Eagle-Tribune Blogs: Pop

This just in from my colleague, Emily Young:

One of many Young family traditions was an annual pilgrimage to the Big Apple Circus. More often than not, our trip to the Boston big top fell on Patriot’s Day, when the city was crowded with exhausted marathoners and celebratory fans.

My sister, Cate, loved the elephants and cotton candy. I enjoyed Grandma (the clown) and the oh-so-salty popcorn. We also would splurge for an oversized plastic mug filled with soda, which our father continued to use until roughly two years ago — despite the fact they were usually pink and decorated with circus characters.
Cate and I decided to check out the circus Friday night, in its new-ish location by City Hall.
The popcorn is still deliciously salty, in case you were worried. And, of course, Grandma didn’t disappoint. Her signature move – hula-hooping a string of pearls around her neck – remains a crowd pleaser. Some of her routines were the same, like eating popcorn of a bald audience member. But other rifts with a new-to-me ringleader, a Brittish female named Carrie Harvey, went over well with the crowd.
Many of our favorite acts were sadly missing this year. Cate was disappointed that the animal acts only featured dogs and horses, and I really missed seeing a flying trapeze family.
But we were wowed by Cong Tian, who did summersaults, handstands and even rode a unicycle along a teeny-tiny rope several feet off the ground—no net needed. Equally impressive was the Kovgar Troupe. They used an oversized see-saw to launch performers into the air and be caught on the shoulders of other performers stacked up at varying heights.
I also enjoyed watching the sea of small faces reacting to the show. A four-year-old boy sitting next to us would remark, “Wow,” every few minutes, just to remind us that all the feats in the ring were actually pretty amazing.
Traditionally, our family would eat an early supper at the Boston Sail Loft after a matinee show. Cate and I made our way over to the waterfront restaurant, which also features a popular bar for 20- and 30-somethings, after Friday night’s performance. Instead of a plate of chicken fingers and French fries, we opted for a couple of beers. It’s nice when traditions can grow and change with time.

If You Go
What: 30th Anniversary Big Apple Circus
Where: City Hall Plaza, Boston
When: Through Sunday, May 4, with afternoon and evening performances.
How: For more information, go to http://theshow.bigapplecircus.org.

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