'Fosse Showgirls' Molly Tynes, Stephanie Pope, and Bethany Moore Photo

From: BWW Blog: Molly Tynes of A.R.T.'s PIPPIN - Under the Big Top

In the world of circus, there is a special term for the opening number. We have been hearing this term, "charivari," in rehearsal a lot lately. Our circus choreographer, Gypsy Snider (of the Montreal based circus company Le 7 doigts de la main), explains that the charivari is a colorful and busy display in which the audience sees brief snippets in rapid succession of all the acts that will be featured that night. It should give the audience a taste of what's to come without spoiling the best tricks or giving too much away; it creates excitement and anticipation.