Backstage

Aerial Artists, Lion Tamers and Tightrope Walkers Amaze Austin Audiences This August

Going to see the circus is an event that takes audiences from the everyday into another world – one composed of talented performance artists, unusual and incredible physical skills, dazzling costumes, dangerous feats, lighthearted comedy and specially trained animals. It’s a world unlike any other, and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey® Circus has been perfecting the production of this beloved institution for the past 134 years.

If you’re wondering if the circus really travels by train, the answer is yes - miles and miles of trains as a matter of fact. Circuses first started out traveling by horse-drawn wagons, until the mammoth production that would become The Greatest Show On Earth® carved a place in circus history for itself when it became the first circus to move on the railways. Ringling Bros. has two independent units – the Red and the Blue tour – that rotate each year to ensure a fresh, new performance for the audience. The combined shows transport more than 300 performers, 300 staff and crew members and 250 animals to 90 cities in North America – and the Frank Erwin Center is proud to host this tradition for Austin. Tickets are already on sale for this event.

The fall event calendar is already in gear – September brings Foo Fighters and Weezer to the Frank Erwin Center on the 14th. Both bands are touring on their new albums and fans will get more for their money since they’re sharing the bill.

If rock and roll isn’t your speed, and you want something a little more romantic, tickets for An Evening with Luis Miguel on Friday, November 4 are on sale now. Miguel’s voice and presence vaulted him to super-star status and he quickly became a highly recognized singer and performer in Mexico then throughout the world. Miguel will be touring on his highly lauded album ‘Mexico en la Piel’ (Mexico Under My Skin). His new album is a mix of pop and traditional mariachi music. Miguel incorporated the sounds of Mariachi Vargas on this album, giving this recording an added history and depth. If you’ve always wanted to be serenaded, don’t miss this show.

Leslie Lyon
Editor