Review of Circa’s Carnival of the Animals

Over 450 students, packed The Broad Stage Friday, April 29, for a special student performance of Circa’s Carnival of the Animals. Students came from a range of local and surrounding schools including Pluralistic School, Playa del Rey Elementary, and McKinley Elementary.
Depicting creatures from land, sea and sky, Circa’s performers took children and their adults on a safari through the lives of the tortoise, the elephant, the kangaroo, the swan, the life aquatic and many other beasts of fur, feathers and fin.
“At our school, we have a huge arts program, including drama and visual arts. The incorporation of both, in this one show, was amazing,” said Chryssa Elliott, a teacher from Playa del Rey Elementary.
“I thought the clowns were super funny,” said 10-year-old Sierra from Playa del Rey Elementary. “My favorite part was when they recreated a dinosaur and walked off the stage!”
The internationally -acclaimed contemporary circus company from Brisbane, Australia, is a blend of circus, multimedia and music. Carnival of the Animals has been designed as a magical reinvention of the classic music suite by French romantic composer Camille Saint-Saëns.
“Performing to the young and young-at-heart, here in Santa Monica, has been fantastic!” said Circa company member, Kathryn O’Keefe. “The enthusiasm and excitement from the audience has been wonderful and we have loved performing to them.”