Why do some Catalan music and theater artists, after making history on stage, become successful entrepreneurs? La Trinca, that ingenious and ironic musical group, which succeeded in the eighties, created the audiovisual company Gestmusic. From the triad that formed El Tricicle, a theatrical group that entertained us with intelligence for four decades, emerged Joan Gràcia, partner and artistic director of Lío, the most modern cabaret in the world. He accepted the challenge a decade ago, when the founder of Pachá, a nightclub known everywhere, proposed it.
Experience on stage and knowledge of the gears of a show are points in favor when it comes to creating shows that reinvent the tradition of cabaret and the circus. El Lío is a different party, where contortionists, singers, dancers and stars of all life mix in a sexier but less glamorous version than the cabarets of Paris.
Last summer I went to Lío d’Eivissa. I liked. What was the formula? The mix of a superbly chosen venue, with spectacular views of Dalt Vila, quality performances, dinner, music and the joy of living. A contemporary representation of the carpe diem of a lifetime, with a luxurious display to create a magical moment and space.
This year the formula has moved to Palma. Creating different options for nightlife in Mallorca is a good idea. We have too many tourists from the litrone and the all inclusive. Betting on elegance is not a bad alternative. The Ibizan model has been followed. The chosen place is once again a legendary nightclub for Mallorcans: the famous Tito’s, emblematic for decades, renovated and modernized. The show has an identical scheme to the Ibizan one. Even if the numbers in Palma lack the filming and technical perfection of Ibiza, the result is the party of the night: a kingdom of lights, music and spectacle.
Sometimes, however, in the midst of the magic, chance brings us to touch the ground abruptly. It’s like skydiving from the clouds to the boulders. It happened like this: after the show we went out to a small terrace overlooking the Paseo Marítim. The effervescence of confetti and champagne continued. We made the last gin and tonics. Next to us, there was a group of girls. They were small, young, with regular faces. They were not ugly, nor were they beautiful. They spoke in a Spanish full of vulgar expressions. Surprise. Disbelief: they were the artists, the dancers of the show, the celebrities who had seduced us on stage with their beautiful bodies and spectacular clothes. They had taken off their makeup and dresses. They could have worn slippers around the house. They had lost Cinderella’s glass slipper. They had stopped being inaccessible to become too close. They forgot glamor in exchange for normality.
We didn’t deserve them to be there to remind us that it was all a big lie. We were still living under a spell when the rawness of what is real hit us like a punch. Obvious reflection: artists must maintain the deception until the last second. They have to make us believe that the dream lives on. Please do not leave the dressing room until the room is empty. The show must end like the night, without haste, beyond the bouncers. It must have the effects of good champagne.
