Friday, Jul. 15, 2011

Adrenaline flowing at Palace

"Do not try this at home" probably would work as an unwritten rule for the elevated acts in "Le Grand Cirque: Adrenaline."

This show, continuing six days a week through Sept. 4 at the Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach, unites acrobatics, gymnastics and feats of strength, all to instrumental rock selections glitzed up with colorful lights and attire.

Palace data show the 40 cast members hail from Brazil, Canada, China, Mongolia, Russia and across Europe.

Four men took turns Saturday night leaping high on a trampoline with a flow resembling a basketball team doing layup drills on the court before a game.

The performer propelling the Wheel of Death stayed lively in his revolutions, stepping inside a round platform balanced with a pendulum, and stepping on top of the chamber to continue its motion, and doing such activities as jumping rope, and later, walking a lap gingerly while blindfolded.

A woman dressed in pink thrilled the audience instantly by twirling four hula hoops, showing the vertical independence of the muscles in her body. Soon, a stagehand flipped more hoops on her - one by one, then finally a handful at once - like he was ringing horse shoes on a pole, so that she was rolling around with about 20 hoops simultaneously.

A female solo trapeze artist, whose bobbed hair bounced and bells-clad ankles jingled with every flex, displayed her dexterity aloft with a dance groove spiced up with guitar licks and horns in a 1970s style that prompted thoughts of the Salsoul Orchestra.

One of the two fellows who make up a hand-balancing act soon had the weight of both balanced on one palm and a high-bar gymnastics team of men stuck out their landings of about 20 feet onto mats without any sign of unsteadiness as an ensemble of dancers cheered from the back.

Motorcycles took the spotlight once each before and after the intermission. A man steered a bike on a rope ascending across the front of the stage from the left side, going forward and backward with a woman in tow below to balance his load.

The tremors tripled when three motorbike riders raced inside the Globe of Death, each on his own circular path, staying clear of his comrades revving around but staying the course and clear of collisions, like an aquarium full of fish.

A clown who entertained to start the show and in between some of the acts accomplished so much with uttering only one phrase vocally, "Hey," getting the crowd to chime in with him, and by exercising his improv requests and commands nonverbally.

On this evening, the clown helped an usher seat a latecomer who brought popcorn and beverage in hand, and the patron probably hadn't counted on sharing his snacks. Four men recruited on stage for an exercise and dance workout were goaded on by people clapping in unison from the seats, and one of the guests delivered on a cue to breakdance, stealing the scene from the clown.

And when the clown blew up a balloon, he stepped inside his own breath, completely wrapping himself in the contraption and jumping and dancing around before re-emerging.

Much as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans like to let the audience spend two minutes bouncing beach balls across the stands during a break in games at BB&T Coastal Field, the folks on hand at the Palace did the same with bigger scale inflatables to help celebrate the finale.

A woman who had been lured on stage for the clown's matchmaking skit with her mate and another man, laughed on her way of out of the auditorium after the show.

"That's what I'll be doing on the beach tomorrow," she said. "Clowning around."

Contact STEVE PALISIN at 444-1764.