“BANANA SHPEEL” It’s a Shmelky World !

Missing the Big Top and Ringmaster, this is a circus of business as usual...clowns, jugglers, contortionists with some extra-added attractions, some quite dazzling, others yet to be determined.  Creator/director David Shiner has chosen to configure Cirque du Soleil with a storyline. That’s the TBD aspect! It all takes place at the newly restored Beacon Theatre on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Shmelky (Danny Rutigiliano) is a kind of Ringmaster but he also plays a role of a grouchy theatre producer bringing on the variety acts in an audition format, while making mincemeat of his three employees, squeaky voiced “sign here” secretary Margaret (Shereen Hickman) and clown sidekicks Wayne Wilson and Daniel Passer, who are deliciously mischievous. The costumes are sparkly and inventive, with kudos to designer Dominique Lemieux, and are seen to their top advantage in the second act closer as the dancers move ghostlike under black lights, while costumes change color (Bruno Rafie is responsible for the creative technique). There are some wonderfully entertaining ensemble dance routines (to the credit of choreographer Jared Grimes), featuring tap dancing highpoints by brother-sister, “10 thousand steps in 3 minutes,” Joseph & Josette Wiggan.

My question, however, is why the need for a storyline?  It’s a variety show, sometime old-time vaudeville, that can stand on its own as such with the presentation of some amazing talents like Dima Shine (Dmitry Bulkin), the Russian balancer, who sheds his Pierrot costume to reveal more muscles than can be humanly possible, as he defies gravity using a pole.  His routine is beautiful to behold in a display of strength and grace.

The three contortionists (Imin, Ayagma and Lilia) twist and turn into human pretzels; Vanessa Alvarez stands on her head while her feet and hands are spinning sparkling mats. There are the clowns who pose as audience members brought up on stage in some funny, some not so funny, vignettes. Particularly ha-ha, is the all too skinny Patrick De Valette (who must weight 75 lbs.,or so it seems), wearing a raincoat over his orange underwear, who leaps and cavorts around the stage. And there’s the 8-piece band, with solo members who accompany several of the variety acts to enhance the drama.

I guess the only missing elements are the balloons! There are many lulls and maybe that has to do with an unnecessary storyline that just doesn’t add to the skill and talents of what this actually is, and should remain, a circus! It is family friendly and, to most audiences, should represent an evening of pure entertainment.