CIRCUS: WANDERING CITY Comes to the Asolo Theater

Circus: Wandering City, created by ETHEL in partnership with The John and Mable Ringling Museum and directed by Grant McDonald, is a full-evening, multi-media performance program inspired by the heroes behind the magic of the Big Top. Performed seamlessly, the work combines stunning images and films from the Ringling's unmatched archives, complex projection design, and original music composed by members of the quartet.

The music and projections illuminate and reveal a 21st century take on a larger-than-life performing culture of global traditions and origins, while celebrating the wonderment and excitement of one of America's most iconographic popular culture experiences.

The Circus has always been rich in thematic material: generations of the same family performing together- passing a legacy down through the years, the inherent nomadic nature of the circus artist, and the "outsider" status of those in the sideshows. ETHEL is most moved by the human story of circus, which suggests the stuff of dreams - to fly, to lift mountains, to dance on air, to tame nature, to defy death.

Established in New York City in 1998, ETHEL is Ralph Farris (viola), Kip Jones (violin), Dorothy Lawson (cello) and Corin Lee (violin). ETHEL has earned a reputation as one of America's most adventurous string quartets - heirs to the likes of the Kronos Quartet and Soldier String Quartet, and part of a generation of young artists blending uptown, conservatory musicianship with downtown genre-crossing and collaboration. Garnering praise for their creative musicianship and for creating rich, often multimedia, stage productions, ETHEL has been described as "indefatigable and eclectic" by The New York Times and "virtuosic, vital and brilliant" by The New Yorker.

Museum Admission: $25 general admission includes the Museum of Art, special exhibitions, Circus Museum and bayfront gardens; senior citizens (65 and over) are $23; children ages 6-17 are $5; free admission for children 5 and under accompanied by an adult museum member.

Dates: January 26 and 27, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: $30, $10 for students with ID

Venue: The Historic Asolo Theater at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, Florida, USA

The Ringling is a center for art and history, situated on 66 magnificent acres on the shores of Sarasota Bay. It is built on the remarkable legacy of circus entrepreneur, collector of art and financier John Ringling and his wife Mable.

The Ringling inspires visitors with an acclaimed collection of Old Master paintings, explores with them the diverse cultures and art of Asia, delights them with the story of the American circus as told through the first American circus museum as well as the world's largest circus model, and transports them to the Roaring Twenties during a tour of the magnificent Ca' d'Zan mansion.

The Ringling is also committed to exhibiting the work of an emerging community of living artists whose work moves beyond traditional practice and features dynamic and engaging contemporary visual and performing arts, including a diverse roster of theater, music, dance and film.

The Ringling is the State Art Museum of Florida. Affiliated with Florida State University, it is one of the largest university art centers in the nation.

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