COURTESY OF CIRCUS FLORA
Performing piggy.
With each Circus Flora season comes a new theatrical storyline and brand-new performances. This year the show is called The Case of the Missing Bellhop and it features a high-flying trapeze artist, daredevil stunt performers and the St. Louis Arches — a troupe of child acrobats. There will also be mini horses doing tricks, superstar basset hounds and trained pigs performing under this diverse big top.
Human performers, animal performers and show-goers will all be happy about one big change this year: the season starts earlier.
In past years it could get a bit hot under that peaked canopy later in the summer months. Now, with a new permanent home, the circus has been able to move out of Powell Hall's parking lot, and that allows it to kick things off even before the St. Louis Symphony's season finishes. The new season begins this Saturday (April 21) and runs through May 13, 2018.
The circus should be fun for everyone, so organizers have set aside many nights for audience members who require special considerations. The circus is hosting a peanut-free preview tonight so those with the dangerous allergy can get in and check it out before the classic circus food takes over the place.
Circus Flora is also offering a Sensory Friendly night, described as a special one-hour performance “tailored for individuals on the autism spectrum, those with visually impairments, or with other sensory sensitivities and is specifically designed with minor changes to the sound, lighting, etc. to create a comfortable enjoyable environment.”
There is also a Scout Night and a weekly Little Top Performance offered on Friday mornings from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. that is designed for the circus’ most enthusiastic fans — small children.
And if all of that family-friendly fun has you looking for a drink, stop into Planter’s House. The Lafayette Square bar is currently sporting a circus-themed cocktail menu. From now through October, $1 from every purchase of their drink called “A Circus Story” goes to Circus Flora. This twist on an old fashioned is garnished with popcorn and an elephant-shaped animal cracker, so you pretty much can’t lose.
Tickets for the performances start at just $12 and can be purchased in advance through CircusFlora.org.
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