Witness thrilling aerial
circus acts blended with
harmonious composition.
Over the years, the BSO’s
stage crew, as well as the
orchestra itself, has grown
accustomed to these
popular productions.
a cousin of the daredevil Nik Wallenda,
who walked across a spur of the Grand
Canyon on a tightrope last summer. Lyric
Wallenda will perform an aerial act with
long strands of silk fabric for the BSO
event. She also performs a high-wire act
with her mother for Cirque Musica’s
larger arena show.
This year’s BSO performances will
include a “rolla bolla” act, in which
an acrobat bounces and balances on a
platform of stools and cylinders that
keeps growing to over 12 feet high, all to
the frenetic patter of Rimsky-Korsakov’s
Flight of the Bumblebee.
The BSO program will be holidaythemed, says Cirque Musica creator and
executive producer Stephen Cook, with
holiday favorites (think “Jingle Bells”)
interspersed with light classical like the
Rimsky-Korsakov piece and Rossini’s
William Tell Overture. A clown character,
whom Cook calls “the comedic host,”
will set the stage, leading the audience
members through the extravaganza.
The Baltimore Symphony has been
presenting circus-themed productions
for several years, says Matthew Spivey,
vice president of artistic operations for
the BSO. In fact, performers were part
of a series of circus-themed classical and
pop concerts called “Under the Big Top”
conducted by Marin Alsop in 2010. The
repertoire included John Corigliano’s third
symphony, “Circus Maximus,” an evening
of concert operas by Barber and Gershwin,
and the Stravinsky ballet Pulcinella.
The holiday concert in 2011 featuring
the troupe Cirque de la Symphonie “was
easily one of the most successful holiday
productions to date,” says Spivey. Those
performances “drew an extra-wide-ranging audience,” including local families
looking to establish holiday traditions as
well as visitors to Baltimore, he says.
Over the years, the BSO’s stage crew,
as well as the orchestra itself, has grown
accustomed to these popular productions. “Of course, the first time, everyone
approaches it with caution,” says Spivey of
the staging, which involves ropes soaring
overhead, as well as performers on the
front lip of the stage, between players and
audience. While it may look like acrobats
come perilously close to the musicians,
Spivey says, “there’s more breathing room
than you think. We take every precaution to ensure there is no physical contact
between performers and players.”
The rigging, most provided by the
Cirque company, resembles climbing
equipment, says Spivey, with ropes controlled by a crew backstage. “We have a
lot of extra people working as safeties and
spotters,” he says. And compared to the
aerial work you’d see under a circus tent,
he says, “What we’re doing is straightforward.” Even so, Spivey adds, “within this
venue, it’s really stunning.”
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For information on tickets, please contact
the BSO ticket office, 410.783.8000
or BSOmusic.org.
Experience “rolla bolla,” in
which an acrobat balances
on stools and cylinders.
RCR-Baltimore.com
888.744.2548
November– December 2013 |
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