For Australia Day: A Salute to Circus Oz

It’s Australia Day, and I’ve already done my big Australia omnibus post, so this year I thought I would do a short piece that flows very naturally out of my recent ones on Martin Sharp and the Luna Park Fire. Melbourne-based Circus Oz is a “New Circus” organization with a lot in common with American concerns like Big Apple Circus and The Flying Karamazov Brothers, and was founded at around the same time (1977). Their shows mix traditional circus arts with satire, topical humor, and rock and roll. It was presenting its theatricalized spectacles sans animals years priors to the advent of Cirque du Soleil. They’ve performed in the U.S. many times. And, unfortunately, about like just about all American circuses, it’s hovered around death’s door in recent years. In 2021 it seemed to be closing its doors for good. But as has happened with Big Apple and Ringling Bros it managed to resurrect itself, and has done performances since. To keep up with their doings, go here.