The Circus is coming! The Circus is coming!

The Washington Post reported today that the UniverSoul Circus is coming to the Capital Plaza Mall in Landover Hills. But, I already had the scoop! Not only because I saw them setting up when I was doing my grocery shopping earlier this week, but because I've been invited to participate in the circus's blogger experience!

Abel, Lucas and I will make the quick 2 minute drive over to the circus grounds Saturday evening for a pre-show experience. We'll meet members of the cast and crew and see the behind-the-scenes action. Then, we'll sit down to enjoy the show. Something tells me that we won't be sitting for long, though. This circus is all about the music and crowd interaction. I. Can. Not. Wait.

I have a secret to tell you: I've never been to the circus! I've always wanted to go. But the closest I've ever gotten was the Elephant Parade in March. (You know, when Lucas was positively desperate to hug the elephants and was captivated by the, ahem, rear view!)

Among other sure-to-be-fantastic performers, according to The Washington Post, the act "features a troupe of 16 acrobats from the Chinese Olympic Acrobats who performed during the 2008 Beijing Olympics." The Olympics!

I found the history of the UniverSoul Circus fascinating. It was created in 1994 and "the vision was to explore the various talents other than singing and dancing that black performers had to offer. We had the idea to present something different, to create a show that presented a wide spectrum of black talent to a wide demographic of spectators. To reach deep into our culture and search for what talent and skills lie asleep in the black entertainment experience. We wanted to apply our gathered years of experience in the live appearance industry, to make a difference, to change the industry we lived in, creating growth and new opportunity." Reading more, I learned that the first show "lost every penny!" But, they were optimistic because "the idea was successful." And, so they persevered. (Read more about the history here.)

The circus begins tonight and runs through May 31. You can check times and purchase tickets here.

Additional information:

UniverSoul Circus: http://universoulcircus.com/

Capital Plaza Mall
6900 Annapolis Rd.
Landover Hills, MD 20784