{"id":30326,"date":"2018-11-22T08:10:24","date_gmt":"2018-11-22T13:10:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=30326"},"modified":"2018-11-22T08:10:29","modified_gmt":"2018-11-22T13:10:29","slug":"on-stage-the-circus-is-always-in-town-these-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=30326","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: The circus is always in town these days"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, Entertainment Editor, The Times\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Cirque Dreams Holidaze<\/p><\/div>\n

You could paraphrase the old saying \u201cWhen one door closes, another door opens,\u201d with this — \u201cWhen one circus finishes its run in this area, another circus will open soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the past few months, the Delaware Valley has received visits from Cirque Italia\u2019s water circus, Cirque du Soleil\u2019s \u201cVolta,\u201d UniverSoul Circus and Paranormal Cirque (at two different locations).<\/p>\n

This weekend, there are two circus options on the local calendar \u2013 \u201cCirque Dreams Holidaze\u201d in Wilmington and the UniverSoul Circus in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

For three days only, there will be a holiday-themed circus show taking place locally when the The Playhouse on Rodney Square (10th\u00a0and Market streets, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5577<\/a>,\u00a0www.thegrandwilmington.org<\/a>) hosts \u201cCirque Dreams Holidaze\u201d from November 23-25<\/p>\n

The show, which was created and directed by Neil Goldberg, is a stage spectacular that takes Christmas entertainment to a whole new level. \u201cCirque Dreams Holidaze\u201d has an\u00a0international cast of more than two dozen talented performers performing old and new Christmas numbers.<\/p>\n

It features snowmen daringly balancing, penguins spinning, gingerbread men flipping midair, toy soldiers marching on thin wires, puppets dancing and reindeer soaring high above a landscape of holiday wonderment.<\/p>\n

The touring spectacle, which played the same venue in 2014 and 2011, also features an original music score along with some seasonal favorites, over 300 super colorful costumes and a stage setting with a 20-foot tall tree, gigantic gifts, colossal candy canes and 30-foot towering soldiers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe production is even bigger than it was the last time we brought it there,\u201d said Goldberg, during a phone interview Tuesday evening from a tour stop in Mobile, Alabama.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has 30 artists from all over the world, 20 acts and a lot of new music by Jill Winters. It looks and feels like a Broadway musical. There are great songs and big Broadway-style production numbers along with all the fun and pageantry of a holiday show.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our 10th season with this show and we have three \u2018Cirque Dreams Holidaze\u2019 productions out on the road. We also have two \u2018Cirque Dreams Unwrapped\u2019 shows going on right now.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn \u2018Cirque Dreams Holidaze,\u2019 there are 20 scenes, and each tells a different story of the holiday seas \u2013 New Year\u2019s Eve, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Santa and the North Pole. We also have a \u2018Humbug\u2019 character who greets the audience during the pre-show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Goldberg is the founder and creative force behind Cirque Dreams, an American theatrical production company. The company has a number of spectacular shows on the road, including \u201cCirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy\u201d, \u201cCirque Dreams Illumination\u201d, \u201cCirque Dreams Coobrila\u201d and \u201cCirque Dreams Splashtastic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe concept for this show evolved from my being a collector of Christmas ornaments,\u201d said Goldberg. \u201cI have a collection with thousands of ornaments from all over the world. I was so inspired by these ornaments.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought they\u2019d make great character costumes. There are over 300 costumes used in each performance. The performers\u2019 skills have been put into holiday themes. The Winter Wonderland is an awesome production number. This is a high energy, very fast-paced show with two acts \u2014 each about 50 minutes long. It\u2019s a holiday stage spectacle that puts smiles on people\u2019 faces.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Cirque Dreams Holidaze — https:\/\/youtu.be\/GvgexEXbmoM<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Performances of Cirque Dreams Holidaze are scheduled for November 23 at 8 p.m., November 24 at 2 and 8 p.m., and November 25 at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $40-$90.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The UniverSoul Circus<\/p><\/div>\n

The UniverSoul Circus (52nd Street and Parkside Avenue, Philadelphia, 800-345-7000<\/a>, www.universoulcircus.com<\/a>), which is entering the final two weeks of its run in Philadelphia, provides circus fans with a very different experience.<\/p>\n

The circus will be in town now through December 2 at its site in Fairmount Park.<\/p>\n

