The Big Apple Circus again pitches its big blue tent at Lincoln Center for the holidays, and the 41st edition deals out a delightful time for family audiences. As usual, its single-ring layout means that the least expensive seats in the farthest row are merely 50 feet away from the action.
This season’s theme-free production wastes no time on presenting extraneous fiddle-faddle and simply gets on with the show. The assorted performers prove to be keenly-talented artists.
Nearly all of the acts are newcomers to the Big Apple Circus, except for Jenny Vidbel, an always-welcome veteran of its series. Making two appearances during the show, the cheerful animal trainer brings on a variety of frisky ponies, canines, and even a pig (all of them rescued animals, incidentally) to gallop and gambol around the ring.
Perhaps the most impressive sequence is a furiously rapid trapeze act that concludes the show, performed by The Flying Tunizianis, a nine-member troupe of aerialists from Venezuela led by Ammed Tuniziani, who whirls through a quadruple somersault.
But there are plenty of other awesome turns. Among them:
Scantily-clad Virginia Tuells and Ihosvanys Perez are a honey and a hunk who wriggle through an acrobatic hand-balancing “Duo Fusion” act in which she does all the heavy lifting. Another sultry couple is Valeriy Sychev and Ekaterina Stepanova, who sail high above and around the ring (without a safety net) wrapped in fabric straps and otherwise around each other during their French Apache-like “Desire of Flight” aerial routine. The most mystifying act is delivered by Victor Moiseev, whose horizontal juggling of half a dozen glowing orange orbs appears to defy gravity.
My personal favorite portion of the two-hour show was titled “Spicy Circus” and deploys a tall, porous wall that is bisected by two trampolines upon which five lithe performers energetically spring, bounce, somersault, and cavort, sometimes mirroring each other’s moves. The heights they reach, the synchronicity of their motions, and the carefree insouciance with which they do such risky feats are marvelous to witness.
Other than the times when Grandma and Bello Nock graced its editions, the Big Apple Circus shows rarely prove especially comical and this one is no exception. So let’s overlook the mild clowning around that’s offered here. Ringmaster Stephanie Monseu scarcely makes an appearance, let alone any kind of an impression.
Meanwhile, trumpet player and musical director Rob Slowik leads a dandy band, whose music-making punctuates and lends drama to all of the performances. Designer Jeff Croiter’s lighting also contributes to the show’s effectiveness.
Creative director Guillaume Dufresnoy, along with Mark Lonergan and Grady McLeod Bowman, who both are credited as directors, keep the running time of the individual acts relatively brief. That’s smart, because kids’ attention spans tend to be short and there’s nothing worse in show-biz than an act that goes on for too long.
The two-act show features a 20-minute intermission. High-rollers with VIP tickets can spend time in a European-style circular Spiegeltent, all stained glass and elegant woodwork, which is decked out with sideshow decorations. Social media devotees will get plenty of photo op chances because following the show, most of the performers will go right out with the audience into the so-called Hall of Wonder reception area where they will hang out for a while.
Although the entertainment is geared for youngsters, let’s mention that some of the fancier food and drink offerings will be appreciated by older viewers. And little kids may not notice the sexy nature of the abbreviated or snug costumes designed by Amy Clark for the athletes, but I suspect their elders will appreciate some of the incidental visuals.
Big Apple Circus opened October 28, 2018, at Damrosch Park and runs through January 27, 2019. Tickets and information: bigapplecircus.com
