Author Archives: Circus Smirkus
Sold Out Opening!
Hey everyone! Happy Independence Day!!! Our staff and troupers have worked tireless hours putting together this beast we know as the Smirkus Big Top Tour. Yesterday we kicked off the season to full houses. The high energy the audiences brought into the tent combined with the enthusiasm and excitement from the troupers and the upbeat, and vibrant tunes from Tristan Moore and Parker Bert made for a thrilling show. The hard work has just begun, however. After the show, the crew began to tear down the tent in preparation for today’s “jump” to Essex, Vermont. Tomorrow I will let you…
SHOW TIME!
Photo by Alex Zaprudsky Creative Director Jesse Dryden hoarsely exhorted the troupe to repeat some steps “Again! Again! Again!” Artistic Director Troy Wunderle and his daughter, Ariana, rehearsed a slapstick fall. Trouper Magnus Gaiever practices a mincing walk for a clown gag as juggling coach Tyler Parks, suggesting sound effects. Lighting director Tim Cryan tweaked the color of the spotlight. Just some of the hundreds of moments from yesterday’s dress rehearsal. Make that rehearsals. There were two of them. Yes, they were a bit rough. Yes, gags and acts and transition bits had to be repeated (“Again! Again! Again!”) until…
The Hard Work Paid Off
Music was blaring, acrobats were flying, and the buzz of excitement filled the air at the Smirkus Headquarters yesterday. The troupers performed the entire show during their “Stumble-Through” rehearsal. “Frontpage Follies” is about to hit the newsstands and fly off the shelves! The troupers and staff at Smirkus are the hardest-working, most efficient folks I have ever worked with. Time moves quickly here in Greensboro and I tend to forget that merely three weeks ago, the troupers were green performers; some of whom never performed in the ring before — and now, less than a month later are stars under…
We’re Two Days Out!
Our Tour opening is TWO days away, folks! The 1 pm show on Sunday is close to selling out; but there are still tickets for the 6 pm. Don’t risk being turned away at the box office – buy your tickets in advance here. It turns out that what seemed to be hectic days of intensive training were actually relatively low-key. The pressure is definitely on. Troupers who once practiced different skills and moves for acts are now putting it all together, to live music. The smells of cotton candy and popcorn are beginning to fill the air. Props are…
Congratulations!
Congratulations, Noelle for winning the “4,000 Facebook Fans Celebration Giveaway” Contest! Enjoy the show!
We’re Live in 3… 2… 1…
Wednesday was a very exciting day for Circus Smirkus! WCAX–TV 3 in Burlington, VT, did a five-minute live broadcast on “The :30” promoting the 2011 Big Top Tour. Two of our troupers — Sonya Gurwitt, Norwich, VT, and Noah Nielsen, Montpelier, VT — performed some of their circus skills and were interviewed about their experience with Smirkus. Noah performed a diabolo routine and Sonya stretched and contorted to delight the show’s audience. Host, Mike McCune, even showed off his juggling skills at the end of the interview. Our troupers did a fantastic job of representing our show and themselves with…
A Life Based in Tradition
As Marialisa explained yesterday, Circus Smirkus thrives on its traditions. This connection to the past; however, is not exclusive to Smirkus. In fact, circuses live off their brilliant backstories, rich traditions, and in some cases superstitions. Here’s a peek at some ongoing circus lore. Facing the Ring from the Curb Circus performers never sit on the ring curb facing outward. This tradition is a tribute to pay respect to the performance space by facing toward it when sitting and watching in the ring. Pie-in-your-Face Birthday Circus clowns celebrate birthdays by pie-ing the birthday boy or girl in the face. In…
The more things change…
Yesterday, the conversation at lunch (among some of us, anyway) was about changes at Smirkus through the years. From a two week “circus camp” we’ve grown into a year-round organization with a full-time staff of ten and a seasonal staff of at least 100. From a tiny production featuring a handful of Vermont kids we’ve morphed into a training ground for talented youth from around the nation and the world (the current troupe features kids from 14 states (including Vermont), plus New Zealand). Back in 1987, the year Rob Mermin founded Smirkus, the troupe was comprised of 15 Vermonters –…
Behind the Scenes Prep Work
We’re less than a week away, folks! Things at Smirkus are about to get extremely hectic…but, through all the hard work, sweat, and long days of rehearsing, our troupers and support staff will be performing a show they are proud of. It will be an amazing sight when the skeleton of the performance-to-be bursts into a full-blown production—right before our eyes this week. I caught a glimpse of the proscenium facade, which “Tex” Redinger, designed and is currently painting to be slick and streamlined in an industrial palette. This hard work is vital to the final aesthetic of the show…
We have a Beginning!
On Saturday I witnessed a watershed in rehearsal period: the choreography of the “charivari,” or opening act. The opening gives the audience a sampling of the entire performance and sets the mood of the production. This year’s charivari music, by (as is the entire show score) composer Tristan Moore, is inspired by the music of the 1920s. Choreographer Matt Williams, late of “Séance on a Wet Afternoon” at Lincoln Center in Manhattan, fills our charivari with the Charleston, partner dancing, Quickstep, acrobatics, and pyramids! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSFzLfgKKLI&w=480&h=390] The troupers were given the afternoon off so they would have ample time to…