INTERVIEW: A look behind the scary curtain of Paranormal Cirque
Photo: Paranormal Cirque is a dark, horror-filled circus for those who like to be thrilled and scared. Photo courtesy of Kenneth James Photography / Provided by Paranormal Cirque with permission.
Paranormal Cirque is a unique performing-arts spectacle that exists somewhere between circus entertainment and cabaret. The show, which requires attendees to be 13 and over, is the latest creation of Cirque Italia, a company that has three tours of Paranormal Cirque running at the same time. Currently there are tents being erected in Canada and the United States, including a two-week stay in Rockaway, New Jersey, at the Rockaway Townsquare. This New Jersey engagement, featuring the touring company called Paranormal Cirque III, continues until Sunday, June 16.
The circus experience combines aerial work with contortionists and acrobatics, plus a host of other surprises. There’s a horror pastiche for the evening, with many characters dripping with blood or donning scary masks. There’s even a horror maze one has to enter before making it to the circus tent proper.
“Well, I would say to expect the unexpected,” said Roxana Midi, one of the aerialists for the show. “We are all full of surprises. … It’s a show with a scary horror thematic. It’s a fun fusion between cabaret, burlesque, theater and all this stuff. It’s full of fun. It’s evoking the world of dreams. It’s pretty cool. It’s something that you don’t see every day. We bring Halloween in June. You don’t have to wait until October. It’s unexpected. I guarantee that we’ll leave your jaw wide open.”
Midi was tight-lipped about her character, so as not to spoil any surprises, but it’s safe to say that throughout the two-hour performance she is constantly struggling with her inner-demons. Interestingly enough, even though she plays a possessed character, Midi is afraid of horror movies.
“I’m a coward,” she said with a laugh. “If I have to watch some scary horror movies, I have to sit with someone else. It’s scary. I don’t like it. It’s weird, but I do like working this type of show. It’s a little bit more challenging for me. As a performer, you have to prepare yourself more mentally, and it’s because the emotion that you have to send is different than a family-friendly show where you’re just smiling and taking in all the joy.”
Midi began her performing career in the world of ballroom dancing in her native Romania. She has always liked being on stage and offering her performance for a crowd. She came to the circus arts because of an opportunity that arose for her to visit the United States a few years ago. There was a troupe of 10 performers who were working on a teeterboard, and she was invited to join them and learn the act.
“I started to get used to the circus lifestyle, which is very different than a regular style,” she said. “I love it. I visited this country more than I visited my own. I feel lucky that I get the opportunity to travel almost every week and visit different parts of the United States because residents in the United States sometimes they don’t have this type of opportunity. … I’m lucky because of the circus world, and I’m very thankful for that. I’m not sure if I would like to stay in a stable place — maybe yes, maybe no.”
Paranormal Cirque is that rare circus event that comes with an age restriction and disclaimer. The youngsters are meant to stay at home while the adults enjoy a night of thrilling entertainment. That said, teenagers are allowed in with a parent or guardian.
“Everybody raises their children differently,” Midi said. “We do have a policy of age. We have an age restriction. They have to be 13 and up, and it has to be at the adult’s discretion. But it’s a show designed more for the adult. Why? Because of the language, because we’re working with a more mature sense of humor. We’ve got a little bit of profanity. It’s not terrible, terrible, but everybody raises their children differently. … It’s a pretty interactive show. Two or three times we do choose some audience [members], so if you’re coming to our show, you might be the lucky one at the start of the show.”
Midi added: “Tell them to bring their curiosity. That is the requirement that we are asking from our audience. Tell them that they’re not going to regret it. It’s a very unique and special event, and you must come and see it with your own eyes.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Paranormal Cirque plays through Sunday, June 16, at the Rockaway Townsquare in Rockaway, New Jersey. Click here for more information and tickets.
