A traveling circus troupe with performers who have worked for Cirque du Soleil and Big Apple Circus is setting up in the middle of Midtown for one hour only, and it will not cost a dime to watch. Parallel Exit brings its show Sunset Circus to the Bryant Park lawn on August 29, featuring seven circus artists doing aerial work, juggling, acrobatics, and comedy routines alongside a massive trampoline.
The performance runs from 5 to 6 pm and needs no ticket or reservation, according to Time Out. That is a notable discount from the $40 to $50 that Parallel Exit charged for the same show earlier this year, when it staged Sunset Circus as a ticketed indoor production at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan in March and May, according to BroadwayWorld. That indoor run reportedly introduced updated juggling and aerial routines that audiences may see again on the Bryant Park lawn.
A Fictional Family Circus, Born During the Pandemic
Sunset Circus centers on a fictional traveling family circus troupe whose personal dynamics surface during their acts, a concept dreamed up during the COVID-19 pandemic by clown performer and writer Joel Jeske, who also serves as Parallel Exit's associate artistic director, per Woman Around Town's coverage on Theater Pizzazz. The show is billed as suitable for audiences of all ages, and Time Out's report notes it combines circus arts with comedy and storytelling rather than presenting a straightforward acrobatics showcase.
Parallel Exit itself has deep roots in physical comedy. The company was founded in Toronto in 1997 before artistic director Mark Lonergan relocated it to New York City in 2002 after the group took top honors at the New York International Fringe Festival, according to Backstage. Since then, the troupe has picked up three Drama Desk Award nominations for Unique Theatrical Experience and a Spirit of the Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and has mounted work at Lincoln Center and 59E59 Theaters.
The Same Team Behind a Big Apple Circus Season
Lonergan and Jeske's circus credentials run deeper than one touring show. In 2015, Parallel Exit was the creative force behind Big Apple Circus's 38th season production, The Grand Tour, with Lonergan directing and Jeske conceiving the show, per background reported by Amethyst. That institutional pedigree is part of why Sunset Circus, despite its shoestring premise about a struggling family troupe, draws performers with resumes that include Cirque du Soleil and Big Apple Circus.
What to Expect on the Lawn
The show is part of Bryant Park's Picnic Performances series, a lineup of 24 free, non-ticketed outdoor shows running from May 28 through September 11 and presented by Bank of America. Bryant Park Corporation supplies hundreds of free blankets and bistro chairs for attendees on a first-come, first-served basis, though plastic tarps, yoga mats, and dogs are not allowed on the central lawn. Food and drink along the lawn's eastern perimeter come from rotating vendors curated by the Hester Street Fair alongside Stout NYC.
Those who cannot make it to the park in person are not entirely out of luck: Bryant Park Corporation livestreams a majority of its Picnic Performances via YouTube and Facebook, with Bank of America sponsoring the multi-camera broadcasts. What remains unclear is how weather contingencies would affect the show's high-flying aerial acts and trampoline setup, since rain can restrict lawn usage even when a digital broadcast is still possible.
More Free Shows on the Way
Sunset Circus is just one entry in a packed late-summer schedule at the park. Bryant Park's Picnic Performances calendar also includes a free accordion festival, a performance from the Asian American Arts Alliance, a dance party with the Dance Party All-Stars, and a brass festival, all slated for the coming weeks, alongside an American Symphony Orchestra performance in September. Hoodline previously covered the New York Guitar Festival's return to the same Picnic Performances series, part of a summer that also includes a concert marking the 250th anniversary of the United States and a symphony performance reflecting on the 25th anniversary of September 11.
For now, the draw is a single hour on August 29 when a circus with Broadway-caliber pedigree pitches its act on the Bryant Park lawn, free for anyone who shows up with a blanket, or borrows one of the park's own.
