Italian water circus visits North Texas

By KRISTA SIMPSON

The circus is coming to town, and it’s bringing a 35,000-gallon water tank with it.

The Cirque Italia will be presenting its newest show, “Aquatic Spectacular,” to Denton April 4 through 7. The show is open to all ages and will feature many artists from around the world. The tent will be set up for circus-goers on the North Texas Fair and Rodeo grounds. Prices for the show vary depending on which level the seat is on, but adult ticket prices range from $20 to $40, and children’s ticket prices range from $10 to $35.

The Water Circus was created in 2012 by Manuel Rebecchi when he came to America from Italy. “He has circus in his blood,” said Samatha Kulinski, a circus performer and the on-site social media specialist. “He came to the United States wanting to make his own American dream.” And so, the Water Circus was born.

“Aquatic Spectacular” takes the audience through a glimpse of Italy with different acts throughout the performance. The Lasso had the opportunity to attend a show and experience the water circus first hand. Among the acts that were shown were a contortionist, several acrobats and a daredevil archer.

Rebecchi’s water circus is the United States’ first traveling water circus, which is only part of the reason that it is unique. Kulinski said that the water circus is special because of the experience that it offers to the audience. “It’s not a mud show. It’s a very elegant experience,” Kulinski said.

With its ambient lighting, splashing water fountains and carefullyselected music, the water circus attempts to make the audience feel as if they are experiencing Italy.

Performers also interact with the audience throughout the show. Every show is different depending on the audience. The circus clown continuously walked among the crowd and made sure everyone was entertained in between acts. Performers even interacted with the audience in the middle of their acts to make the show feel very personal and intimate. “The best thing about our show is that it’s fairly intimate for a show this size,” Kulinski said.

The seating within the circus tent is very intimate as well. Although the tent can fit up to 1000 people in its seats, every seat has a good view of the stage. “Even from the furthest seat, you’re only 40 feet from the stage,” said Kulinski, “You can get a good view from wherever you are, and for us performers, that means we can see everyone’s faces and reactions.”

Terence Giannuzzi performing “Rolla Bolla”