“Circus” is a very powerful word.

It reduces full grown men and women to a state of juvenile excitement; where the mere blurting of “The circus is in town” causes a seismic wave of expectation among the crowd.

It’s synonymous with fun, frivolity and carefree laughter.  It conjures up visions of jaw-dropping stunts, mind-boggling tricks and a cacophony of sights and sounds that audiences, no matter the age, look back on with a happy smile.

It makes you want to be 10 again.

Sneak peek

You can imagine our anticipation when we got the invite to watch Cirque du Soleil’s “Saltimbanco” in Hong Kong and a behind-the-scenes peek into the traveling circus troupe, before it comes to the Philippines next month. Having been dazzled by the technological and artistic wizardry of another Cirque du Soleil production, Varekai, which performed to sellout crowds in Manila last year, we knew we were in for a treat.

We arrived just in time for the rehearsals of Russian Swing—arguably the most gasp-inducing part of the show. Performed by the House troupe, it features a series of gravity-defying jumps. The stunts are so dangerous, the lights are turned down and camera flashes are forbidden so as not to disturb the performers’ concentration.

“It’s the only actual training we do with no show lights, everything is dark,” says Maxim Charbonneau, the troupe’s publicist, as he guided us inside the circus tent.

“During trainings they’re attached (to a harness) but during performances they are free fly (unattached). As you can see the artists are fully involved in their own safety and security. They’re the ones setting up their own apparatus. There’s a technical team working with them, but they’re in charge of their own safety,” he explains.

Saltimbanco, from the Italian “saltare in banco,” which literally means “to jump on a bench,” is the oldest touring show of the Montreal-based entertainment company. It is the smallest of the touring companies in the Cirque du Soleil stable, with less than a hundred members, 51 of whom are performers (including one Fil-Canadian, Adrian Andres, who plays guitar in the band). 

It is also the most well-travelled, having toured over 270 cities on five continents, including Africa. The whole production has been converted to an arena-type company, which performs in smaller, established venues like convention centers, velodromes, etc. and takes 10 to 12 hours to set up (compared to Big Top-type troupes that bring their own Big Top and take 10 to 12 days to erect.) It takes 16 container trucks—filling two 747 cargo planes—to transport the whole set from venue to venue.

It’s about evolution 

At its heart, Saltimbanco is a story about evolution. It’s about the coming together of different cultures in a modern society. Created in 1992 when immigration was a big issue, it highlights the different colorful characters that make up mega cities.

“The show was created in the 1990s, when people were migrating from the countryside to the big cities. It’s about evolution, bringing people together. Yet each character retains its own individuality. That’s the storyline,” says Maxim. “Saltimbanco has remained simple, but in a good way. It doesn’t require as much technology as some of the other shows. It’s colorful and alive and full of energy. And that’s what people like about it.”

Simple yet amazing

To fully appreciate the impact that Saltimbanco has on the audience, however, one has to experience it live, and that’s what we got to do later that night.

I have to say, as awesome as Varekai is, this show is definitely more entertaining. The whole vibe is a throwback to old school street performances where Baroque characters mill around the stage, spontaneously bursting into song, while setting up the various acts in humorous ways.

We had expected to be impressed by dexterous juggling acts and incredible gravity-defying acrobatic stunts, but we did not expect to be bowled over by the humor, and for that credit goes to the “characters.”

It is simple, yes, if simple means most of the performers rely on skill and dexterity alone to execute their acts (no technological wizardry involved). But it is no less amazing.

Of all the acts, we were most impressed by the Russian Swing, the Chinese Poles (performed by the same House troupe, but with a lot more swagger), the Hand to Hand (which involves a lot of muscle control and head-sharing—yes, that, for lack of a better term), and Eddie the Clown, who has audio skills you would not believe.

From the hilarious opening act, which owes a lot to audience participation (you have to be game to get over the secondhand embarrassment) to work, to the final bungee jump, which conjures up images of “angels” in flight, Saltimbanco is wall-to-wall fun and entertainment. 

It’s worth watching over and over again.

** Manila will soon enjoy the Saltimbanco experience live when it stops by from Aug. 9 to 19 at The Arena at the SM Mall of Asia. Tickets are available www.cirquedusoleil.com/saltimbanco, www.hoopla.ph or www.smtickets.com. Better yet, call 320-1111 or 470-2222 to make reservations. VIP seats go for P10,500, while general admission seats are priced at P1,200.