cleaning the floors anymore.....

Yes, it's safe to say I am suffering from AIDA DAS MUSICAL WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS!

I miss those 'Sonne Nubians' and the world of AIDA with its Pharoh, Princesses, the River Nile, NUBIAN KINDER, Belly Dancers, high heel shoes, GERMAN text and sand!

We had a splendid 5 day run in Bern's Mattenhofsaal, Gümlingen. It was such a magical, exciting world of music, dance, acting, choral singing, solos, costume, lights, make-up, GERMAN and me!

I feel so blessed. Grateful to have had the chance to take on this challenging role.
THANK YOU Westside Singers - 'Die Götter lieben uns'!

Abdiel, Franziska und Reto - THE A TEAM - thank you for choosing me! You guys are phenomenal. Really.

For all the friends, family and fans who caught the show - THANK YOU! We cannot perform to the best of our ability without an engaging AUDIENCE......its a two way experience and we appreciate you all.

Now, I return to the sophisticated world of mellow Jazz and original tunes in a concert setting. I hope you get a chance to join me.

Upcoming Events can be found here on this homepage. Feel free to browse the Upcoming Events page and those of you who caught the Aida performance, please feel free to leave your feedback below.

'Von Einem Traum Entführt'!

Love

Alexia
(Below is the President Of the Westside Singers - Reto Bitschnau - and I, posing infront of a poster outside the Theatre)

]]><![CDATA[3 Incredible Performances, Only 2 Shows To Go!]]>Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:17:24 GMThttp://www.alexiajazz.com/1/post/2013/04/3-incredible-performances-only-2-shows-to-go.html

Guys, I am missing you all sooooo much! Can you believe it ? I am already having withdrawal symptoms! We have just two more performance left - Friday, May 3rd and Saturday, May 4th 2013.
Let us rock that stage the way we did for the past 3 performances, guys. Wow!

Magische Momente!

I am soooo looking forward to creating that magical world of Aida Das Musical all over again.
Abdiel, Franziska and Reto (Westside Singers talented Creative Team) I am honoured that you chose me to be your AIDA! I feel so blessed!

Westside Singers I love you.

Your Aida

Alexia

]]><![CDATA[Opening Night Is Here!]]>Fri, 26 Apr 2013 08:15:50 GMThttp://www.alexiajazz.com/1/post/2013/04/opening-night-is-here.html

I just want to wish all the amazing, talented folk of WESTSIDE SINGERS, BERN a spectacular Opening Night of Aida Das Musical.

We are on stage at 20:00hrs tonight! Mattenhofsaal, Gümlighen, just outside the Swiss capital of Bern. I cannot believe the day has actually arrived.

I feel soooo blessed to share in this incredible muscal journey with you guys ! You are all FABULOUS!

WE GOT THIS!

And as my Dad said.....in Montego Bay, Jamaica.......JUST KNOCK EM DEAD!

See you tonight guys!

Love

Alexia
.......now all I have to do is....... b r e a t h e .......

]]><![CDATA[Aida Rehearsal Photos In Full Swing!]]>Sun, 21 Apr 2013 07:39:51 GMThttp://www.alexiajazz.com/1/post/2013/04/aida-rehearsal-photos-in-full-swing.html6 days to go!
Fabulous Christa Heynamann takes superb shots of Westside Singers in rehearsals at Mattenhofsaal, Bern, last night!
Thank you Christa��

]]><![CDATA[Radio X 'The English Show' Interview On The Challenging Role of Aida]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 03:11:09 GMThttp://www.alexiajazz.com/1/post/2013/04/radio-x-the-english-show-interview-on-the-challenging-role-of-aida.htmlJust click on Radio X The English Show for the wonderful interview aired last week Tuesday in Basel. It is a show primarily for the English speaking Expats living in the mainly German and French city. I was happy to be invited by Anna Wirz to talking about playing Aida.
Listen and enjoy! And note ..... I meant to say that we are the WESTSIDE SINGERS BERN putting on the musical. The West End is something slightly different.......

In the meantime we are 8 days away from Show Time......get your tickets guys!

Love

Alexia

THE INTERVIEW

THE ENGLISH SHOW ON RADIO X]]><![CDATA[HOW DID YOU LAND THE ROLE OF AIDA, ALEXIA?]]>Sat, 30 Mar 2013 17:04:57 GMThttp://www.alexiajazz.com/1/post/2013/03/how-did-you-land-the-role-of-aida-alexia.html

Quite a few friends and family keep asking me how I managed to get to play the Role of Aida. Then I start by telling them about JAZZASCONA and my SWISS JAZZ AWARD. I thought, why don't I make life a little bit easier, and make this topic the theme of my next blog.
Now, the next time I get asked that question I can just answer with....

.....goood question...check out my Blog entitled:-

'How did you land the role of Aida, Alexia?'

Well here goes....

Last Summer I was happiy invited to return to one of the leading International Jazz Festivals in Switzerland. JAZZASCONA is a superb festival that annually takes place in the beautiful, sceneic, Italian region of Tessin in southern Switzerland.

I performed with Offbeat Trio - Marcel Schefer (piano), Kalli Gerhards (bass) and Beat Fraefel-Haering (drums). Our guest on Tumpet and Flugel horn was Claudio Bergamin. Fabulous band with a groovey vibe. We rocked the place for 5 nights straight.

It was our second year to perform our classic jazz standards and groovey original tunes at this beautifully organised Jazz Festival. The year before we were awarded the 2011 Swiss Jazz Award and, as the current winners, we were invited back to perform and then 'hand over the reigns' to the 2012 Swiss Jazz Award Winners - Christina E Jaccard and Dave Ruosch.

