A unique and captivating spectacle of strength, agility and imagination was offered by Cirque Chinois as the last show of 2012 on the Columbia Theatre’s stage, a show the likes of which the theatre has never seen before.
“It was really intriguing and we have never had anything like this at the Columbia,” said Columbia’s Interim Director Dr. Roy Blackwood. “I felt it was a world class show. Before we booked them we saw them on youtube, so if you missed the show you can check them out there. This act looked very exciting, and this is the state circus of China; of all of the circuses in China this is the very best one.”
All the way from Beijing, China the human circus is currently touring in the United States. The fact that the show was on the road is what made it possible for the Columbia to snag the circus.
“There are agents contacting me all the time, and it’s a matter of separating what I think will be good from what might not be so good,” said Blackwood. “But it’s also a matter of figuring out the cost. I got them on the way through, so that’s how we were able to afford this world class show.”
The show was divided into 16 acts with a fifteen minute intermission, each act showcasing combinations of dance, acrobatics, martial arts, feats of strength and illusions. Even the audience got in on the show. Paul Morvant from Houma, Louisiana was pulled on stage by a performer to participate in a knife throwing act. Morvant was secured to a movable wall and blindfolded for the performance.
“It was interesting, but I was a little bit nervous because of what he was doing,” said Morvant. “It was crazy but I trusted him, it seemed that he he knew what he was doing.
While it sounds nerve-wracking and flat out dangerous, the show was all about the comedy. Rather than actually throw the small, but very real, knives the performer merely handed them to his assistant, who stuck them into the wall around Morvant’s body by hand. Morvant, of course, didn’t know that at the time. However, despite his stressful and short employment with Cirque Chinois, Morvant had nothing but good things to say about the show.
“I thought it was was absolutely amazing,” he said. “These guys have it all, acrobatics and visuals, these guys are really amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this before, it was amazing.”