REVIEW: ‘The Legend’ is a new cirque experience in Sleepy Hollow
Photo: The Legend stars, from left, Justin Durham, Zoë Isadora and Mickey Lonsdale. Photo courtesy of Margaret Fox / Provided by Westchester Circus Arts with permission.
Salem, Massachusetts, has fully embraced its status as Halloween capital of the world. Although the origins of the horror are quite sad — false accusations, witch trials, executions — today’s Salem is a mélange of fascinating historic tales, Wiccan traditions, scary museum exhibitions and folksy fun around vats of apple cider.
A town that’s starting to rival Salem for the Halloween fun and festivities is Sleepy Hollow, New York, and its sister to the south, Tarrytown. These two municipalities are known for their spooky shenanigans thanks to Washington Irving’s classic short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, featuring the beloved characters of Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel and the Headless Horseman. In fact, visitors can still experience a few of the locations mentioned in the 19th-century story, including the Old Dutch Church at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
Around this time ever year, “Sleepy Hollow Country” heats up with beautifully bizarre events inspired by Irving’s story and the Halloween season. There’s the wondrous walk-through spectacle of the Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. There’s the promised “thrill ride” of Peter Royston’s Dracula & The Theatre of Doom at the Tarrytown Music Hall. There’s even Hulda’s Night, a scary walk in the woods for some campfire tales in Rockefeller State Park Preserve.
One of the newest entries in the Sleepy Hollow programming is also one of the best — and should become an annual tradition for this tucked-away hamlet in the Lower Hudson Valley. The Legend is a new cirque experience taking place under a big top tent on the banks of the Hudson River in Sleepy Hollow. Brought to life by the talented performers of Westchester Circus Arts, and produced by the Village of Sleepy Hollow itself, this 90-minute extravaganza retells Irving’s tale with acrobatic interpretation that is a marvel to behold.
Justin Durham plays Ichabod Crane, the central character of The Legend. He immediately takes a liking to Katrina (Zoë Isadora), much to the chagrin of Brom Bones (Mickey Lonsdale). Doug Stewart rounds out the cast as the aptly titled “Haunting Spirit.” The company doesn’t bring Irving’s story to life word for word (for that faithful rendition, check out Jonathan Kruk’s Irving’s ‘Legend’ at Washington Irving’s Sunnyside estate). Instead, the performers embody the emotions of the story — the Gothic romance, the fearful trepidation, the dastardly villainy — and let them spill over into artistic creation from the tippy-top of the circus tent.
Much of the aerial work in The Legend takes place stage-center, with one or two performers dangling above the audience’s heads. Thanks to a pulley system stage-right, the performers swing about from various rigs, always amazing the crowd below. Durham and Isadora’s cirque credentials are on full display, and they dazzle as would-be lovers trying to find a connection … and keep their heads in the right place. They couple obvious physical strength with touching artistry to bring their respective characters to the audience members.
That audience also enjoys the more grounded pursuits of the circus performers on the expansive stage. There is a hand-balancing act on three wooden poles, a barrel that serves as a solid platform for jumps and rolls, and even a little juggling of some apples to go with the holiday spirit. Ticket holders should not go in expecting the death-defying feats that larger circus companies employ; instead, they should sit back and enjoy the stunning singularity and intimacy of the one-on-one cirque experience on display at The Legend.
For $30, fans of the art form can get up close and personal to masters at their craft, with a pulley system that is operated in full view, with a narrative arc known to just about everyone heading to Sleepy Hollow this time of year.
Oh, and Washington Irving himself shows up. Thanks to some exquisite hologram technology, the author is resurrected from the grave (his final resting place is just up the hill at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery) and narrates the evening. He comes to tell the tale amidst a flurry of fallen leaves, laying the groundwork for the entire evening. This narration technique allows the performers to focus on their physical work and not have to remember any lines of dialogue. Irving takes care of that task for the evening.
The Legend is an enjoyable entry in the Halloween season of Sleepy Hollow Country. One hopes that Westchester Circus Arts and the Village of Sleepy Hollow make this legendary Legend an annual tradition. This year, audience members have until Oct. 16 to catch a performance, with shows running Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The age recommendation is 10 and up, although some youngsters in the crowd at a recent performance were clearly in their single digits, and oohing and aahing with the older kids.
Much like the performers in The Legend, audience members should strap in for a wild ride into the narrative heart of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Legend, from Westchester Circus Arts and the Village of Sleepy Hollow, continues through Oct. 16 in Sleepy Hollow, New York. Click here for more information and tickets.
