Il Circo's Family Fun
A San Diego treat has arrived at Bally’s Palace Theater. Il Circo is a demonstration of athletic prowess wrapped up in Commedia dell’arte packaging. It is on a much smaller scale than the elaborate Cirque du Soleil extravaganzas that for my money are too much spectacle and not enough humanity.
Il Circo presents the simple premise of a child entering a dream world, using that storyline to present its impressive line-up of acrobats, aerialists, clowns and remarkable 12-year-old contortionist Sasha Pivaral. There is music in the show, adding dramatic flair to the gymnastics, but the power of the human body in graceful motion is always center stage. For total flexibility, strength and balance, you can’t beat the amazing Vladimir Malachikhin (the man in white). If you are looking for a show that overwhelms with elaborate costuming and production design, this is not it. If you like the idea of skilled athletics demonstrating their strength, body control and flexibility, plus a couple of laugh-worthy clowns (Aaron Easterbrooks, James Maltman), Il Circo will provide a delightful evening of family-friendly entertainment.
The Il Circo Web site has a cool feature. You can visit the site and connect with a link that lets you leave comments for the cast about the show.