Saltfire Circus

They need a better website, with some actual videos and photos. I found more on Youtube than there, I think. 'tis a group of performers with a variety of talents. I'm told they're all local. This performance is based on fairy tales, with a number of scenes. Let's see if I can do any sort of justice while its fresh in my mind...


Things started off with the "Fairy Godfather" introducing himself and acting as a bit of an MC. Then to the "Breman Town Musicians," the musical performers of the group who did a little song.

Hansel and Gretel was mostly a display of using a... I don't know what those things are called. A little like a large yo-yo that's manipulated by a string strung between the ends of two sticks, spun and whipped around.

Chicken Little was a trio of dancers in rather provocative outfits behind fans of large, plume-type feathers. I can appreciate that. ;)

3 Blind Mice was a trio of their talented jugglers. Not all the tricks were flawless, but they were good, and they were definitely above the "norm" for what I see of juggling.

Jack and the Beanstalk was... wow. They drew down a pair of green cloth strips from the ceiling. It was fairly obvious "Jack" would climb them, but when he started catching the cloth up in his feet before pulling himself up... sheesh. This might have been the beefcake to "Chicken Little's" cheesecake, but I personally have to admit to being sort of blown away at the strength involved in some of those manuevers. That guy's quite the acrobat.

Four of the cast came out on stage and performed a nursery rhyme apiece to song, then all together. And "Hansel" came back with a little show of his own, whirling around a glowy rod between his hands with any guiding strings well out of view.

"After the Happily Ever" had a quartet of "princesses" doing a rather saucy dance number.

Then the intermission and afterward the Princess and the Frog, a display of juggling and... er... I wonder if there's a specific term for rolling sphere like that. Very nice.
And as I have been reminded, 'tis referred to as "contact juggling."

Rapunzel was a singing number. Then we had "Jack" back with a female partner doing a lot of acrobatic twists, flexing, and lifting. Again, impressive.

Little Miss Muffet was mostly a storytelling song of an "adult" Miss Muffet "choosing" between the strong male guitar player and the female "spider" who crawled down those cloth lines, and settling for... both. ;)

Emperor Wears No Clothes was a brief, teasing reveal with those large fans of "Jack" in some mostly flesh-colored shorts.

Gretel did another bit with her yo-yo thing. Then the Puss N Boots skit had five girls in cat costumes slinking around the stage, including a pair that got up into hoola-hoop-sized rings hanging from the ceiling.

Pinocchio saw almost the entire cast back on stage, mostly dressed in masks and made up as toys. "Pinocchio" ends up pulling off his strings and tying up the man (one person on stilts to look larger than the toys) who was puppeteering him. Lots going on, and a pretty awesome finale.

Good costumes, some solid talent, and a very good time. Even if the room was kind of hot and muggy by the end. I was asked to take some photos, but I couldn't even see anything on the display. The camera wasn't real great for shooting in the dark. I could have taken shots "blind" with the flash, probably, but I hate using a flash at performances. It seems rude. >.>