Cirque on wheels! Audiences of all ages will be mesmerized by "Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk" on Wednesday, March 30, at 7pm in Rudder Auditorium at Texas A&M University. The rowdy circus where the mischief is on wheels showcases creator and BMX rider Chris Lashua’s “Gantry Bike,” a pedal-driven performance apparatus. This remarkable creation is a modern-day industrial circus caravan. It moves around the stage with a dynamic and quirky ensemble of high-flying unicyclists, death-defying wheel acrobats, soaring pole climbers, and floating trapeze artists.
All tickets are $35 and are on sale now at the MSC Box Office (979) 845-1234 and online at www.MSCOPAS.org. The OPAS Family series is sponsored by Chick-fil-A Aggieland & South College Station, Primrose Schools of College Station, Paolo's Italian Kitchen, and OPAS Encore!
"Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk" draws inspiration from steam punk culture, where a post-apocalyptic world of machines is powered by steam. "Pedal Punk’s" “steam” power comes from the acrobatic wizardry of its daring company of roustabouts.
"Cirque Mechanics" was founded in 2004 by Boston native and German Wheel artist, Chris Lashua, after the success of his collaborative project with the Circus Center of San Francisco, Birdhouse Factory. "Cirque Mechanics" quickly established itself as a premiere American circus, with its unique approach to performance, inspiring storytelling, and innovative mechanical staging. Spectacle Magazine hailed it as “the greatest contribution to the American circus since Cirque du Soleil.”
Although inspired by modern circus, Cirque Mechanics finds its roots in the mechanical and its heart in the stories of American ingenuity. The shows, rooted in realism, display a raw quality, rarely found in modern circus, that makes their message timeless and relevant. The stories are wrapped in circus acrobatics, mechanical wonders and a bit of clowning around. The New York Times calls them “exceptional, evocative, eye-catching, ear-catching, and to keep the list short, engrossingly entertaining.”
For tickets and more information, visit MSCOPAS.org.