Review: New York Circus Project's LIQUID is an Early Summer Highlight !!

As the Summer kicks into gear, what, you may wonder, is the best way to prepare for the heat and the mayhem ahead?  Hot tip: check out the latest, intense dose of amazing acts from the New York Circus Project.  Director Sam Landa has worked with writer Jacob Tischler to create a vivid scenario inspired by the city’s gritty, daring street scene.

“Liquid” is 60 minutes of nonstop punk, erotic, aerial fun—with whips and chains thrown in for good measure. The soundtrack accompanying the acts runs through a blistering mix of hit songs from Velvet Underground to My Chemical Romance, and beyond.  The variety and artistry on display are truly inspiring, and the gear, along with Raul Contreras’ smooth choreography—like Rocky Horror on steroids—provides a daring visual edge to the proceedings.

The storyline that links all the acts together focuses on a seemingly hopeless, klutzy bottled water salesman, performed here by Joel Herzfeld.  His straightlaced, khaki-trousered dweeb meets up with an amazingly talented free spirit, Maria Pucciarelli, with whom of course he instantly falls in love.  The contrast between a clumsy street barker and an accomplished contortion artist—Pucciarelli’s routines are seemingly impossible, and brilliantly done—creates the ultimate romantic challenge, and we follow Joel through various misadventures as he tries to impress The Love of His Life.

The New York street scene created by the ensemble has an infectious charm; among other memorable scenes we witness an epic battle between Tap—featuring Emiko Nakagawa’s furious, syncopated feet—and Irish Step Dance—performed with lusty relish by Daniel Sullivan, in an increasingly, cheekily revealing mode.  The face-off between Nakagawa and Sullivan is supported by Julie Ruin and Kathleen Hanna’s “Stay Monkey” and “Another Bag of Bricks” by Flogging Molly, which isn’t at the top of most lists for Tap or Step Dance, but which fit perfectly nonetheless.

One of the visual highlights, for those who like hula hoops, is a sequence that runs through hits by Blink 182, My Chemical Romance, and Jimmy Eat World, while the ensemble works with day-glow hoops, some of which leave spectacular traces on Daniel Sullivan’s bare torso (Joel’s attempt at cleanup, of course, is less than successful).

The juggling portion of the programming, provided with gusto by Kellin Quinn, has its share of comic bits, as sticks and bottles fly, often (but not always) landing where they’re supposed to.  And when Kellin shows up as the waiter for Joel’s dinner date, well, let’s just say the table service is a bit more than our khaki-clad hero had bargained for.

The aerial work is also stellar here—Julia Baccellieri and Lindsay Culbert Olds in particular—and of course when Joel attempts to follow their lead the results are somewhat of a disaster.  His triumph over adversity is symbolized by a well-crafted routine with the Cyr Wheel (look it up, it’s worth the surf), and a climactic climb. 

Given the amount of high-octane, briskly-paced moves from the ensemble, it’s hardly surprising that bottled water features as a prop throughout the show—the cast could sure use a gulp or two, between acts. 

Many of us remember New York Circus Project’s auspicious debut last August at Dock 5 in Union Market, with their acrobatic take on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”  This year’s entry, “Liquid,” shifts gears in astonishing ways and reveals the immense raw energy that is contemporary circus performance.  An energy that will have you thinking about running away to join them.

I’ll close with a hot parking tip: if you insist on driving (the Metro is always an option), remember that Union Market is packed on weekends. So don’t waste your time going around the block, hoping for a space on the streets; look for the underground garages along 5th Street NE, right next to the venue, across from the soccer fields.  The time you spend fruitlessly circling the block will be much better spent at the bar at Dock 5, where you can sample the company’s show-inspired cocktails and admire the vinyl LP curtain, decorated for the show.

Production Photo, The New York Circus Project ensemble of "Liquid."  Photography By Nathan Gerdes.

Running Time:   1 hour, with no intermission.

For information about the Project, about “Liquid,” and for tickets, visit:

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