The Circus is coming to town The Circus is coming to town (September 09, 2005)

Magimystical performance thrills families, children
by Jeb Bing

The Circus Chimera will bring its 2005 "Magimystical" show to Pleasanton next week. It's a fast-moving series of performances that have proven especially popular with school children and families.

Sponsored by the Pleasanton Schools Educational Enrichment Foundation, the circus is similar to Cirque du Soleil, with its magical stories told not through words, but through scenes, sets and circus techniques.

"The circus has received rave reviews through the U.S., Canada and Mexico," said Mike Faber, who heads to the PSEE, a nonprofit charitable endowment to fund arts, science and other enrichment programs for Pleasanton school.

The circus will set up its large, white tent that seats 1,500 on the baseball fields outside Hart Middle School Sunday night. The first performance will start at 7:30 p.m. Monday and then will be held at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Tickets are $7 for general admission and can be purchased from parent-faculty clubs at schools or PSEE at 351 Virginia Ave. All proceeds will go to fund art and science programs in the schools.

Faber said this unique circus, which he is sponsoring for its Pleasanton visit, "was designed with a family audience in mind."

"It celebrates the remarkable art of circus by combining extraordinary human feats with theater and international flair," he said. Children and adults are mesmerized as aerial artists swing above, acrobats tumble and twirl and the artists defy the laws of gravity and reality just inches from your seat."

Faber said that 100 percent of donations to the PSEE are used to benefit the schools since the organization is staffed by volunteers, with no paid positions. This fall, PSEE provided donations totaling $23,500 to local schools, with the increase in funding for 2005 used to help start a Foothill Art Academy, Art in Action and kindergarten music programs.

For more information on next week's Circus Chimera, contact PSEE's Denise Watkins at 485-1964 or by e-mail at deniseswatkins@comcast.net Information is also available on the circus Web site at www.circuschimera.com.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.