The world-class circus\u2019 performances, which will be held in the UniverSoul Big Top next to the Mann Music Center, blend traditional circus attractions with urban culture, hip hop tunes and world beat music. It\u2019s the lively music that elevates the show to another level.<\/p>\n

The UniverSoul Circus is a top-flight live entertainment attraction that has captured the hearts and imaginations of a new generation of families.<\/p>\n

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, UniverSoul Circus has come full circle in its influence in the international entertainment marketplace \u2013 garnering the distinction of being known as a one-of-a-kind, must see attraction.<\/p>\n

Since its first performance in 1994, The UniverSoul Circus has presented more than 10,000 performances to live audiences, exceeding 20 million people, and has been seen in more than 60 million households on both local and national television networks. The Emmy-nominated HBO special remained in rotation for more than six years.<\/p>\n

UniverSoul connects with progressive, upwardly mobile, urban pop cultures from around the world. It embraces and celebrates the unique and familiar aspects of global cultures and ethnicities into a stellar production that blends circus arts, theater and music.<\/p>\n

Celebrating 25 years under the big top, UniverSoul Circus features music, theatrical performances, incredible circus acts and loads of fun. The show features a variety of acts from around the world including flashy Caribbean dancers, acrobats from Africa, high-flying trapeze artists, mind-boggling contortionists, funny clowns, lions, zebras and much more.<\/p>\n

circus will be in town now through December 2 at its site in Fairmount Park.<\/p>\n

Video link for UniverSoul Circus \u2014 https:\/\/youtu.be\/UatZSn1JJbQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at UniverSoul Big Top will run now through December 2 with early afternoon, late matinee and evening performances. Ticket prices start at $22.<\/p>\n

This weekend\u2019s schedule has an international flavor with circus artists from Europe in Cirque Dreams Holidaze and African and Caribbean acts in the UniverSoul Circus.<\/p>\n

Keeping the international vibe going on November 25 will be The Faim, a rock band from Australia, and Korpiklaani, a goth folk band from Finland.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Faim<\/p><\/div>\n

The Faim, a talented young pop-punk band from Perth, share the bill with Hands Like Houses on November 25 at The Foundry at Fillmore Philadelphia (1100 Canal Street, Philadelphia, 215-309-0150<\/a>, www.thefillmorephilly.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The quartet — Josh Raven – Lead Vocals; Stephen Beerkens – Bass\/Keyboard; Sean Tighe – Drums and Percussion; Sam Tye – Guitar \/ Bass \u2013 has been together for a while but is in no rush to put out an album just for the sake of releasing an album.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is our first time to tour the states,\u201d said Raven, during a phone interview last week as the band was in the process of a new experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re in the van on our way to Denver and it\u2019s snowing a lot. This is the first time I\u2019ve ever seen snow in person. It doesn\u2019t snow at all in Perth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe came to the states once prior to this tour. We came to Los Angeles to record with producer\u00a0John Feldmann\u00a0about a year ago. In our first session, we did 14 tracks and got eight in the second one. Out of those, we\u2019ll take five or six for the album \u2013 maybe, I don\u2019t know. At the end of the day, we want to have the best songs we can.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve released one EP as a band. We don\u2019t want to rush things and release an album now. Our priority is being diverse \u2013 and keeping diverse. We\u2019re alternative pop rock. We indulge all our influences \u2013 songs we love and our personalities\u2026things that shaped us as human beings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all have a piece in the songwriting. We\u2019re all up there onstage. The songs wouldn\u2019t be the same without everyone in the band\u2019s influence.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition to working with a top-flight producer such as John Feldmann, The Faim also inked an international deal with BMG.<\/p>\n

While working with Feldman, the band benefited from the producer\u2019s connections. At Feldman\u2019s request, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy came by the studio and co-wrote The Faim\u2019s single, \u201cSaints Of The Sinners.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, the band has been very patient with its recorded output.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to keep reaching people,\u201d said Raven. \u201cWe really want to release an album, but it\u2019s been hard to find the time.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe did our first show together four years ago. Me and Steve were in high school together. We had similar music tastes, so we decided to form a band. Then, we got Sean to be in the band. Sam joined the band a little while ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce we started, it didn\u2019t take us long to start recording. But we still have just one EP. Sometimes, it can take 100 sings to find an album.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even without the benefit of an album to attract listeners, the band from the remote city on the West Coast of Australia has been building a strong international following. Since the quartet\u2019s launch in February, the band has clocked more than eight million total global streams and landed on Spotify\u2019s New Music Friday, Rock This, and New Noise playlists.<\/p>\n

