BIG APPLE CIRCUS Returning to Boston with New Show, 3/24-5/8

Step right up as the Big Apple Circus returns to town with the Boston premiere of The Grand Tour, the company's 38th season production. Playing under the Big Top at City Hall Plaza, Boston, the show runs from March 24-May 8, 2016, with tickets starting at $25. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.bigapplecircus.org.

The Grand Tour transports audiences to the Roaring 1920s, the advent of the modern travel era, when the most adventuresome began touring the world in ships, planes, trains, and automobiles. With every seat less than 50 feet from the stage, audiences will be awed by the world-class entertainers as they perform breathtaking acts from the four corners of the globe. Clowns, jugglers, acrobats, and aerialists from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America appear with ponies, puppies and more; the troupe sets off on a whirlwind adventure, accompanied by the live, seven-piece Big Apple Circus Band at each performance.

Four-time Big Apple Circus ringmaster John Kennedy Kane returns to introduce a variety of stunning performers: clowns Joel Jeske and Brent McBeth; third-generation circus animal trainer Jenny Vidbel with her pony and dog acts; aerialist Sergey Akimov; international juggling sensation Alexander Koblikov; ninth-generation circus performer Chiara Anastasini with hula hoops; the Dominguez Brothers defying the law of gravity with their thrill-filled act featuring the Wheel of Wonder; Chinese hand balancers The Energy Trio; the African acrobatic troupe Zuma Zuma; and the Dosov Troupe soaring on the teeterboard.

The Grand Tour, conceived and created by Joel Jeske, is directed by Mark Lonergan (artistic director of Parallel Exit, the three-time Drama Desk Award-nominated physical theater company) with choreographer and associate director Antoinette DiPietropolo. Musical direction by Rob Slowik, with clown material created and directed by Joel Jeske. Set and lighting design by Maruti Evans, costume design by Oana Botez, and props design by Katie Fleming.

Circus of the Senses will take place on Tuesday, March 29 and Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 11am. Circus of the Senses performances are specially adapted to enable children and adults with vision or hearing impairments and other disabilities to experience the joy and wonder of the circus. Through the use of audio headsets, Braille descriptive programs, American Sign Language interpreters, and a special "touch session" for selected participants after the show, anyone and everyone can enjoy Big Apple Circus' The Grand Tour! Tickets for Circus of the Senses are $12.50 ($10 for groups of 10 or more). For tickets, please visit www.bigapplecircus.org/circus-of-the-senses to fill out a ticket application form. Please note that submitting the ticket application form does not guarantee tickets. Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first served basis to eligible groups. Priority is given to children with vision and hearing impairments and their chaperones. No ticket requests will be taken by telephone.

Big Apple Circus Embraces Autism will take place on Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 11am. Big Apple Circus has joined with world-renowned Autism Spectrum Disorders experts to adapt The Grand Tour for families with members on the spectrum and create a joyful experience for all. The adapted show includes the same world-class artistry as the full performance with a shorter running time, adjusted lights and sound, a calming center, pictorial social narratives, and specially trained staff and volunteers to assure a memorable event for everyone! All tickets to this special performance, a 75-minute abbreviated show, are half price ($12.50-$37.50).

The Grand Tour Family Fun Day will take place on Saturday, April 16, 2016. The fun starts at 3:30pm with interactive entertainment by our Clown Doctors, followed by a full performance of The Grand Tour, and then dessert in the Ring with the performers. Plus free popcorn for all and free goody bags for the kids! Tickets start at $30. All proceeds support Big Apple Circus Clown Care at Boston Children's Hospital, as well as our adapted performances.

Performances of The Grand Tour begin on Thursday, March 24 and run through Sunday, May 8 under the Big Top at 1 City Hall Plaza (Government Center), Boston, MA 02201, following the show's World Premiere engagement at Lincoln Center, NYC and month-long engagement in Bridgewater, NJ.

Tickets for The Grand Tour start at $25 and are available at www.bigapplecircus.org or by calling (888) 541-3750.

The Circus Box Office, located in front of the Big Top, opens Monday, March 21, there is no service charge for tickets purchased at the box office. Hours of operation: Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 8pm, and Saturday through Monday from 10am to 6pm. The Big Top is heated in cold weather, and air-conditioned when it's warm, for all-season comfort! The show runs for 2 hours, including a 20 minute intermission. For more ticket information, group sales, inquiries about wheelchair-accessible seating or for additional information please call the Ticket Info Line at (800) 922-3772.

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