The Big Apple Circus has been entertaining children and adults for almost four decades. I have my own precious memories of seeing the circus as a child, stuffing my face with cotton candy, twirling one of those obnoxious plastic light-up toys, and marveling at the wonders of the acrobats, animals and clowns. I always wanted to be the woman in the sparkly costume riding the elephant around the ring. Now, years later, I find myself feeling like a child again at the Big Top at Lincoln Center, home of the Big Apple Circus until January 10, 2016. The big top looks a lot smaller than I remember now that I’m a bit bigger, but the intimacy makes it feel all the more special.
The Grand Tour is a marvelous spectacular with something for all ages. Set in the Roaring Twenties, with a vintage look, feel and sound, complete with a fabulous jazz band (led by musical director Rob Slowik) and oversized Art Deco posters advertising travel to far-off lands (set and lighting designed by Maruti Evans), The Grand Tour is indeed travel themed. Ringmaster John Kennedy Kane takes the audience on a journey around the world, from the SS Big Apple sailing across the Atlantic from New York to England, then on the Orient Express across Europe and Asia, and finally to the Middle East and Africa.
A different act accompanies each destination. We start onboard the SS Big Apple with amazing hula-hoop artist Chiara Anastasini, who at one point juggles enough hoops to form a sort of human slinky. Speaking of juggling, Alexander Koblikov thrills with an outstanding routine where he juggles no fewer than ten balls at a time. Once on the Orient Express, Jenny Vidbel, clad in a slinky flapper dress (costumes by Oana Botez), gets her adorable dogs to perform tricks such as jumping through hoops, skipping rope, and riding a scooter. When we get to Asia, we see Chinese acrobatic troupe “The Energy Trio,” who wow the audience with their truly energetic hand balancing routine. The Dominguez Brothers close out the first act on the Wheel of Wonder, featuring one death-defying feat more daring than the last.
The second act matches the thrills and laughs of the first. It begins in Arabia, with Jenny Vidbel and her trained ponies prancing and dancing around the ring. Then, it’s on to Africa, where acrobatic troupe Zuma Zuma perform their awesome routine, tumbling and leaping off one another, and creating interesting images with their bodies. Not to be outdone, the magnificent Russian aerialist Sergey Akimov spins his body in the air like a bird soaring to new heights. Finally, closing out the show is the Dosov Troupe, flying as they perform their gravity-defying teeterboard act, one of the finest I’ve seen and with an added bonus involving a single stilt.
The acts are broken up throughout the show by clowns Joel Jeske (also the writer and creator of the show) and Brent McBeth, who delight the audience with their humorous antics, including throwing buckets of water at each other, stealing microphones away from each other, and performing a rousing rendition of “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” along with a dancing camel. There is also plenty of audience participation, mainly involving bringing children into the ring to play musical chairs or to promote their Clown Care program, which brings clowns into hospitals to perform for sick children.
Director Mark Lonergan has crafted a tight, fast-paced show, with no dull moments. An outing with The Big Apple Circus will not disappoint, whether your aim is to laugh, be amazed, or introduce your children to the circus. Just don’t deny them one of those plastic spinning flashing toys; that’s all part of the magic.