Now, the foursome is ready to expand its fanbase via a series of electrifying shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re definitely playing all the EP songs,\u201d said Raven. \u201cWe\u2019ll also be playing some of the new songs. We\u2019re really passionate and energetic onstage. The live set is a rock show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for The Faim \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/7oNcPG_uXWI<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The all-ages show at The Foundry, which also features Hands Like Houses, Devour the Day, Emarosa, and Arlington, will start at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $17.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at The Foundry are Yung Punch on November 23, The Contortionist: Reimagined Tour on November 24, The Wrecks on November 27, and Draco Rosa on November 28.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Korpiklaani<\/p><\/div>\n

Korpiklaani, which is headlining a show at the Theatre of the Living Arts (334 South Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1011<\/a>, http:\/\/www.lnphilly.com<\/a>) on November 25, is a goth metal\/folk band from Lahti, Finland that has been making albums for 15 years. In 2003, Korpiklaani evolved from a previous Finnish band called Shaman.<\/p>\n

Jonne J\u00e4rvel\u00e4 (vocals, guitars) is the only founding member of Korpiklaani\/Shaman still in the band. Matti \u201cMatson\u201d Johansson (drums) and Kalle \u201cCane\u201d Savij\u00e4rvi (guitarist) have been in the line-up since 2003 with Jarkko Aaltonen (bass) having joined in 2005. The tulokkaita (Finnish for \u201cnewcomers\u201d) are Tuomas Rounakari (violin), who came on board in 2012, and Sami Perttula (accordion), who has been a member of Korpiklaani since 2013.<\/p>\n

Korpiklaani is currently touring the states in support of its new album \u201cKulkija,\u201d which was released on Nuclear Blast Records a few months ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recorded the album in December last year,\u201d said Rounakari, during a phone interview Wednesday afternoon. \u201cIt took forever to come out.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe album was released in September. We wanted it to be released last winter right after we finished making it, but the record company had other ideas. We already started to play the new songs during the summer festival season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making new recordings is always an involved process for Korpiklaani \u2013 especially since many of the band\u2019s members live in Finnish cities other than Lahti.<\/p>\n

\u201cJonne still lives in Lahti, which is fairly close to Helsinki,\u201d said Rounakari. \u201cThe rest of us are scattered all over Finland. I live in Kokkola, which is on the northwest coast.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe rarely practice nowadays because we play over 100 shows a year. We have our rehearsals on the road. Soundchecks are our rehearsal times. With the songwriting, Jonne has done 90 per cent of the songs. Sometimes, his demos are rough and unfinished so there is a lot of room for the rest of us to explore. He\u2019s not a dictator.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most folk metal bands start with metal before adding folk music. Korpiklaani began with folk music and then added metal. The roots of Korpiklaani can be traced back to a Sami<\/a> folk music group created in 1993 by J\u00e4rvel\u00e4. A little while later, Shamaani Duo morphed into Shaman.<\/p>\n

Shaman was known for the heavy use of original native S\u00e1mic<\/a> music elements and lyrics. The most widely-used elements are Joik (or Yoik), Humppa and Shamanic drum.<\/p>\n

The Sami are a Finno-Ugric people living in S\u00e1pmi, which today encompasses large parts of Norway<\/a> and Sweden<\/a>, northern parts of Finland<\/a>, and the Murmansk Oblast of Russia. Some famous people whose roots are in the Sami region are actress Renee Zellweger, the late legendary jazz bassist Jaco Pastorious and National Hockey League Hall of Fame member B\u00f6rje Salming.<\/p>\n

Korpiklaani still show their S\u00e1mic<\/a> roots in their music and feature joiking in some of their songs. J\u00e4rvel\u00e4 and Rounakari both have studied joiking.<\/p>\n

