THE BALLOON MAN

THEATER REVIEW

BOOM TOWN

New Victory Theater, 209 W. 42nd St.; 646-223-3010. Through April 24.

Cirque Mechanics performers defy gravity in this breathtaking Western-theme show. The Wild West gets even wilder in "Boom Town," the new children's show by the clever Cirque Mechanics troupe. It's set in an 1860s mining town that's literally a springboard for circus acts -- a grizzled prospector displays a surprising talent for juggling, while a cowgirl flies overhead on a wooden wagon wheel transformed into a chandelier. And while the routines may sound familiar, the ingenious use of colorful props lets us see them in brand-new ways, as acrobats shimmy up and down telegraph poles, wooden carts become trampolines -- and the juggling's done with pickaxes. Darin BasileCirque Mechanics performers defy gravity in this breathtaking Western-theme show. The 80-minute, wordless piece features a storyline of sorts, involving competing saloon owners and a romance between a winsome lass and a handsome miner. But it's really just an excuse to show off the impressive physical and comic skills of the nine performers, who leap about the Western-theme set with scary abandon. Not everything works. The comedic segments -- a female clown creating shadowy objects behind a screen, an audience member put through various routines accompanied by raucous sound effects -- feel like filler. But when a Western hoedown becomes an athletic dance routine straight out of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," the results are magical. And the many sly touches of humor will keep grown-ups entertained even while the kids are oohing and aahing at the performers' feats of derring-doRead more: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/theater/western_circus_gold_mine_nrmywlWqS0ZAip38BFX9tN#ixzz1Jg5CYQQb