The circus is coming to town

MANILA, Philippines - Performing in a circus is an exercise in trust. You trust the guy on the other flying trapeze will show up just in time to catch you fall. You trust your co-performer in the human pyramid act won’t sit down or step out of line lest you stumble and fall — to your death.

That’s why the revered Ringling Brothers Circus depends on its members’ family ties to pull through, show after show. The Great American Circus is no exception. It has seven generations of families who perform around the world. The acts are so dangerous performers just have to pray the other guy won’t fail them when the time comes.

Says ringmaster Cornell “Tuffy” Nicholas, “We treat each other like family. And many of our members come from the same family.”

The Valencia brothers, for instance, come from a seven-generation family of performers who trace their roots to Argentina. They will show off their acrobatic skills on a 30-foot human-powered Wheel of Death when the Great American Circus mounts shows on Dec. 21, 2010 to Jan. 4, 2011 at SMX Convention Center. The cast will also perform at the Waterfront Hotel, Lahug, Cebu on Jan. 8 to 10 and at Cebu Coliseum on Jan. 11 to 11.

The Valencias’ derring-do is matched by a husband and wife in their forties who shoot apples on their respective heads in the daring Crossbow Act. One false move and the arrow can just slice through one of the husband or wife’s vital parts.

“You entrust your life to the other every day,” says Tuffy. “So there should be a lot of trust and honesty in the relationship.”

And there is. Tuffy — and the rest of the circus members — have known each other for years. They’ve traveled, rehearsed and performed together — for the longest time.

They’ve done a mean aerial ballet on silks, the classic flying trapeze and other numbers in a two-hour show, without missing a beat.

Raved Guam’s Pacific Daily News: “(The show) is ‘a real crowd-pleaser (with) plenty of head-scratching acts that leave you in how did they do that?’ amazement… truly a jaw-dropping spectacle!”

That spectacle didn’t happen by accident. Tuffy attests to the performers’ dedication in practicing for years on end and “knowing their limits.”

Age is clearly one of them. Those who hang precariously by the cable wires, for instance, must be young and nimble. So you have people in their teens or early twenties.

Tuffy himself used to do all those daredevil acts until he decided to leave them to younger performers.

Thus, no one knows more than he does that you just don’t go out there and put your life on the line without making sure you’ll live to tell the story.

“We check everything thrice. We replace all the cables often,” he reveals. That’s how they’ve kept their record of no accidents intact all these years.

The group literally sets the stage for their shows— aerial trusses, building risers and all.

“We’re transforming the venue from that of a convention center into a grand circus arena,” crows Tuffy.

The result, he goes on, is something borrowed and something new. You have the traditional elements — the flying trapeze, the crossbow and balancing act, etc.

 But must always keep with the times. Tuffy promises special effects galore and a Michael Jackson impersonator named Michael Kiss, whose resemblance to The Gloved One — not only in terms of looks but voice — is uncanny.

To make sure everyone has the time of his life, Tuffy and friends have prepared clown face painting and picture-taking sessions with the circus artists before the show and during intermission.

Those who go for other types of diversions can visit toy and souvenir stands in the venue.

The Manila leg of the Asian tour is special for Tuffy and company because it’s their very first stop.

“We have managers from several other countries coming here to the Philippines to watch our show,” explains Tuffy. “That’s why it’s that crucial. What they will see here is a showcase of what we are.”

The Hawaii-based ringmaster has another reason for performing in Manila first.

“When I visited here for the first time, I noticed right away that the families here are large,” he observes. “The circus is the perfect family entertainment. It’s the best Christmas present you can buy for your family.”

From one (circus) family to another this Christmas — that’s not a bad idea at all.