The one-ring circus is an intimate experience, with no seat located more than 50 feet away from the ring. The performers often come out into the audience, bringing the action even closer. The show has everything you’d expect from a circus – animals, clowns, and acrobats with super powers (well, not actually, but it sometimes seems that way!).  It is all part of a larger theme, “Dream Big.” In the show’s story, each act is part of someone’s dream; an adolescent boy dreaming about a beautiful Russian rope aerialist, a doll who dreams of having the strength, grace and control of a hand balancer, or a little girl who lives her dream of swinging from the flying trapeze. The singing Ringmistress and her sidekick chauffeur weave the storyline through the performance with songs, props and hi-jinks.

The Company of the Big Apple Circus is like an assemblage of international circus royalty, and many of the performers come from a long line of circus folk. The youngest member of the Company, 10-year-old professional flying trapeze artist Ysabella Wallenda-Cortes, makes up the 5th generation of The Flying Cortes. Jenny Vidbel, an animal trainer and performer, grew up traveling with her grandparents and their circus animals, and began her career as a trainer at the age of 12. The members of the Company have an impressive list of awards to their credit, including Grandma/Barry Lubin’s induction into the International Clown Hall of Fame.

Two of the Company’s award winners, Scott and Muriel, bring a whole lot of laughs to the Big Top, with their slapstick comedy and mind-bending illusions. When they add Grandma to the mix, hilarity ensues. To really bust a gut, though, all you need is Grandma and a guy from the audience spitting water at each other or lip-syncing “Unforgettable” together. I don’t know why it’s so funny, really, but I was laughing so hard, I was in tears.

Have you ever seen six guys jump roping simultaneously in a pyramid formation? The Shandong Acrobatic Troupe’s wowing routines are full of gravity-defying tricks and surprises. They made a few missteps, but honestly, I think they do it on purpose so we’ll appreciate just how incredibly difficult their stunts are. Other notable gravity-defying acts are a juggler wearing the coolest juggling costume I’ve ever seen – a black and silver retro-space-age suit with pockets for several giant white juggling balls – and the family of flying trapeze artists, The Flying Cortes.

Everyone in my family agreed that the best part of the show was “Furry Friends,” the dream segment from the mind of the show’s little dog, Daisy. She and her menagerie of furry and quilly friends jump, tumble, roll their way to the salon, a hotel, and a concert featuring a “singing” Capybara. My kids laughed until they shrieked. (My apologies to the people sitting around us.)

An evening at the circus did our family good, and I was delighted to learn that the Big Apple Circus is a non-profit organization, committed to bringing the same joy and fun we experienced to many more people in the community. They have developed community programs for children who are hospitalized (you may have seen them at Children’s Hospital Boston), economically disadvantaged, physically challenged, or considered at-risk. They also visit nursing homes and long-term care facilities to sing, dance and juggle for the young at heart. Videos of community programs and show highlights are on the Big Apple Circus homepage.

Tara’s Tips:

Do anything and everything you can to avoid using the outdoor trailer bathrooms/port-a-potties. If you have one of those kids who can hold it for hours, this is not the time to insist that they at least “try to go.” My children are not those kids, so the next time we go to the circus, I am going to limit their fluid intake for a few hours beforehand. I may even wear an adult diaper. Seriously.

Don’t choose front row seats unless you and your kids are prepared to get up close and personal with the performers, and possibly become part of the show.

Although there is a parking discount for Big Apple Circus goers, I highly recommend leaving the car at home. The Green Line/Blue Line Government Center exit is literally at the entrance to the circus, and the Red Line is just a few minutes’ walk from the Park Street stop.

Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are directly across from the circus tent, and Fanueil Hall is a stone’s throw away. You may want to skip the overpriced concessions and wait until after the show. I must admit, however, that we did splurge on some cotton candy ($6) and enjoyed every bit of it.

Children under 3 are free when they sit on an adult's lap. One child per lap.

Although I have been told that I am a prude and that my standards for what is appropriate for children are different from many other parents’ standards, I still feel compelled to mention that the show has some sexual overtones that could make parents uncomfortable. While some of the references are subtle and would go over most kids’ heads, other bits are more obvious, like Muriel’s “girls” looking like they are constantly on the verge of jumping out of her mini-dress.  

If you have the type of kid who goes gaga for facts, history, and trivia, you may want to check out an online project of the Big Apple Circus, Circopedia.org. The circus encyclopedia has photos, essays, interviews, sketches, and videos of circuses, past and present.

Big Apple Circus
In Boston through May 13, 2012
Location: City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall Plaza, Boston, MA 02201

Tickets: Ticket prices start at $15. The Circus Box Office on City Hall Plaza is open daily —Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10am to 6pm and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday from 10am to 8pm. You can also order your tickets online until two hours before the show.

Contact: Ticket Info Line (800) 922-3772.