The "Cirque de la Symphonie: Magic Toy Shop" Story

The cover of the evening's program.

It was an ordinary day.  New year's Eve and Carol and I are going out on the town tonight with friends!  Headed to our friend's house for Hor d'ourves and a drink before heading to the American Music Theatre (AMT) to see a show titled "Journeys."  To be more accurate, it is also known as Cirque de la Symphonie: Magic Toy Shop.  It features our very own Lancaster Symphony Orchestra performing with a globe-trotting troupe of actors, acrobats, balancers, contortionists and jugglers who coordinate their moves to classical music provided by the orchestra.  Last year we also visited the AMT to hear Beatlemania perform with the Lancaster Symphony and we had a great time.  Well, a few weeks ago I opened the local newspaper and out popped a poster advertising tonight's performance.  Pretty neat poster printed on heavier paper in full color.  A story in the entertainment section of the paper accompanied the poster.  The troupe is on the road all over the world and has played with the Boston Pops, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Sydney Orchestra in Australia.  The title of the show actually translates to "circus of the symphony."  We parked the car and headed into the theatre.  

Even though camera weren't permitted I did manage to
take this rather poor photo as the Concertmaster entered.

 Seats were in row "M" in the center of the theatre thanks to Pat ordering them months ago.  The orchestra was busy tuning their instruments when the lights flickered to announce to the audience to turn off your cell phones and take your seats and when the audience lights dimmed again the Concertmaster entered stage left. He took a bow, played a note on his violin for the orchestra to check pitch and then sat.  A few seconds later Stephen Gunzenhauser, the Conductor, or as Carol and I as well as the cast of Seinfeld call him Maestro, entered, bowed to the audience and took his place on his stand.  

A few of the performers as they
appeared in the newspaper.

 "Festive Overture, Op. 96" by Shos- takovich began.  As "Danse Macabre, Op. 40" by Camille Saint-Saens began a few minutes later, a performer entered stage left and began an aerial routine on the aerial rope hanging from the ceiling of the stage.  Christine Van Loo was a seven-time National gymnastics champion who gave a spectacular performance.  My only regret about the performance was not being able to take photos to share.  In bold print in the program it stated that no still or video photography was allowed.  I had my camera with me, but my wife told me that if I get ushered out for taking photos she would meet me after the show in the parking lot.  So, I'm sorry to say, it's your loss as the performers were fabulous as was the orchestra.  Other performances given, all to music, were Ring Juggling, Contortion and Dance, Spinning Frame and Cube and Aerial Straps.  At this point intermission occurred with serving of champagne in the lobby.  As we re-took our seats we did so with noise makers in our pockets.  The orchestra then returned to their seats and began tuning when all of sudden a few instruments broke into …. "shave and a haircut"…… to which we all, by blowing on our noise makers, returned "two bits."  The next couple of minutes was packed with plenty of early celebrating as the audience joined the orchestra in merriment.  Lights were dimmed and the Concertmaster and Conductor returned to their positions.  Then the orchestra began with "Mirror Dance" from the ballet music from Faust by Charles Gounod.  Two performers entered with one placing a large collapsed circular enclosure center stage.  You could tell that it was going to be a magic routine with someone disappearing.  

Performers as they took their bows at the
 end of the performance. You can see
 that our seats were in a prime spot.

 But, no!  The magician asked the conductor to join him as they tied a very beautiful woman in all kinds of knots with a big rope.  They then ushered her into the enclosure on the floor.  But wait ……. the conductor was also told to stand with her in the enclosure.  The two then pulled the enclosure over themselves as the orchestra gained intensity and shortly the enclosure dropped and the beautiful woman was still tied, but wearing the conductor's tuxedo jacket under her rope!  Wow!!  The woman was untied and as she gave the jacket back to the conductor, as the music came to an end.  Other performances in the second half of the show included an Electric Juggler, Ribbon Dancer, Cry Wheel where the performer is inside a circular metal wheel, Aerial Duo and perhaps the best performance of the evening …… the Strongmen performance.  These two performers, dressed in ….. well, maybe I should say not dressed in much and painted gold performed all types of balancing to "Findlandia, Op. 26, No. 7" by Jean Sibelius.  Unbelievable, so it was.  

Performers, orchestra and conductor take a bow.

 Carol said to me when they had finished, "There is no way those two aren't going to have back and neck problems as they age."  The show ended with the singing by the audience of Aude lang syne as the performers, conductor and musicians took their bows and the audience celebrated with their noise makers.  I did chance getting caught as I snapped a few photos to show you how the theatre appeared for our show.  The evening was a success as we departed to our friend's home again for dessert, drinks, a game of Uno and watching the ball drop at New York's Times Square.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.