Famed youth troupe comes to town

Date: 5/14/2007

Wilbraham Circus Smirkus, Vermont's award-winning international youth circus, is celebrating 20 years of bringing joy and magic to towns all over New England. This summer, the traveling youth circus will perform 72 shows in 15 towns, from the mountains in Vermont to the shores of Maine, with stops along the way in New Hampshire, New York and Massachusetts. Twenty-five teen stars, ages 13 to 18, bring polished skills and youthful exuberance from all parts of the country and the world. This season, the Big Top Tour takes to the road July 1 through August 19.

This year, W.H.A.T. ((Wilbraham/Hampden Acedemic trust), in conjuction with area businesses, including the Scantic valley YMCA is presenting 4 exciting performances in Wilbraham on Friday July 13th and Saturday July 14th. Show times are 2 and 7pm.

Theme-based shows

As always, the show is full of talent and spectacle, with aerials, acrobatics, highwire, juggling, trapeze, clowning, live music and brilliant costumes. This year's 20th Anniversary Tour continues the tradition of theme-based tours with a full-on 1940's swinging and spying escapade called The Zoot Suit Caper: A Boogie Woogie Whodunit.

The story revolves around a 1940s traveling circus and a priceless heirloom that goes missing as someone douses the lights and the stage goes black. Chaos ensues as a Private Eye with a bumbling band of detective clowns step in to solve the mystery. The result is a foot-stomping, nail-biting, action-packed adventure that's sure to bring audiences to their feet.

The spectacle of a traveling youth circus

Circus Smirkus is the only American youth circus to put on a full-season tour under its own big top - a 24-meter, 750-seat, one-ring tent in the European style. The entire company totals nearly 80 people touring in 25 trucks and support vehicles, including more than 30 performers, their coaches, counselors, costumers, tech crew, robust tent roustabouts, three circus chefs and a live circus band. The tour caravan requires five equipment trucks, three equipment trailers, four bunk trailers, seven pickups, three passenger vans and one cookhouse. To load in a show, it takes eight hours to set up the big top, backstage and two concession tents, prep and organize 250 costumes, 200 props, 70 spotlights and a mile of electrical cable.

The stars are kids

Troupers are selected for skill, character and personality through an audition process that begins in November. The show is created over the winter months. Then, in three intense weeks in early June, the troupers arrive and the show is rehearsed at the Smirkus headquarters in Greensboro, Vermont, before going on the road. During the course of the seven-week summer tour, troupers learn the ropes of traditional circus life--grueling hours of practice, full two-hour shows twice a day, months away from home and the demanding labor of loading the show in and out. They learn about teamwork, community and giving service back to the community through free performances at children's hospitals and nursing homes.

Parents, and audiences alike witness the transformation in Troupers. Francey Grund, a former trouper, explains, "Smirkus is magic, I see it each and every summer. It is as though the new troupers arrive with wings they didn't know they had and by the end of the summer Smirkus has taught them to soar."

Non-profits use Smirkus shows as fund-raisers

Local organizations and businesses are "presenters," using Smirkus performances to promote services and products, to raise funds for important social missions, and for overall community good will. Since 1987 Smirkus has raised more than $2.2 million for non-profit presenters. These desirable, and profitable, benefits make the circus a sell-out annual event in many towns.

The Circus Smirkus performances in Wilbraham are an important fund-raising event for W.H.A.T.

This summer, join Smirkus for The Zoot Suit Caper under the big top. For circus fans of all ages, it really is possible to run away to the circus without leaving your hometown!

Tickets are $14 for children and $18 for adults and are available in advance at the eastfield Mall and the Scantic Valley YMCA. Tickets will be available at the door starting one hour before showtime. For more information, contact Julie at 596-2749 (julie@scanticvaleyy.org) or call 1-877-SMIRKUS toll free or visit the colorful Smirkus Web site at www.smirkus.org.