1. The townsfolk are goofy. And consequently, very funny. Steve Ragatz is a hoot as a bearded miner sporting bright red long johns, and "Clepto Clown" Elena Day cracks kids up by picking the pockets of everyone on stage and hiding their belongings all over her body.

2. The acts are re-imagined for the era. Balancing, swinging, tumbling, you’ve probably seen most of this stuff before. But the company tweaks the tricks to suit the Wild West setting. Ragatz balances on old-fashioned jugs, Kerren McKeeman swings on a chandelier and, in one of the show’s highlights, the cast flies through the air holding on to a pair of swaying telegraph poles.

3. The acrobatic machines are seriously cool. The troupe built a lot of amazing apparatuses to assist the performers, like the telegraph poles, which sway on an intricate pulley system, and a revolving crane connected to a trapeze. I admit, sometimes I watched the machines instead of the acts. They were that awesome.

4. Hannah French is amazing as Calamity Jane. With her chopped hair, leather chaps and perpetual sneer, she was absolutely my favorite character. She was also a heck of an acrobat, swinging on the chandelier and tumbling atop mobile trampolines.

5. Clint Bobzien’s strength. He shimmied up a pole and then held his body straight out at a 90-degree angle as if gravity didn’t apply to him. And his arms didn’t even shake! (Can’t say the same for some of the other balancers, sadly.)

6. The saloon owners’ brawl. Don’t worry: It’s no more violent than a Bugs Bunny cartoon. The two guys go at it, Looney Toons-style, bringing business rivalry to new, low-comedy heights.

7. It’s the only circus in town. Ringling has already left the nearby arenas, and Cirque du Soleil won’t be back until June. Right now, if you want high-flying thrills, this is the show to see. And in my opinion, it totally delivers.

Boom Town is playing at the New Victory Theater through April 24. Click here for schedule. $14-$38.

Kids not into the circus? There are plenty of other live stage shows around town to please young theatergoers.