Montreal circus company Cavalia has a new show that opened recently in Chicago (playing through April 23, 2017 at Soldier Field). The show is called Odysseo and bills itself as “The Best Show Ever.” That’s a lot to live up to. It’s a beautiful, sumptuous show that has amazingly talented acrobats, equestrians, and some of the most talented and trained horses […]
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While I know I’ve discussed the work of Jeff and Julie Jenkins (and their Chicago-based circus The Midnight Circus) I found a recent page on their website that details something I haven’t talked too much about. For as long as I’ve seen the Midnight Circus, I think they’ve always had a dog in the act. It’s been their family dog, […]
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Whoever said that Circus was on its way out hasn’t been to Chicago. Right now– there are a plethora of circus shows coming up in the next few weeks (and some are ending in the next few weeks, or even next few days. So don’t miss them!) And I’m sure I’ve missed a few as well. CIRCUS SHOWS IN CHICAGO […]
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Just discovered (thanks to Jim Moore’s Vaudevisual site) this documentary about American theatre clowning from the American Theatre Wing. Features Slava Polunin, David Shiner, Joel Jeske, and Brent McBeth talking about the clown, what works, what doesn’t and the work of being a theatrical clown. So what’s great about this video? Well, clearly, one of the things I love is […]
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THE DEMISE OF RINGLING I have been gobsmacked like many by the news that Ringling Brothers Circus will close down after 146 years of solid operation. Mr. Feld, owner of the circus, is losing too much money, and has to call it quits. Friends are losing jobs, houses, lives, and for some, they may well feel that the meaning of […]
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We saw the opening night of Cirque du Soleil last night. As I wrote in my preview article, the show is not a tent show, it’s an arena show, full of puppets, projections, and acrobatics, based on the movie Avatar by James Cameron. Here’s the plot summary I wrote in my previous article: When a natural catastrophe threatens to destroy […]
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The new Cirque du Soleil touring show TORUK – The First Flight will be at the United Center in Chicago August 3-7, 2016. And you can win a 4 pack of tickets to Opening night on August 3! Scroll down to see how! Inspired by James Cameron’s record-breaking movie AVATAR, TORUK – The First Flight transports the audience to a far away […]
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Cirque du Soleil’s 35th show: Kurios, Cabinet of Curiousities will come to Chicago’s United Center August 6-Sept 20, 2015. The show, which will be performed under a tent in the United Center’s Parking lot, will mark the first time in 4 years that Cirque has come to Chicago. Based on the idea of a nineteenth century curio cabinet (also known […]
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Tiny Performers To Entertain in Chicago Parks ============================== SUMMARY: WHAT: Acme Miniature Flea Circus in the Chicago Park District WHERE: July 16 6:30 pm Paschen Park (1932 W. Lunt Street) WHERE: July 18 2:00 pm Pulaski Park (1419 W. Blackhawk Street) COST: FREE! (seating limited, please arrive early) MORE INFO: http://www.palaceofwonders.com MORE INFO: http://www.trainedfleas.com PUBLICITY PHOTOS: Press Images of the […]
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The Chicago Festival just sort of snuck up on me– I knew it was coming, I just thought it was next month. Well, next month has ARRIVED! The festival is happening THIS WEEKEND in Chicago, with over 30 different performances from 13 of the top circus performers from around the world. Here’s a list of the performances: http://chicagocircusfest.com/events/ (and if you’d […]
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Great news article about the declining circus in the U.K.. The video was produced by British student Natasha Turney, and this video recently won her the award for Student Journalist of the Year from the Birmingham Press Club . In Great Britain, many circuses are no longer allowed to use animals in their shows, and this has decreased the draw. […]
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The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus will be performing their 20nth anniversary cabaret this weekend at the Brooklyn Lyceum. The legendary Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Cabaret returns to Brooklyn from March 13 – 16 at the Brooklyn Lyceum! For 20 years, Bindlestiff’s New York City Cabaret season has been an alternative New York favorite providing a stage for the world’s best in circus, […]
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For the last few years, December has been a bit of a circus month in NY. Shows from all around the globe come to the Big Apple to make the end of the year just a little bit brighter. This year is no exception There are at least 3 circuses in town running concurrently over the next couple of weeks. […]
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Circus: from Egypt to Éloize Panel discussion Thursday, December 12th, 6:30 p.m. This coming winter, NYU Skirball Center will present Cirkopolis, a circus theater production by Cirque Éloize, a Quebec-based contemporary circus troupe. To celebrate and contextualize this production, a panel discussion will feature experts, practitioners and scholars from the world of circus. They will discuss early references to circus in ancient Egyptian […]
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As many of you are no doubt aware, I am one of a handful of flea circus proprietors in the world. My one man, two flea show, the Acme Miniature Flea Circus, has been performed in over 39 states and 6 countries since 1994. We have been fortunate to have received a fair amount of acclaim for the show, including […]
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The brand new Ringling show is in town through April 1, and it’s well worth seeing. (Buy tickets here: or look for discount tickets at Ticket Liquidator) Every year, Ringling rewrites a brand new show, and then sends it off around the United States on a 2 year tour. This show has as its premise the idea of construction. Elephants in hard hats. […]
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