ROBIN'S SHOW REVIEW: BOOM TOWN

                                                         
                                                     (Photo credit: Darin Basile)


“As circus artists, we aim to show the outrageous things that our bodies can do and to surprise people as much as we can,” said Chris Lashua, artistic director of the Las Vegas based contemporary circus troupe, Cirque Mechanics. “However, we take circus one step further by building machines that not only capture the spectacle of circus, but thrill in a whole new way.”

Similar to Cirque Mechanics’ critically acclaimed show Birdhouse Factory (New Victory 2008), Boom Town, whose New York premiere is at The New Victory Theater from April 8 through April 24, features custom, one-of-a-kind gizmos that serve as both performance props and scenery. “A wagon wheel is repurposed as a chandelier, which becomes an aerial hoop when someone starts swinging on it. That’s the magic: you don’t know it’s an apparatus until you see us use it,” explains Lashua, a former BMX cyclist. “Birdhouse Factory opened our eyes to what we could do and build. We discovered that the gears and chains and cogs and pulleys are very much a part of what we do.”

In Boom Town, acrobats climb up swaying poles, fly high and fast on revolving cranes, jump on moving ore carts and balance on towers of whiskey jugs. Inspired by Chaplin’s Gold Rush, HBO’s “Deadwood” and the characters played by Clint Eastwood and Lee Marvin in Paint Your Wagon, Boom Town’s Wild West cast of competitive saloon owners, star-crossed lovers and dynamite prospectors defy gravity in this spirited high-flying gold rush frenzy, complete with brawls, explosions and golden discoveries.

My son (age 8) and I had the opportunity to see the show, and enjoyed the 80 minute (no intermission) spectacle.  He especially liked the scene in the mine and the overall impressive acrobatic prowess of the cast, whether juggling, tumbling, flying through the air, swinging or jumping on concealed trampolines. From swaying "telegraph" poles to a hillbilly-type balancing on top of whiskey jugs, the performers didn't miss a beat. The show had its humor as well, and it was fun when a hunky member of the audience was plucked to join Elena Day, who played Clepto Clown, for some laughs and levity.   

The creative team for Boom Town includes: director, Chris Lashua; assistant director/choreographer, Aloysia Gavre, and writer/performer, Steven Ragatz, all of whom are Cirque du Soleil veterans. The performers, plucked from Cirque du Soleil, the Pickle Family Circus and Moscow Circus, include Timber Brown, Elena Day, Hannah French, Charlotte Greenblatt, Wes Hatfield, Kerren McKeeman, Andre Nurse, Steven Ragatz, Michael “Tex” Redinger and Clint Bobzien.

Ticket Information

Theater-goers who buy tickets for three or more New Vic shows qualify for free Membership benefits, including a 35-percent savings. Tickets to Boom Town cost $25 (orchestra and front mezzanine), $18 (mezzanine) and $9 (balcony) for Members, and $38 (orchestra and front mezzanine), $28 (rear mezzanine) and $14 (balcony) for Non-members.

To purchase online, visit NewVictory.org, by phone call 646-223-3010; Monday-Friday 12 noon-8 pm; Saturday 10 am-8 pm; Sunday 10 am-5 pm.  To purchase in-person, visit The New Victory Theater Box Office; Box office hours: Sunday and Monday 11 am-5 pm; Tuesday-Saturday 11 am -7 pm.

Performance Schedule

Fri April 15 7pm

Sat April 16, 2 and 7pm

Sun April 17, 12 and 5pm

Wed April 20, 2pm

Thurs April 21, 7pm

Fri April 22, 7pm

Sat April 23, 2 and 7pm

Sun April 24, 12 and 5pm

ROBIN'S SHOW RECOMMENDATION -- Ringling Bros.and Barnum and Bailey: Fully Charged

Don’t miss Fully Charged, the all-new surge of circus entertainment from Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey® where megawatts of thrills explode off of the arena floor with breathtaking dare-devilry, superhuman stunts and never-before-seen performances that energize Children Of All Ages!   Today, March 20th, is the last date in NY at the Nassau Coleseum, but the show is touring nationally, so you can check out ringling.com to see if it's coming to your town. Both you, and your kids, will enjoy.

We had the opportunity to see it last night with friends, and everyone had a blast.  In fact, it's been years since my friends had gone to the circus, and they were so glad they joined us because they loved it and want to go again.

The most electrifying edition ever of Ringling Bros.® celebrates ‘performance power’ that boosts circus-goers’ excitement. The amazing acts, which can only be seen at The Greatest Show On Earth®, include Tabayara, a dynamic animal trainer whose rare ability to communicate with animals allows him to ride rearing stallions at a fully-charged gallop and orchestrate majestic four-ton Asian elephants in a symphony of dance. When he stands inside a cage, eye to eye with 12 ferocious tigers, Tabayara sees family where others see danger.  The animals were gorgeous!

