Review: CIRCUS 1903 Showcases Golden Age at Buell Theatre

With the forthcoming departure of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, it might seem like the circus world could be fading...but not if shows like Circus 1903 stick around.

The stunning proscenium event is just what you'd expect from a Big Top, with the kind of acts you'd find during its golden age around the turn of the last century. The thrills that could have been lost on so many of us are still as captivating, if not more, than when they were first unleashed.

Created by the team behind The Illusionists and the puppeteering crew from War Horse, there's no shortage of spectacle. Led by Ringmaster Willy Whipsnade (played by renowned magician David Williamson), the show takes you on a journey from when the circus rolls into town through featured acts jugglers, side-show acts and tightrope artists.

A vintage scenic design by Todd Edward Ivins is enchanting coupled with composer Evan Jolly's epic score, blasted to volumes that make your heart race. Gorgeously detailed costumes by Angela Aaron transport you to another time, and a lighting design by Paul Smith generates a picture-perfect ambience.

In the grand tradition of circus, the featured performers are from all over the world and their skills have been passed down through family. They include Duo Flash, clowns from the Ukraine; the sixth-generation foot-juggling Rossi Brothers of Spain; French juggler (and one of the fastest on the world) The Great Gaston, Francois Borie; Russian balancing act, The Sensational (Mikhail) Sozono; Los Lopez, high-wire daredevils who perform without a safety net; The Cycling Cyclone, Florian Brummel, a European champion of cycling; the acrobatic team of Les Incredibles; aerial artist Lucky Moon, Elena Gatilova; and The Elastic Dislocationist, Senayet Asefa Amare, who contorts her body in unimaginable ways. Right now, it's so important to see how the world can come together this way.

Life-size elephant puppets, Queenie and her baby Peanut, created by Significant Object, feel so incredibly real. They're crafted so you can almost feel them breathing. If you look into their eyes, you can see something behind them. What a dazzling way to keep these creatures in circus without having to train real animals.

And then Ringmaster Whipsnade, supplemented with Williamson's sharp wit, brings a few kids on stage and shows where the true magic of circus lies, letting them be a part of his act. For younger crowds, this show will inspire and thrill. But the magic it provides will enchant young and old, keeping you on the edge of your seat until you jump to your feet.

Circus 1903 - The Golden Age of Circus plays the Buell Theatre at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts through Sunday, Feb 26. Tickets are available at DenverCenter.org or by calling (303)-893-4100.

Photos by Mark Turner

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