Each year, under the Big Top tent, Circus Flora gives St. Louis something new. The pieces might be familiar — the acrobats, clowns, jugglers and animal acts — but the performers, and the stories they tell, are different.
Starting over from scratch each year isn't easy. “It's for the joy of it,” said Circus Flora’s artistic and executive director Jack Marsh.
“There's some incredible circus artists from all over the world,” he added, “and we want to expose our St. Louis audience to as many different types of them as possible, and find the best of them and bring them here.”
Now in its 39th season, Circus Flora is debuting “Urban Legend” starting with its preview show on Thursday. Marsh said the story follows “an idyllic city that becomes less idyllic when a monster shows up.”
What happens next is a particular brand of choreographed chaos that makes circuses beloved. The show features multiple acts, including the Flying Wallendas and dogs performing tricks. There’s also a “trampoline wall” act that features performers “jumping off of the windows of a city building, onto a trampoline bed, and flipping and spinning and landing back on [the building],” said Marsh. “It's so fun and energetic and incredible to watch.”
Juggler and circus artist Book Kennison plays the role of the monster-afflicted city’s mayor. The show isn’t just a homecoming for Kennison, a St. Louis native, but also a chance for him to reunite with the youth circus program at Circus Harmony.
“As a child there, I got to get my ‘ring legs,’ working in the ring just over and over again,” he said on Wednesday’s St. Louis on the Air. “So many reps, so many shows. As a seasoned performer, my busiest time ever was when I was a kid, performing constantly. I felt like a seasoned veteran by the time I was 18.”
Related event:
What: Circus Flora’s “Urban Legend”
Where: The Big Top in Grand Center, 3401 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103
When: June 5-22
To hear the full conversation with Circus Flora’s Jack Marsh and juggler Book Kennison, listen to “St. Louis on the Air” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. The production intern is Darrious Varner. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