All very exciting.

But even more exciting was receiving a message, on this website, a few days after the Jazz Festival. It was from a Reto Bitschnau. The President of Westside Singers Bern, a Theatrical and Musical Company of over 100 years of delighting audiences in Switzerland!

Reto explained that in a few weeks he and his musical company would be holding Open Auditions for the role of Aida, in the Elton John and Tim Rice rock musical AIDA.

He explained that he and the Musical Director - Abdeil Montes De Oca - had been enjoyng the music from bands from all over the world at Jazzascona and had seen me perform. They had returned home and browsed my homepage (this one), had bought a CD or two and had listened to a few tracks.

Reto went on to explain that, in his opinon, the role of AIDA was written for me! (Afterall, here I am in Switzerland, A Jamaican British PRINCESS who falls in love with a SWISS PRINCE, marrys him and settles down in beautiful Basel. Aida, the Nubian Princess falls in love with her Egyptian Captain, who happens to be berothed to another Princess - the daughter of the Pharoh.......well, now, it gets less like me..... you have to come and see the Musical to find out what happens...

I of course jumped at the oppertunity to audition.

'Please send me the music you wish me to audition with'.

I was just excited. In my heart I felt that, most probably, the original score will be too high for my comfy, jazzy voice. My comfort zone. I thought I should try regardless.

In about two weeks I had learnt my two songs (the english versions) and was ready for my audition at a local Primary School in the Swiss Capital of Bern.

I remember feeling very comfortable.

I sang.

I remember when Reto asked 'what do you call this?' I had just finished singing the first verse of the first song and he had rolled up his sleeves showing tiny, little bumps all over his arm........I answered:

'in English we call those goosebumps!'

'You gave me goosebumps!' He laughed!

At the end of my audition I told all three of the Creative Team to please put a star beside my name.

Franziska Flückiger, the Choreographer and Director (brilliant) asked if I was OK with the fact that the production would be in German. I said,

'Lets do it!'

Then I was told to wait till the following Wednesday for the result of my audition. The Team had a few more girls to audition and would make their decison by then. It was a Saturday afternoon. I said 'great!' I just needed to wait 4 days. No Problem.

I hopped in my car and drove back home to Basel. The journey is usually around 50 minutes between Basel and Bern.

As I put the key in the door, I heard the phone ringing. I ran upstairs only to find Reto on the other end of the line. After asking of my drive home. He said......

'.......unfortunately, I have some bad news......

'OH......... OK'

'yeah.......I'm afraid you are going to have to learn a lot of songs, Alexia!!'

'yeaaaaaah!........ I am starting right now!'

Now, we are roughly one month away from Premier Night - April 26! I eat, sleep, talk, sing AIDA. I am just immersing mysef in the magic and lovin it!

TRY AND CATCH ONE OF THE 5 SHOWS. HONESTLY, IT REALLY IS SOMETHING SPECIAL.

Love

Aexia

]]><![CDATA[Songs Down! Text Down!]]>Tue, 26 Mar 2013 18:07:18 GMThttp://www.alexiajazz.com/1/post/2013/03/songs-down-text-down.html

It's Tuesday Evening, snow falling outside, it's grey, it's overcast and its coooold here in Liestal! But I am soooo looking forward to rehearsals tomorrow evening. It may as well be sunshine outside! No, really. I'm loving it!

I think I have all my songs down! Yeaaah. I think I know all my lines! I think my german has really improved..... So, feeling pretty chuffed. Now I just have to spend the next 4 weeks soaking it all in and really becoming the part of Aida.

The guys that I haver surrounded myself with are, quite honestly, first class! I can only rise from now on!......ooooh, I feel a song coming on...

'YOUR LOVE IS LIFTING ME HIGHER, THAN I'VE EVER BEEN LIFTED BEFORE... the legendary Jacky Wilson (probably before your time....yeah...?)

Alexia

Aida

]]><![CDATA[Olympic Trials]]>Mon, 11 Mar 2013 03:31:29 GMThttp://www.alexiajazz.com/1/post/2013/03/olympic-trials.html

This week I tweeted ..... tweeeeted..... that preparing for the role of Aida should truely be added to the list of Olympic Disciplines. Seriously. I am not joking!

I am rehearsing Act II these days. I got the songs down. I got the text. Now, its the remaining 8 weeks or so of intense drills!

I gotta work reaal hard! Its gotta flow......like water.

But I am enjoying it. I really wouldn't change a thing. I am sure happy I have the time and ENERGY to invest in this challenging and demanding work.

I have to leave you know. I have to get my head into the german text! Not an easy task at all.I have to also try and remember my dance mooooves. Oh boy!

Love Alexia

I have to take care of my voice so that I can do those backflips, sommersaults and high jumps demanded of me in the tunes. That is probably the biggest learning curve. I have to have a lot of stamina to do this role and I need to look after myself. Hence the healthy juicing each morning ......well, I am trying.

]]><![CDATA[Flyers To Come And Boy Are These Guys WORLD CLASS!]]>Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:09:09 GMThttp://www.alexiajazz.com/1/post/2013/03/flyers-to-come-and-boy-are-these-guys-world-class.html

]]><![CDATA[Flyers Are Almost Here! Get Excited! Go Book Your Seats Guys!]]>Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:03:20 GMThttp://www.alexiajazz.com/1/post/2013/03/flyers-are-almost-here-get-excited-go-book-your-seats-guys.html

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