'Pippin' Player Talks Food, Healthy Vs. Fun

DENVER (CBS4) - The stage show "Pippin" is in part a musical circus, with players doing a wide variety of stunts and acrobatic tricks. The players follow an intense schedule of rehearsal and then the show itself is physically taxing.

"Our typical show day, I've conditioned for two hours before the show started, and then the show which is intensive," said Dmitrious Vistrevsky, who plays a Russian acrobat in the touring show.

Vistrevsky says he eats constantly to keep up with the calories that he's burning. He agreed to go grocery shopping with CBS4's Gloria Neal to talk about what he needs to eat vs. what he likes to eat.

"Eggs... this is it. This is the holy grail of what I eat," Vistrevsky said.

He eats six to eight eggs a day in omelets, in salad, and he keeps some hard boiled ones in his back pack for a quick, easy snack.

"So why is protein important?" Neal asked Vistrevsky.

"It's the building blocks of muscle, so your muscle needs it to build itself. But you also need it for muscle recovery. And since our muscles are always fatigued, we need to eat protein throughout the day," he replied.

He eats bananas by the bunch along with kale and spinach.

"Apples are a good one because after you take a nap... it's got enough carbohydrates and sugar to wake you up. So it's just as effective as drinking a cup of coffee," Vistrevsky explained.

Vistrevsky snacks on healthy foods throughout the day which helps power him through his hectic rehearsal schedule, but he's also no stranger to sweets and other high fat foods.

"I ate cake every single day this week... every single day I ate cake," he confided.

It's macaroni and cheese that is his favorite food and No. 1 weakness.

"Do you ever see the day when you'll be tired of mac 'n' cheese?" Neal asked.

"It hasn't happened yet and I eat it pretty often... I love mac 'n' cheese," Vistrevsky smiled.

At the end of the shopping trip, Neal and Vistrevsky had picked up a mix of healthy whole foods and some fun treats. He says that's pretty close to the way he balances his life.

Denver Center Attractions presents "Pippin" through Sept. 20 at the Buell Theatre. On Oct. 8, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts is partnering with Whole Foods. If you shop at participating Whole Food stores, 5 percent of sales go to the D.C.P.A.

– Written for CBSDenver.com by Special Projects Producer Libby Smith