Portland Ovations to Present Quebec's Cirque Alfonse: TIMBER!, 1/29

Thrilling aerial and circus acrobatics combined with epic feats of agility and strength, inspired by North-American lumberjacks, loggers and farmers rolls into Merrill Auditorium when Portland Ovations presents Quebec's Cirque Alfonse: TIMBER! on Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at 7 pm.

Cirque Alfonse, established in 2005 is a young circus company from Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez in the province of Quebec. Its founding members have all worked with some of the most renowned "nouveau cirque" companies around the world. This troupe is comprised of a team of professional acrobats graduated from the École nationale de cirque de Montréal, as well as a professional dancer, an ex-skiing champion and three talented and versatile musicians. This brave and creative group of performers is blazing a creative path that no one has yet dared to explore, blending the arts and techniques of the circus and infusing them with the most picturesque facets of traditional Quebec folklore.

Fueled by live Quebecois music, the troupe creates a colorful, energetic scene of agility and strength while they juggle axes, duck and dive between whirled-about saws, and execute daring handstands, balancing acts and acrobatic flips on stage. Canada's Le Devoir, calls it "Simply jaw-dropping." And London's Telegraph states, "TIMBER! is one of those shows that makes you want to run away and join the circus."

In collaboration with the performance of Cirque Alfonse: TIMBER! The Maine Historical Society will hold a Film Series on January 23 with a showing of "Woodsmen and River Drivers: Another Day Another Era" at 12 pm. A short film focusing on five individuals who worked for the Machias Lumber Company, and on the same day a showing of "In the Blood" will take place at 6:30 pm. This Sumner McKane film is an illustration of the life, skills, and character of the turn-of-the-century Maine lumbermen & river drivers.

One hour prior to the performance of TIMBER! at 6pm on January 29th a pre-performance lecture is offered called Circus: The Quebec/Maine Connection in the Green Room at Merrill Auditorium. Where Peter Nielsen, President of Portland's Circus Conservatory of America discusses the evolution of contemporary circus in North America, Maine's circus/physical theater history, and Portland's latest role in training global circus artists.

Tickets for TIMBER! are $35 to $45 for Ovations' Members, $38 to $50 for the general public and a limited amount of $20 student tickets are also available. TIMBER! is sponsored by The Portland Phoenix and supported by Center for Cultural Exchange Foundation and New England Foundation for the Arts. To purchase tickets, visit www.portlandovations.org, contact PortTIX at 207-842-0800 or visit the box office window at Merrill Auditorium.

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