Ooos, ahs and dropped jaws fan the flames of performance for Cirque de la Symphonie as the world-famous artists make their rounds in concert halls throughout the country. Performing against a backdrop of full orchestration, aerialists fly with the greatest of ease over stunned audiences, only to alight inches from musicians on stage — their hands held high to acknowledge the roar of thunderous applause. This is what the show’s producers wait for; seldom are they disappointed.
Thursday evening, the Music Center at Strathmore’s Concert Hall morphs into the Big Top when the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra presents “Holiday Cirque de la Symphonie,” a full, unforgettable show programmed for the entire family by its executive director, Bill Allen, and by Alexander Streltsov, Cirque’s technical director and co-founder. Precision-tuned to correspond with favorite holiday music led by conductor and “ringleader” Bob Bernhardt, the presentation features selections that include Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite” and Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride.”
| Onstage |
| Holiday Cirque de la Symphonie |
| Where: Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda |
| When: 8 p.m. Thursday |
| Info: $17.50 to $88, 877-BSO-1444, strathmore.org |
“The show is choreographed down to the microsecond,” Allen explained. “The performers have to look like they’ve been doing it all their lives.”
Alexander Streltsov, in addition to his technical duties, also takes to the high wire for the show. This award winning aerialist has performed for three Russian presidents, the Bolshoi Ballet, numerous symphonies in the United States and Europe and elaborate theater and stage productions worldwide.
“We do not have much time; usually a day to rehearse before we do the show. But all of us know everybody’s act very well,” Streltsov noted. “Once the [high wire] comes in place, it’s really cool because people who usually come to these venues don’t even realize that some of these things are even possible!”
Joining the high-flying Streltsov are three more aerialists, Christine Van Loo, Aloysia Gavre and Sagiv Ben Binyamin. They will be joined by other acts that include tango dancers, quick-change artists, jugglers, contortionists, acrobats and strongmen, to name a few.
“We’ve never done anything this elaborate, this customized as what we’re going to present [at Strathmore,”] said Allen. “People never seem to get tired of it.”
