{"id":18120,"date":"2017-08-27T01:37:36","date_gmt":"2017-08-27T08:37:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/?p=18120"},"modified":"2017-08-27T01:43:21","modified_gmt":"2017-08-27T08:43:21","slug":"circus-1903-family-friendly-spectacle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/circus-1903-family-friendly-spectacle\/","title":{"rendered":"“Circus 1903” at Paris is Family-Friendly Spectacle With Thrills and Laughs Galore"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Circus 1903” at Paris Las Vegas is the newest show to open on the Las Vegas Strip, and it’s full of family-friendly variety acts, belly laughs and mesmerizing elephant puppetry.<\/p>\n

In fact, the show’s so good, you might say it’s “Absinthe,” but without the dirty jokes. Given “Absinthe” is one of the best shows in Las Vegas, that’s saying something.<\/p>\n

\"Circus
Something you need to know about early circuses is they were intense. We’ll wait. (Thanks to “Circus 1903” for all the pics, by the way.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The anchor of “Circus 1903” is its host and ringmaster, Willy Whipsnade, played to perfection by David Williamson. Williamson commands the stage, and his whip-smart jokes are the perfect through line for the show.<\/p>\n

Williamson masterfully creates the old-timey circus vibe, while occasionally winking to the audience with references to iPhones and current pop culture accompanied with the aside, “Which wasn’t a thing in 1903.”<\/p>\n

Williamson not only cues up each variety act, he also supplies ample comic relief while interacting with kids from the audience for several segments of the show. The humor is never corny or strained. It’s spot on throughout the evening, and provides a great contrast to the thrills in the show.<\/p>\n

And thrills there are.<\/p>\n

\"Circus
No circus would be complete without a high-wire. Previously, it was just a wire, but recreational marijuana is now legal in Las Vegas.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Good circus-style variety acts are hard to come by. The popularity of circuses has flagged in recent years because audiences have so many more entertainment options, many involving CGI.<\/p>\n

But “Circus 1903” has pulled together a diverse collection of acts, each with a distinct personality.<\/p>\n

Right out of the gate, audiences are left breathless thanks to The Flying Finns, Artur Ivankovich, Ilya Kotenyov and Petter Linsky. As you might have guessed, they’re not from around here.<\/p>\n

These three fearless performers from Finland are masters of the teeterboard, and soar above the stage at Paris untethered and without a net.<\/p>\n

\"Circus
The technical term is “Sproing!” Well, that’s our word for it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Flying Finns are followed by an equally dazzling performer, The Sensational Sozonov, with a “rola bola” act.<\/p>\n

A rola bola is a balancing board set atop a variety of things its impossible to balance upon. The Paris Theater may need to reinforce its seats because we were on the edge of ours the whole time The Sensational Sozonov was atop his pillar of OMFG. (Probably not its official name.)<\/p>\n

\"Circus
We didn’t entirely know equilibristics<\/a> were a thing until this very minute. Oh, like you did.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The variety acts come fast and furious, some gripping (Los Lopez on the high-wire), some awkwardly entertaining (contortionist Senayet Assefa Amara), some whimsical (acrobatic cyclist Florian Blummel) and some just downright impressive (juggler Francois Borie).<\/p>\n

\"Circus
Our pal Jeff Civillico seems to be on a bit of a hiatus from performing on The Strip, so “Circus 1903” gave us our juggling fix.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The final act, Les Incredibles (Anny Laplante and Andrei Kalesnikau), was a show-stopper.<\/p>\n

Essentially, a petite woman is lofted into the air repeatedly, with each catch more heart-stopping than the last. The “human trapeze,” or Russian cradle, has a long history with the circus which we do not have time to look up because we are drinking heavily as we write this.<\/p>\n

The couple previously performed in Cirque Du Soleil’s touring show, “Corteo.”<\/p>\n

\"Circus
We did find out the woman being tossed is called the “flyer,” her partner is called the “catcher” or “caster.”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These two made quite a splash on “America’s Got Talent.” Here’s a look at why this couple (yes, they’re a married couple) has such massive chiropractor bills.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0F0SLuS1ioA
\nNot all the acts in the program appeared in the show we saw (arialist Lucky Moon and acrobats Fratelli Rossi took the night off), so presumably the performers can be swapped out without the quality of the show suffering.<\/p>\n

In addition to the comedy and variety acts, the big draw of “Circus 1903” is the life-size, lifelike pair of elephants, Queenie and Karanga (or Peanut).<\/p>\n

\"Circus
Karanga means “peanut” in Swahili. Yes, we sometimes take notes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The adult elephant takes three puppeteers to operate, and the smaller takes one. In the program, credit is given to the three Queenie puppeteers as operating her “Head,” “Heart” and “Hind.”<\/p>\n

Imagine having “Puppeteer, Elephant Hind” on your resume.<\/p>\n

\"Circus
It took awhile, but circuses finally figured out you don’t need to make animals do tricks to have a good time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The movements of the elephants are majestic and uncannily realistic, brought to life by the same folks who made the stage version of “War Horse” a hit. Here’s a look at these remarkable creations.<\/p>\n

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