ACROBATS, STUNTS DRAW WEEKEND CROWD TO CIRCUS
- The Washington Post
- Anne Malinee
- 24 Sep 2007
Poodles pranced, hula-hoops swirled and acrobats flew through the air Sunday afternoon at Dulles Town Center in Sterling during a performance of Big Apple Circus's 30th annual show.
More than 1,000 people gathered under the five-story big-top tent to see the celebration-themed show by artistic and creative directors Paul Binder and Michael Christensen featuring 32 clowns, acrobats, jugglers and performance artists from around the world.
The production, which opened Sept. 20 and runs through Oct. 8, marks the 15th year Big Apple Circus has visited Northern Virginia, performing in Fairfax from 1993-98 before moving to its current location in 1999.
For some people, taking the family out to the circus has become a tradition.
“We came last year, and we had so much fun that we decided to make this an annual event,” said Gina Manning, of McLean, who brought her 6-year-old daughter, Stephanie, and her father, Ron Principe, of Sacramento, Calif.
“We like the scale of it. It's not too huge. There's not so many lights you get distracted,” said Beth Tomasello, of Chevy Chase, who has made several trips to the circus over the years with husband David Keto and children, Elizabeth, 12, and William, 8.
Unlike larger circuses, Big Apple Circus centers the action in one center ring, and all seats are within 50 feet of the performance area, said Philip Thurston, the circus's public relations manager. He said audience members are close enough not only to see the performers' stunts, but also to be part of the show.
Backstage at the Big Apple Circus
Ready, Set, Go at the Big Apple Circus!
“What you do instantly affects them and vice versa,” said Barry Lubin, who plays Grandma the clown, one of Big Apple Circus's best-known performers.
During the show, Lubin, wearing a red dress, yellow knee-high socks and a curly gray wig, sits on an audience member's lap, eats popcorn off a man's head and pulls a couple from the audience into the ring for a slow dance.
“It's a cycle of love,” Lubin said. “You give love to the audience, and they give it back 10-fold.”
The audience laughed during internationally known physical comedian Fumagalli's slapstick routines and “oooh-ed and aaah-ed” when six white horses galloped around the ring. The perched on a ledge near the ring's outer edge, coming almost muzzle-to-face with people in the front row seats.
They also gasped when Nikolai Huesca, who performs a foot-juggling act with brother Giovanni, slipped while doing a series of flips and crashed to the mat. The tent quieted as Huesca paused before rising to applause and resuming the routine.
The show, led by ringmistress Carrie Harvey, also included juggling by Kris Kremo, a performance by a troop of trained poodles, and a grand finale in which acrobats were catapulted to the top of the circus tent with a giant teeterboard and caught in mid-air by performers perched on top of one another.
Circus performances run through Oct. 8, when Big Apple performers depart for the rest of their 11-month, 11-city tour that includes stops in New York, Boston and Atlanta. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the Circus Box Office located in front of the big-top tent at Dulles Town Center.
Tickets range from $20-50 for weeknights, weekend and Columbus Day performances. Tickets range from $16-26 for weekday matinees.
Tickets are available from Ticketmaster at 703-573-SEAT, 202-397-SEAT or 410-547-SEAT, or online at ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available at the Circus Box Office in front of the big top tent Saturday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Parking is available at the mall near Macy's and Dick's Sporting Goods. Shuttles run continuously starting one hour before showtime.
For more information, visit theshow.bigapplecircus.org