The circus and I go way back. But going to the circus is more than a fleeting memory from childhood. Every year since I was very young, my mother and I go to celebrate our birthdays (only 4 days apart in early September) when Barnum and Bailey hits my hometown, Kansas City. It’s become a tradition as steadfast as Christmas dinner.
In grade school, this date of ours was something that I looked forward to for months, knowing that it meant face paint, collector’s cup snow cones, and cotton candy. In middle school, my preteen angst made the outing more dramatic than it was worth; and in high school I went for the sake of tradition (while performing a silent protest of Barnum and Bailey’s animal practices).
So, I had some preconceived notions about Circus Flora’s Sherwood Forest . But they were all crushed as soon as I saw the cherry-red big top and took in the composition of the crowd that was filing into it. There weren’t the snot-nosed kids with light-up whirly gigs dragging their exhausted mothers along by the hems of their skirts! The Circus Flora crowd ran the gamut with equal parts young families and couples old and young, with a smattering of St. Louis art community notables. At the concessions stand, popsicles were sold alongside more adult fare, while at the souvenir counter Circus Flora belt buckles were displayed prominently alongside Nino t-shirts and dolls. What all of this demonstrated to me, even before Producer, Ivor David Balding recited the opening remarks, was that Circus Flora is a truly classy event that speaks to theatre buffs as effectively as it speaks to four-year-olds.
Although ticket prices range between $8 and $35, there isn’t a bad seat under the big top. Circus Flora really is an intimate production with action happening all around you. While primo clown Nino and his tiny sidekick perform bit acts between the major attractions, my attention was captivated by watching the crew set up for the next act. How were they able to pull off such a large production in such a tiny space? At times, it felt like the performers were almost too big for the venue—literally; during the Flying Cortes' trapeze act, the flyer’s feet would actually brush the roof of the big top at the height of their swings.
For the majority of the performance I sat slack-jawed and on the edge of my seat. It all reminded me of something from the past. There was art in everything—even in the performers’ shadows dancing against the blue interior of the tent, looking like dolls from Alexander Calder’s Circus.
With internationally acclaimed performances such as my favorite Duo Madrona's sensual trapeze dance, alongside local troupes, like the insatiably cute and shockingly talented children’s acrobatic troupe, the St. Louis Arches, Circus Flora assembles a truly captivating lineup that is both entertaining and impressive to even the most seasoned critic. It really is a multi-sensory work of art that cannot be missed. St. Louis is extremely lucky to claim this artistic gem as its own.