\u201cJonne learned joiking years ago when he married into the Aaiko family,\u201d said Rounakari. \u201cI learned joiking from \u00c1illo\u0161, who is a master of the art form.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joik, a part of the Sami culture since ancient times, is used to express relationships to people and nature. Traditionally, joiks have no lyrics but rather consist of chanting. They can also include mimicry of animal sounds.\u00a0Joik can be performed for purposes of entertainment, but they can also have a spiritual function. Most people acquire their own melody, like a signature tune.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoiking is like nothing else,\u201d said Rounakari. \u201cIt\u2019s rhythmically very complex. Joiks don\u2019t have a beginning or an end. You can begin it or end it at any point \u2013 and it uses vowels that are in between vowels. Joiking is also a sign of a person\u2019s nature.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joiking and many other traditional elements have merged with Korpiklaani\u2019s metal influences to make the bad what it is today. Their new album \u201cKulkija\u201d is a shining example.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a band, we\u2019re really happy with the songs on \u2018Kulkija,\u2019\u201d said Rounakari. \u201cOur previous album \u2018Noita\u2019 was the album where we found the balance of folk and metal. With \u2018Kulkija,\u2019 we took it a step further. There is more a folk music feel to how we play \u2013 more melodic. And, the Shamanic side is still part of the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Video link for Korpiklaani \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/ZB7PyLYQyXg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The show at the TLA, which also features Arkona and Frist Giant, will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the Theatre of the Living Arts are Allen Stone on November 24, and Amine on November 28.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Jimmy Carroll<\/p><\/div>\n

Kennett Flash (102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, 484-732-8295<\/a>,\u00a0http:\/\/www.kennettflash.org<\/a>) is hosting Jimmy Carroll (\u201cThe Last of The Boomers\u201d), Todd Chappelle, and Joe Bublewicz on November 23 and Zack DuPont (of The DuPont Brothers) on November 24.<\/p>\n

The Ardmore Music Hall (23 East Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, 610-649-8389<\/a>,\u00a0www.ardmoremusic.com<\/a>) will present Steve Kimock & Friends on November 23, Huffamoose with special guest Cookie Rabinowitz on November 24, and \u201cAMH Friends & Fam Jam\u201d on November 25.<\/p>\n

The Keswick Theater (291 N. Keswick Avenue, Glenside, 215-572-7650<\/a>,\u00a0www.keswicktheatre.com<\/a>) presents \u201cThe Machine performs Pink Floyd\u201d on November 23.<\/p>\n

The Sellersville Theater (24 West Temple Avenue, Sellersville, 215-257-5808<\/a>,\u00a0www.st94.com<\/a>) will have \u201cGary Hoey\u2019s Ho Ho Hoey Rockin\u2019 Holiday Show\u201d with The Rob Balducci Band on November 23, Almost Queen (Queen Tribute) on November 24, Irish Christmas In America on November 27, and Coco Montoya with Sister Blue on November 28.<\/p>\n

The Locks at Sona (4417 Main Street, Manayunk, 484- 273-0481<\/a>, sonapub.com<\/a>) will host Stephen Kellogg with special guest Taylor Carson on November 23 and Francis Dunnery on November 24.<\/p>\n

The Queen (500 North Market Street, Wilmington, 202-730-3331<\/a>, www.thequeenwilmington.com<\/a>) will present Ben LeRoy & The Snap on November 24. The Candlelight Theatre (2208 Millers Road, Arden, Delaware,\u00a0302- 475-2313<\/a>,\u00a0www.candlelighttheatredelaware.org<\/a>) is presenting its production of \u201cShe Loves Me\u201d running now through December 23. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings (doors 6 p.m.\/show, 8 p.m.) and Sunday afternoons (doors, 1 p.m.\/show, 3 p.m.). Tickets, which include dinner and show, are $63 for adults and $33 for children (ages 4-12).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times\u00a0 You could paraphrase the old saying \u201cWhen one door closes, another door opens,\u201d with this — \u201cWhen one circus finishes its run in this area, another circus will open soon.\u201d In the past few months, the Delaware Valley has received visits from Cirque Italia\u2019s water circus, Cirque du […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30328,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[5598,6518,10778,10779,10777,10746],"class_list":["post-30326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-cirque-dreams-holidaze","tag-featured","tag-jimmy-carroll","tag-korpiklaani","tag-the-faim","tag-the-universoul-circus"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=30326"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30327,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30326\/revisions\/30327"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/30328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=30326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=30326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=30326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}