When the brash clown in Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam goes on a date, St. Louis-native Andre Boyd drums the sound effects.
But he’s not out of sight on the bandstand. In that scene, Andre’s family and friends will see him center stage with the clown when Quidam hits the Chaifetz Arena June 20 to 24.
“I get to rock out,” said Andre, who joined the world’s largest circus on the Quidam tour in December 2010. “You’ll see my arms swinging in the air. It’s one of the coolest shows for me as a musician to play.”
It’s also the first time Andre will play with the circus in his hometown.
The show depicts a young girl who is bored and her life has lost meaning. To fill the void of her existence, she slides into an imaginary world – the world of Quidam – where she meets characters who encourage her to free her soul.
It’s not too far from Andre’s story, in a musical sense.
For 11 years, Andre had been making his living as a full-time local musician, playing with rich talent including jazz divas Denise Thimes and Mae Wheeler.
But when the recession hit, his three or four regularly weekly gigs turned into one gig a month. Gwendolyn, Andre’s wife, remembers counting change in the ashtray for gas money.
“We were just the ‘working poor’ and knew life had more to offer, but you have to put your feet on the floor and go for it,” she said.
In March 2009, Andre and Gwendolyn went to New York City for an audition with Cirque du Soleil. They had no money for a hotel room. He and Gwendolyn flew in with $60 in their pockets. For three days, they slept among the homeless in the LaGuardia airport.
“It was a humbling experience,” he said. “We would try to find little areas to be by ourselves. We were constantly moving around for three days.”
Andre was the last person to audition out of about 100 people. And he got the gig. Cirque du Soleil hired him to perform as a full-time drummer on Quidam’s permanent world tour.
On Dec. 5, 2010 Andre began rehearsing in Montreal, Canada for the show. He traveled all over North America in 2011 and 2012, surrounded by top musicians and performers from around the world.
“I’m playing everyday,” he said. “From a professional standpoint, I’ve been able to acquire drum sponsorships and do videos and lot of things that I wouldn’t have been able to do before the circus.”
Boyd got his first taste of drumming when he was two years old, sitting on the lap of the pastor’s son at church. Drumming for church services became his life as soon he was able to reach the floor of the stool. His mother, Pastor Linda Boyd, founded the New Life Outreach Ministries, 3833 Saint Ferdinand Ave., in 1998.
“I’m getting a chance to go home to perform for my family and peers,” he said. “Doing as much as I did in the music scene, going back to perform is really great.”
As part of the tour, Andre travels to a different city every Sunday.
“It’s definitely work,” he said. “but it’s rewarding. It’s a lot of fun to meet so many people from different nationalities and countries.”
In that sense, Andre is also living out another theme of the show. Quidam is defined as: a nameless passer-by, a solitary figure lingering on a street corner, a person rushing past and swallowed by the crowd.
“This is the place that beckons – a place for dreaming and genuine relations where all quidams, by proclaiming their individuality, can finally emerge from anonymity,” the show’s website states.
Andre said he’s excited to have his home community experience his new life and passion. He said the show has an all-new cast.
“We have so much fun,” he said. “It’s one of the circus’ masterpieces as far as artistry goes. I want to convey to my home, ‘Come out and support your homegrown.’”
