By Nancy Johnson Horn, Editor —
We attended a recent performance of the Big Apple Circus and was blown away. The show, which seems smaller and a little more scaled down than the performances we’ve seen in the past, absolutely entertained my whole family. The two hour show offered fun family acts that my family really enjoyed. The Big Apple Circus advertises that you’re never 50 feet from the center ring, and they definitely delivered that.
Here are some of our favorite parts:
The Ringmaster: The Ringmaster is John Kennedy Kane and he’s a big personality.
2. Clowning around: Rob Torres is the clown and he appeared several times between acts. While we did miss Grandma the clown, Mr. Torres was pretty funny.
3. Ladder: Canadian Daniel Cyr does a ladder routine – which was so cool. This was one of my favorite acts. It looks like it would be simple, but he does such amazing things with it. I’ll honestly never look at a ladder the same way.
4. The Animals! Jenny Vidbel is the equestrian trainer — she showed Arabian horses, ponies, and a mixed group of dogs (which were all rescue dogs). My husband liked her because she smiled (and obviously treated her animals well). My kids loved that two of the dogs were riding on a pony’s back. She smiled and the animals seemed very happy. We are very picky with what circuses and animal parks and zoos that we patronize, because we don’t want to see any animal harmed. The Big Apple Circus has always treated their animals with respect and use rescue dogs in their acts. A win/win for us (and animal rights).
5. Trapeze with the Mongolian Angels. You will hold your breath during this, but these ladies are amazing.
6. The High Wire: We also liked the Duo Guerrero (which is Werner Guerrero and Aura Cardinali), a married couple who are both descendants of internationally renowned circus families. We loved their high wire act, which had another element – Aura sings while doing the act. Look for the part with the chair on the high wire. We did hold our breath through most of their act and they definitely delivered.
7. Dosov Troupe. We loved their acrobatics and their energy.
There are snacks available for purchase — we were allowed to take some snacks in, but did end up purchasing some. The prices were around $4 for a hot dog, $4 for a big pretzel, $4 for a drink. There was also popcorn, candy, and juice boxes for purchase. The staff was friendly and happy to be working there. The tent was comfortable (there must have been air conditioning). We didn’t use the bathrooms when we were there, there were porta potties. You could park your stroller right inside the entrance and then it was a very quick walk to to the big top.
Parking:
I suggest parking on the street at Union Turnpike and 194th street, otherwise you’ll have to try to park inside of Cunningham Park and walk through the park to get to the circus. As a warning, I got hit with a severe seasonal allergy reaction inside of Cunningham Park (pollen alert).
Thank you to the Non-Profit Big Apple Circus for providing press tickets. As always, all opinions are my own. Pictures courtesy of Big Apple Circus.
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