BIG APPLE CIRCUS Welcomes New Ringmaster Stephanie Monseu

BIG APPLE CIRCUS announces that real-life wonder women will take the reins of the 41st season, led by new ringmaster Stephanie Monseu, for their annual Boston-area appearance, playing this spring at Northshore Mall, Peabody. Playing under the Big Top, the show will run from April 4 - May 5, 2019 and will feature a new Mirror Room VIP experience leading into the Big Top tent, with craft circus treats and entertainment for all ages.

World-renowned for its one-ring, intimate and artistic style - where no seat is more than 50 feet from the performers - BIG APPLE CIRCUS is passionate about revitalizing the circus for modern-day audiences with unique and astounding human feats in the ring and enough sizzle outside the ring to entertain guests from the very moment they enter. This year, audiences will enter the BIG APPLE CIRCUS where adults and children alike will experience new pre-show thrills and sample a dizzying array of culinary delights! Upgrades to the food selection include bespoke, organic circus classics for all ages, and beer and wine for adults.

The 41st season promises another extraordinary show filled with BIG APPLE's roster of superhero talents, ready to incite jaw-dropping awe and sheer joy in audiences of all ages. Ringmaster Monseu will be joined in the ring by a multitude of fierce female-led acts and more, including:

· The "strongest mom in the world" Virginia Tuells & her husband Ihosvanys Perez in DUO FUSION, a breathtaking acrobatic act that combines dance, strength, flexibility and passion in which Virginia handles a majority of the lifts

· The wildly fun SPICY CIRCUS, created by Andréanne Quintal, whose team of performers will (literally) bounce off the walls in her feisty trampoline act

· THE FLYING TUNIZIANIS, a double wide trapeze act showcasing seven fliers & two catchers in addition to the quadruple somersault by Ammed Tuniziani - a feat only successfully landed by ten people in the world - alongside his wife Estefani, brothers Gamal & Dandino and more

· DESIRE OF FLIGHT, a daring and balletic dual aerial straps act

· A free-standing ladder balancing act by Emil Faltyny

· For the first time in America, the gravity-defying horizontal juggler Victor Moiseev

· Fan-favorite Jenny Vidbel, third generation circus animal trainer and seven-year veteran of Big Apple Circus

· The hilarious Mark Gindick & Adam Kuchler

As is its long-standing tradition, BIG APPLE CIRCUS will continue to honor the essential & iconic characteristics that has set it apart for the past four decades, with multiple community outreach programs. Circus of the Senses (April 14 at 11 am) offers special enhanced experiences for audiences who are blind, Deaf or low-vision. The special performances include

ASL interpretation, live audio description, pre- & post-show touch experiences and a Braille descriptive program. Sensory-friendly autism performance (April 6 and 12 at 11am) feature lowered light and sound levels, a descriptive social story showing the different areas and acts involved with the circus and a "calming center" that can be accessed at any point during the show. All performances feature additional staffing and specialized entertainment to ensure an inclusive circus experience.

Outside the ring, BIG APPLE CIRCUS has seen great success with the brand-new food & beverage program, and the Mirror Room VIP Experience. The elevated menu features classic circus favorites with an all-natural twist. BIG APPLE CIRCUS popcorn is now made with organic kernels, real butter, and sea salt, and our all-natural Fresh Spun Cotton Candy is made from fair trade sugar, without dyes and preservatives. In addition to tasty bites and bevies for the general public, the VIP Experience in the Mirror Room comes replete with unlimited wine and beer, popcorn, cotton candy, and Instagrammable décor that is peppered with eye-poppingly fun activities and photo-ops galore.

Highlights of this year's season include a special guest spot on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" which featured - in a rare television appearance - music icon Bob Dylan and Fallon enjoying a private performance of Big Apple Circus, as well as a feisty performance on "Live with Kelly & Ryan". Additionally, this year's show has been touted as one of the finest in the cultural gem's history. Named a Critic's Pick by the New York Times, the paper hails this year's show as "high flying, wholesome family entertainment - good-hearted and pleasure-minded - with a robustly international cast." Parade Magazine says Big Apple Circus "keeps the audience bouncing in their seats" and is filled with "breathtaking wonder and whimsy. And the New York Post raves, "Big Apple Circus prides itself on having no seat more than 50 feet from the ring. Even from the peanut gallery, the shock and awe overwhelms - in a good way. I felt my five senses bombarded from all sides."

The BIG APPLE CIRCUS 41st season is directed by Mark Lonergan, artistic director of three-time Drama Desk Award-nominated physical theater company Parallel Exit and choreographed by Grady McLeod Bowman, with music direction by Rob Slowik. Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Jeff Croiter (Peter and the Starcatcher, Something Rotten!), Emmy Award Nominated Scenic Designers Anita La Scala (Sochi Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony) and Rob Bissinger (Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, Assoc.) and Drama Desk-nominated Costume Designer Amy Clark (Heathers: The Musical, Chaplin) come together to create an eclectic and vibrant environment to suit the extraordinary performances.

Tickets are now on-sale at www.Ticketmaster.com. The regular performance schedule is Wednesdays at 11am & 7pm; Thursdays at 11am & 7pm; Fridays at 11am & 7pm; Saturdays at 11am, 3pm & 7pm; and Sundays at 12pm & 4pm. As there are schedule variances, please refer to the most up-to-date calendar on the website.

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