You will feel the earth shake when the strongman duo of Dmitry and Ruslan, who are as wide as they are tall, enter the arena. The brawny twosome give the word ‘manpower’ a whole new meaning as they lift large, cumbersome telephone poles, which weigh up to half a ton, and twirl them above their heads while acrobats balance atop.  The acrobats were a sight to see!

The fearless Fernandez Brothers dial up the thrills as they perform daring feats of athleticism on the Twin Turbines of Steel, including extreme jumps and twists inside the moving wheels! Audiences will crackle with excitement as they watch Guillermo perform a 360-degree, flying-forward somersault, three stories in the air, a feat so difficult it has only been attempted by one other person in the 141-year history of Ringling Bros. The Human Fuse, Brian Miser, sets the arena sky ablaze as he rockets through the air from his self-made human crossbow. Don’t blink as he flashes across the sky in less than a second, and travels 80 feet at 65 miles per hour.  This was my son's favorite feat!

Ever wonder how many clowns it takes to change a light bulb? The hilarious hoopla continues to flow as the clowns from the world-famous Ringling Bros.® Clown Alley, charge up the audiences’ funny bones with silly antics and clownish comedy.

Tickets are available at ringling.com, all arena box offices, Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com. All seats are reserved.. For more info about Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey, visit ringling.com.

Robin's Show Recommendation -- FUNUNDRUM (Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus)

All Aboard For Fun! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Barnum’s FUNundrum! First Circus Produced by Feld Sisters!

The Greatest Show On Earth just got Greater with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Barnum’s FUNundrum! Featuring 130 performers from six continents, almost 100,000 pounds of performing pachyderms, cowboys, pirates, and mermaids, Barnum’s FUNundrum! is a super-sized spectacle that my family and I very much enjoyed.

This show celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of the legendary P.T. Barnum, the Greatest Showman on Earth!

Ringmaster and New York City’s own Jonathan Lee Iverson, invites the audience to leap aboard the Ringling Bros. train and go on a family FUNtastic adventure to meet exotic characters and witness thrilling performances that attempt to answer Barnum’s FUNundrum, “What special wonders create The Greatest Show On Earth?”

See the Flying Caceres attempt to complete the elusive quadruple somersault on the flying trapeze; a feat that hasn’t been mastered in over three decades. Watch the Puyang troupe from China dazzle with a stunning display of dexterity as they bounce, flip, and twirl to new heights on a two-tiered trampoline. Be amazed as you witness the impossible contortions of the body benders who fit three humans in a cube the size of a milk crate. Enjoy the wondrous ability of the Mighty Meetal, the strongest man in the world, as he lifts over 1,200 pounds. And savor the stupendous skills of the hand balancers featuring Duo Fusion, a married pair of performers with a twist; the wife does the heavy lifting.

Arrive an hour before show time for the All Access Pre-show – FREE to all ticket holders - and meet performers and animals, learn circus skills and enjoy a taste of the performance before the show even starts!

Tickets are available at http://www.ringling.com, all arena box offices, all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at 800-745-3000 or http://www.ticketmaster.com.

Upcoming Performance Schedule in NY:

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN: March 25-April 4, 2010

Saturday, March 27: 11:00 AM, 3:15 PM, 7:30 PM
Sunday, March 28: 11:00 AM, 3:15 PM, 7:30 PM
Monday, March 29: 11:00 AM, 3:15 PM, 7:30 PM
Tuesday, March 30: NO PERFORMANCES
Wednesday, March 31: 11:00 AM, 3:15 PM, 7:30 PM
Thursday, April 1: NO PERFORMANCES
Friday, April 2: 11:00 AM, 3:15 PM, 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 3: 11:00 AM, 3:15 PM, 7:30 PM
Sunday, April 4 11:00 AM, 3:15 PM, 7:30 PM

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Feld Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live entertainment experiences that lift the human spirit and create indelible memories, with 30 million people in attendance at its shows each year. Feld Entertainment's productions have appeared in more than 65 countries on six continents and include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Feld Motor Sports, Disney On Ice, Disney Live!

A Circus Weekend

We had a busy weekend. Marc worked yesterday, and I took Seth and a friend of his to see Race to Witch Mountain.

While it was a Disney film, it was a bit "darker" than I had expected. Full of action and intrigue, Seth loved it. His friend had moments of being a little bit scared, but she was a trooper, and got through it with flying colors.

Today, Marc and I took Seth to the circus. The older he gets, the more he seems to enjoy it, and today, he really loved it. Marc and I enjoyed it too, and the stands were packed. I don't remember ever seeing it so crowded.

It was Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presenting Zing Zang Zoom.

A catchy name and theme song, this performance offers magic and circus spectacular.

There were dazzling trapeze acts, female human cannonballs flying through the air at top speed, awe-inspiring high wire acts....etc.

Seth particularly loved the acts with animals. Dogs, Asian elephants, Bengal tigers, Arabian and Friesian horses, and even zebras, caught his full attention, and he couldn't get enough.

For Seth, it was truly 'The Greatest Show on Earth," and we were glad to share the experience with him.

Check it out at http://www.ringling.com/.