A Christmas Treat For The Family: The Le Grand Cirque

Every holiday season, we always check the show schedules of Smart Araneta Coliseum for upcoming family treats. Since my growing up years, Araneta Coliseum (the name I was used to) has brought many precious memories of my childhood like the Holiday on Ice and Yabadabadoo.

Now that I'm a father of two kids, I want to share with them the same fun I had every time the holiday season is coming.

On December 24, 2016, my family together with my father, sister-in-law and niece got the chance to watch the first-ever “Le Grand Cirque” at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Even it's the traditional "Noche Buena" in the evening where every Filipino are busy preparing for the celebration, the traffic on the way to Cubao was moderate.

photo credits: aranetacoliseum.com

The show was supposed to start 1:30 pm but was 30 minutes late. We got the Patron A ticket which is situated on the left side of the stage. This seating plan is quite nice because of the elevated rows and is paralleled to the stage platform.

When the voice in the background announced that the show was about to begin in 3 minutes, the crowd started cheering because of the excitement.

When the curtain opened, we were welcomed by a solo clown act. He never fails to get the audience's attention because of his silly gestures and funny interactions with the crowd. He reminds me of my favorite comedian Charlie Chaplin in the silent movies but this clown is unique in his own way.

My next favorite is the toss and catch duo in a single chair. This jaw-dropping act is where the man lying on a portable chair would catch and spin around his partner using his feet! The audience were screaming because a wrong catch could leave them with broken back or leg.

Here is group of young Chinese ladies who will thrill you with their catching skills while dancing and doing gymnastic stunts. You just can't help admiring their hard training and talent just to get this graceful and amazing act together.

Above is a group of young Russian boys with their giant swing as they jump high on air from the swing to the giant curtain that acts as their safety net. You can also catch them in the trampoline act earlier in the show.

You will also be thrilled by the fire staff performance who looks like Tony Stark. The lights in the coliseum are dimmed so you can see better the fire movement coming from the staff. Wait until you see the giant fire in the last part of his act where my niece became worried that it might burn the entire coliseum. Need not worry because he is standing on a large fire-proof mat which is placed before the act.

Some gymnastic formation in the last part of the show where you can see Rudolph and the Snowman mascot together with the entire Le Grand Cirque performers.

The performers got a standing ovation from their amazing performances and for making the holiday season another memorable year of each Filipino family. Approximately the show lasted for two hours with an intermission break.

The “Le Grand Cirque” shows will run from December 25, 2016 to January 3, 2017 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. For more information, visit Ticketnet website at www.ticketnet.com.ph or call its hotline at 911-5555.