Tuesday, February 16, 2010

CIRCUS SARASOTA REVIEW (SCOTT BUNDY)

Members of the Flying Wallendas practice the seven-person pyramid.
STAFF PHOTO / CHIP LITHERLAND

CIRCUS SARASOTA
Reviewed Feb. 13. Circus tent at Tuttle Avenue and 12th Street, Sarasota.
Through Feb. 28.
Also March 12-28, Gulf Coast Town Center, Alico Road at I-75, Fort Myers.
Tickets are $10 to $42. 955-9335; circussarasota.org.
(From the Sarasota Times-Herald)

This year's production features some exciting variations on standard acts.
Belgian performer Martyn Chabry offers a new twist on the constantly astounding quick change costume act that has been a popular feature in past years. She uses different methods to change her outfits and wigs and intersperses the transformations with musical performances. She plays drums, a saxophone and xylophone at a frenzied pace.
Casey Boehmer brings a heightened level of tension to his juggling act because he has only one arm. Italian brothers Fabio and Giuliano Anastasini do a foot juggling act with a lot of coordination and flair, and Russian artist Zhanna Alferova has fun with an adorable troupe of dogs dressed like jungle animals.
Western roper Vince Bruce opens the show in a lively style by riding two horses and spinning a rope around them as they trot backward, and then he does a series of tricks that make it look like his ropes are dancing over his body.
Almas Meirmanov displays grace and strength in his hand balancing act, as he seems to float sideways while supporting himself with one hand.
The comic Renaldo may be doing the same routines he has presented in past seasons, but his audience involvement sequences, including a bullfight and some gymnastics, gets the audience pumped up.
The flying act by Dolly Jacobs and partner Yuri Riskov is set to a bit more contemporary music than in past seasons, but they are still grace in motion.
This year's show is built around Nik Wallenda. He appears with the next generation of the Fabulous Wallendas, the highwire troupe who stir a lot of thrills with the family's famous seven-person pyramid, which also gets a new level of freshness to close a playful and exciting show.

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