Irreverent, saucy and chaotic, the Australian troupe Circus Oz has built a cult following for its infectiously funny and death-defying stunts.
Now, the acclaimed band of funky misfits is returning to UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall to present its new show, “From the Ground Up,” Feb. 15-17.
This isn’t “entertainment for kids” per se — it’s a show for everyone that just happens to be kid-friendly, if my 7-year-old’s rave review is any indication.
He said:
They do cool things. It’s a funny show that kids will like. Not a kiddie show!
I took my son to Zellerbach Hall to see Circus Oz’s last show, the steampunk-influenced “See It to Believe It,” in 2010. He was just five at the time (though already a veteran theatergoer, to Broadway shows and Cirque du Soleil), and he loved it. We saw plenty of kids in the audience, most aged seven and up.
“From the Ground Up” marks Circus Oz’s fourth visit to Berkeley. The show riffs on a construction theme, drawing inspiration from Charles Ebbets’ 1930s photography of construction workers and Rosie the Riveter from the 1940s.
Described as “gloriously irreverent,” the Australian circus troupe in past shows has taken familiar gags such as a precarious bike balancing act and the “lovers on a trapeze” bit and remade them into a funny, fresh amalgam. Athletes, jugglers, magicians and trapeze artists perform in the fast-paced show to a rock soundtrack by a five-piece band.
Tickets info
Tickets on Friday, February 15 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, February 16 at 2 p.m.; and Sunday, February 17 at 3 p.m. in Zellerbach Hall are priced at $22.00-$76.00 and are subject to change.
The Saturday, February 16 matinee performance is a Family Fare event; ages 16 and under save 50 percent on single-ticket prices.
Tickets are available through the Ticket Office at Zellerbach Hall; at (510) 642-9988; and at www.calperformances.org.
Limited discounted tickets available at Goldstar.com (sign up for free email subscription to access the deal).
[All photos by Rob Blackburn.]
[...] this as one of many not-boring events happening this weekend: Circus Oz could be the perfect match for your theatre-going 7-year-old (give or take two [...]