The virtual universe keeps expanding as more and more entertainment forms continue to find refuge in the cloud. Fully appreciating dance and theater in such a flat dimension still takes some adapting. Virtual live performance can help because it reinforces the sense of immediacy and intimacy, making an event just a little more personal. But circus? The notion of capturing the totality of a circus experience from the vantage point of a video stream seems almost unfathomable.
Omnius, probably one of the most unique takes on what a circus can and should be, has mastered making the circus thoroughly engrossing and fun from the vantage point of a screen. Believing that great talent can be found anywhere and in anyone, Omnium’s interpretation of a circus throws the doors wide open to everyone; inviting the broadest inclusivity possible in every aspect of its shows. From the audience to the performers to backstage; inclusion, equity and diversity are all made tangible realities.
Lisa Lewis, Omnius’s founder and Executive Director, believes “joy should be accessible all the time to all people”. It’s that belief that permeates this vision of a circus and is one of the two propellants that helps make it such a richly enjoyable experience. The other is sensational talent.
So reassuringly familiar and yet so refreshingly different, every second vibrates with some new surprise. The beaming Ringmaster, Jonathan Lee Iverson, once performed the same duties at Ringling Bros. He tones down the bravado you usually associate with the Big Tent and opts for a warmly congenial vibe for his virtual persona. Brandon Kazen Maddox, with his megawatt smile and tinseled eyes shares the Ringmaster’s spotlight and translates Iverson’s words into American Sign Language (ASL). It’s a gesture of welcome that works brilliantly.
Saying who truly enjoys going to the circus more, adults or children, has never been easy. Simply hearing the word “circus” can magically turn even the crustiest of us into a 10-year-old. A better question might be to ask what does any specific person like most about the circus. The clowns, the death defying displays of skill or just walking into a world so full of wonder? It helps to get on board with the language. To call the routines each of the performers does an “act” doesn’t really do them justice. What you’re witnessing are highly trained artists who’ve mastered arduously difficult crafts.
Going back seven generations, Elan Espana and his sister, Nomei, have circus DNA coursing through their blood. He performs with a Cyr Wheel that he stands inside and spins like a gyroscope. He’s also a wicked Diabolo juggling artist. She makes hula hoop artistry take on the drama of the high wire.
The Espanas may have been born to it, but Jason Span, easily one of the most captivating pole artists you’ll likely see, was a military brat who eventually found his way to the circus through a hobby. Working as a hospital corpsman for a decade, his curiosity about circus arts and his skills on the pole eventually won him first place in US Pole Sports; an indication of the flawless precision of his work.
Most circuses flow in a circle with humor and dramatic excitement continually following the other. Omnium, in its virtual iteration, adds one more component. The personal. Interspersed between individual performances and the wonderful comedic segues of Maxim the mime, artists introduce themselves and share personal history that lets you learn something of their origins and how they came to the circus. These introductions give you a glimpse into the people who marvel us with their uncommon abilities. You get a tiny peek into who they are and what it takes to develop their crafts. You also get the feeling that the love of what they do is real and that their appreciation for Omnium as a nurturing and enabling organization is genuine.
Even though you don’t think about going to the circus to be spiritually uplifted, at an Omnium performance you’ll come to appreciate another of Lisa Lewis’s magnanimous observations. “Children of all ages deserve to be inspired by someone in whom they can see themselves reflected.” Omnium shows those children of any age and the rest of us that disabilities don’t have to be restrictions. Although aerialist Jenn Bricker Bauer and Brazilian hand balancing artist Alan Pagnota have limitations that appear daunting, perhaps even dispiriting, neither lets what they can’t do limit the beauty of what they can do.
Smart horses beat temperamental tigers any day. Under the command of assured Horse Whisperer, Jenny Vidbel, watching the complex maneuvers her beautiful mass of hoofs can pull off becomes yet another source of awe.
Omnium’s Virtual offering will be available through April 2021.
$25 per household, reduced rate for seniors and students.
Also accepts pay what you can.
