THE BALLOON MAN

Young critics give Irem Shrine Circus thumbs up

Performances continue the rest of the week at the 109th Field Artillery Armory.

A tiger jumps through a flaming hoop during the cats’ show during a performance on Monday.AIMEE DILGER/The Times Leader

EILEEN GODIN Times Leader CorrespondentPosted: April 27, www.timesleader.com
WILKES-BARRE – The 62nd annual Irem Shrine Circus received a collective thumbs up on its Tuesday night performance by critics, including Makayla Rutchauskas, 6, and her twin cousins Davida and Destina Kotsur-Brannigan, 5, all from Plains Township.
With their tails gracefully up in the air, the large cats leaped over hurdles, while the male lion decided to go under the hurdle…
The Hamid Circus is in town all week at the 109th Field Artillery Armory with shows scheduled for 10 a.m. and 7:15 p.m. today through Friday and 1:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. on Saturday.
Larry the Clown kicked off the show with some balancing routines, including balancing a 7-foot ladder on his chin. The audience members, still laughing, turned their attention to the center ring to be wowed by animal trainer Vincent Von Duke and his three tigers and one white Bengal tiger plus a male and female lion.

Eloise the elephant performs to the delight of circus-goers during a show on Monday.AIMEE DILGER/The Times Leader
With their tails gracefully up in the air, the large cats leaped over hurdles, while the male lion decided to go under the hurdle, receiving laughter from the crowd. The tigers finished the act by jumping through a ring of fire. But the lions were not to be outdone; as the female lion walked past the male, she stopped to give him an affectionate nuzzle.
Lisa Manoski from Mountain Top said her 19-month-old daughter, Mia, did not take her eyes off the cats.
“She seemed to really like them,” she said.
The whole two-hour show moved swiftly. Thirteen-year-old Miss Mercedes, decked out in pink, and her well-manicured pony, doing an equestrian exhibition, had many little girls wishing to trade places.
Makayla pointed and told her mom, Rochelle Mirowski, she wanted a pony just like that one. While Katelynn, 6, and her sister, Sabrina Gray, 7, of Mountain Top, agreed the fancy pony was a favorite.
Thrills were dished out too as the three Murcias exhibited their skills on the tightrope. They walked, did a somersault, and jumped over each other while precariously balancing on the high wire with no net underneath.
The high-flying Pages, a six-member group performing death defying mid-air flips and somersaults on the trapeze, had the large crowd staring upwards while holding their breaths.
When Eloise the elephant stepped into the center ring and showed off her uncanny rhythmic coordination, many people were jubilant. Little Makayla was all smiles as the elephant danced around the ring wearing a black and silver feathery head piece and blanket. As Eloise moved, even her tail seemed to keep the tempo.
As Eloise prepared to depart from the ring, she held a white handkerchief in her trunk and waved good-bye to a cheering crowd.
The evening ended with a bang as a father and daughter duo drove in a caged dome on their dirt bikes.
Mirowski said they always have enjoyed the circus and she is very supportive of the Shriners and all they do for children.
“We come every year,” she said. “We always have enjoyed the performances.”