As I write, a company of artists and technicians are preparing for the dress rehearsal of this year's Big Apple Circus production
The Grand Tour.
This process has been both an immense challenge and a dream come true. The challenge of coordinating acts, transitions, animals, design, live music, and ring crew - in three weeks - was enormous. The specific needs of circus performers, including their daily training and safety requirements, added to the complexity of our daily planning and work.
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| Choreographer Antoinette DiPietropolo reviews the opening with the company |
The dream come true started with the team we've assembled for the production. I've written here about the main collaborators, all artists I've known and worked with for many years. Their brilliance and adaptability were exactly as I'd imagined. But we really hit the jackpot with the performers: an open, generous, and massively talented group with a common goal of creating the best show possible. I could not have asked for a stronger foundation on which to build this show.
The days here have been enormously long. 16 hours was the norm. In past years, the circus has traveled to Dulles, Virginia, during which time the show was honed and perfected for the run at Lincoln Center. This year, the show will
begin at Lincoln Center, meaning the honing and perfection process is happening now. There was not a moment to waste.
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| Joel and Brent admiring the set. |
The miracle of any show - going from the rehearsal hall into the venue, fighting its way through the technical rehearsals, and somehow coming together into a presentable product - is a kind of magic trick that never ceases to amaze me. What looks like an enormous mess suddenly gels into a smooth and beautiful work of art. The collective will pushes through every obstacle, and somehow, preposterously, the show emerges.
Today we take a first step. Wish us luck.
