‘Le Grand Cirque’–a fantastic spectacle of acrobatic talents from around the world

Le Grand Cirque,” the touring circus production that will be taking up residence at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Dec. 25 to Jan. 3, 2017, is expected to feature an assortment of topnotch daredevil acts one would expect from a big-scale spectacle—high-flying aerial acrobats, contortionists, strongmen and fire breathers, among others.

But while such performers may not sound exactly new, the difference in “Le Grand Cirque’s” roster of acrobats, producer Jay Lodge pointed out, lies in the level of intensity and risk-taking involved in the routines they showcase.

“Circus shows are something that have been going on for a long time. So, we look for very strong and unique acts. If we are to get aerial acrobats, we want to get the best ones out there. They have to be something the audience have yet to see,” he told the Inquirer in a recent phone interview.

“What we do always has some twist to it; there’s a bit more danger, it’s unique,” Lodge added.

Spirit Productions, the company behind the show that debuted at the Sydney Opera House and has been held in over 15 countries for the past 10 years, will be bringing to the Philippines around 35 circus acts—most of them from China, United States, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Russia. (For tickets, call 911-5555.)

Excerpts from Inquirer’s conversation with Lodge:

Can you give us an idea what the show is like? It’s basically a fantastic spectacle of acrobatic talents we culled from around the world.

It broke box-office records in Australia before it was toured around the world. It has been a huge success, and we can’t be more excited to bring it to the Philippines.

How big is the production? There will be approximately 35 performers onstage. It’s a huge show.

At the moment, we are working on the shipping arrangements. There are a lot of cargos coming in, as there would be a lot of rigging, staging and lighting needed.

Where do you get your performers? We have multiple crews touring the world… We have been fortunate enough to be exposed to some of the best circus acts that exist, and so we have a huge catalogue of performers.

We hold auditions in Los Angeles, New York and London. We also go to circus festivals and scout for talents, like the one in Monaco that takes place every year.

What does it take to be part of the show? We don’t have to give a regular, run-of-the-mill production. So we want acts that are unique. They have to have something that could get the audience’s adrenaline going. They have to be different, passionate and exciting.

And the routines they do are very risky. They are. While we have incredible, well-trained professionals who have had extensive background in their craft, we follow a stringent structure when it comes to ensuring the safety of the artists, as well as our guests.

How does your show differ from Cirqe du Soleil, for instance? The way we produce our show is that there’s no storyline whatsoever. It’s a relentless succession of acts.

The guest can just sit back and enjoy. They don’t have to think about any sort of plot.

They just need to come prepared to be amazed.

Is the show for children, too? As we always say, it’s for people aged 2 to 92.

What would be the production’s main attraction? I do get asked this question quite often. And I would always say, that it’s the whole thing!