“The circus is coming. The circus is coming.” I’m reflecting back at the excitement those words used to mean to me when my parents would mention it when I was growing up. We went every year and I have so many fond memories of sharing those precious moments together with my family. One of the best parts of being a parent is reliving some of my favorite childhood experiences with my son. Consequently, if you didn’t get the memo, the circus has ‘arrived’ – BIG APPLE CIRCUS: Legendarium – is in town through January 13.
After a devastating storm that destroyed our area and left so many of our family members and friends without power, flooded homes, no heat, no gas for their cars, and with challenges navigating back to work…our family was in need of a pick-me up and a good laugh, so we headed over to Lincoln Center last weekend to enjoy the Big Apple Circus.
When going to a live theater event, most people choose to sit in the orchestra section (if they can afford it) because you sit so close that you feel like your part of the show and can see the facial expressions, spit coming out of the actors mouths, and the beads of sweat on their brow – that’s entertainment! It’s with this important concept in mind, the Big Apple Circus wins over the audience because venue is set up in such a way that every seat is good and you’re never sitting more than fifteen rows back (about fifty feet) from the ring. Add to the mix, a variety of dazzling acts including animals and wonderful stunts that only last a few minutes each…and you have a winning combination for families with young children. The quick paced show with over fifteen acts and a brief intermission leaves no time to be bored! Quite the opposite: Big Apple Circus’ latest creation, Legendarium, was a spectacular show.
Munching on a large tub of popcorn, our son sat on the edge of his seat, and was thrilled with the clowns as they worked the audience. The show has a little something for everyone, but there were several highlights for our family: we truly enjoyed the Central Park Dogs as they performed playful tricks and provided laughs, seeing a contortionist shoot arrows at a target using her feet, Menno & Emily’s juggling act, Katerina flying through the air on to top of us with her silk scarf, and Daniel Cyr whirl and spin around the ring in his steel hoop. We were unanimous with our favorite act – there was nothing cooler under the Big Top than the all-female acrobats, trick riding on their bicycles. Picture “synchronized” bicycling – truly mesmerizing.
We left the show in great spirits. Most importantly, our son asked when we can return for another visit to the Big Apple Circus. A true sign that he thoroughly enjoyed it. The Big Apple Circus is in town through mid-January and would recommend it as a destination for your family this holiday season.
*Disclosure: We received free passes to attend the circus. The opinions expressed in this blog entry are authentic and our own.
we are excited the big apple circus is finally here in Georgia 🙂