New circus act wows Manila audience

“Fire Dance,” one of the featured acts in “Le Grand Cirque,” running till Jan. 3 at Smart Araneta Coliseum

Where to take the family for some worthwhile holiday recreation? Aside from the ongoing Metro Manila Film Festival, which, for the first time, features a lineup of truly different yet still engrossing fare, there’s likewise an interesting series of shows wowing audiences at Smart Araneta Coliseum called  “Le Grand Cirque (LGC).”

Debuting on the Philippine stage on Christmas Day and running till Jan. 3, “LGC” is described as “a concert of amazing circus talents.”

Jay Lodge, producer of “Le Grand Cirque” and CEO of Spirit Productions, says: “There is no storyline, no plot; it’s more of a spectacle.”

He recalled doing the show 15 years ago for the first time at the Sydney Opera House. He admitted being surprised that “we sold out 28 shows in two weeks and smashed all box-office records, making over $3 million.”

The show consists of the following acts: the Russian Swing, where acrobats do high jumps as they are tossed from one large, floor-mounted swing to another; Russian High Bar, which shows gymnasts defying gravity; Aerial Cube, where artists execute an aerial tango on a silver cube structure; Hoop Diving, where performers dive, jump, twist and somersault through and over stacked hoops; Trampoline Wall, a staple circus routine that is also an extreme sport in which gymnasts bounce on trampolines to almost literally walk on walls.

Bringing the whole family to see the show won’t be much of a problem cost-wise, because tickets are offered at a minimum price of P150 for general admission, and VIP tickets are still affordable at P1,500.

“Le Grand Cirque” runs every night until Jan. 3, except Dec. 31. Log on to www.ticketnet.com.ph, or call its hotline 9115555.