Germany’s Great Bavarian Circus kicked off its tour on March 15 in Stone Mountain with two tents promising German food and beer and eye-popping traditional circus acts. It hasn’t been an easy road for the traditional, family-owned European act, though.
It’s a far cry from the popular Cirque du Soleil touring show, which fall in line with “contemporary” circus tradition focused on narrative performance, an absence of animals and trained artist performers.
Instead, the Great Bavarian Circus is a strictly traditional event. It is a family affair, with everybody pitching in on food, performance and operations. In between acts each member will serve up concessions and take pictures with the audience before heading back into the stage tent.
It is also significantly cheaper than a Cirque Du Soleil show, where tickets range from about $60 up to over $100 a person. The Great Bavarian Circus starts pre-sale prices at $13 a head, with general admission at about $25 for adults.
Twice, media visits to the event were postponed to better prepare for the press. By the time I could attend, the performers were gearing up for the next tour stop in South Carolina before heading to Augusta, Ga., at the end of April.
The added time may have helped work out some, if not all, of the kinks that come with a new national tour. Some German foods like bratwurst and sauerkraut were offered at prices from $10 to $15, alongside popcorn and cotton candy.
Some parts of the show are different than billed, too. Before kicking off in Atlanta, organizers said quarantines would limit the full cast of camels, horses, donkeys, and dogs from performing, but “hot dogs” and goats would be in attendance.
The March 29 show had only one dog performing alongside the clown, charming the crowd with leaps and tricks. But the show may have been better off without a full furry roster, since some advocacy groups call for an end to animal performers in circus acts.
The Great Bavarian Circus is at its best when human performers are showing off special talents. Aerial acts on hoops, ropes, poles and silks left the crowd in awe as each woman soared to the top of the tiny tent. When a performer makes a mistake – dropping the boxes during a juggling act, the blade bouncing during a knife-throwing set–– the inevitable recovery is that much sweeter.
Eventually, the crowd warmed up to other elements of the performance, like the traditional clown that helped guide the evening. Certain jokes were received better than others, but two opportunities for crowd participation involving a firefighter striptease and a water-spitting contest won laughs from all ages.
For 90 minutes, the crowd entered the bygone era of circus acts at their peak: before film and television, video games and social media. Children and adults alike were enraptured by each skill on display.
By the time the clown began juggling various objects at the end of the show, it was clear that the crowd had been won over. Though I had doubts, I was won over too when the family said a “dankeschön” to everybody in the crowd.
“We are very happy to be here for the first time in America,” the clown said.
It’s a palpable glee and authenticity at getting the chance to display their art to the United States. While not perfect, the Great Bavarian Circus is at once nostalgic and new, providing a chance for something different from a typical night out.
Germany’s Great Bavarian Circus is touring across the country now. It will return to Augusta, Ga., from April 26 to May 5.
Great article, I didn’t know about the circus