Spiegeltent’s Nikolay Titov, Nikolay Shapishnikov, Anton Smirnov and Evgeny Belyaev. Photo: Joan Marcus.
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By Jonathan Warman
Friday, September 05, 2008
When I reviewed Broadway’s “Cirque Dreams: Jungle Fantasy” earlier this summer I confidently predicted: “There’s little here that you won’t see done better or more artfully at the Spiegeltent later this summer.” And what do you know, I was right!
This is particularly the case with “Désir,” a world premiere theatrical circus “experience” put together by Sydney Theatre Company director Wayne Harrison, choreographer John “Cha Cha” O’Connell and music director Josh Abrahams (the latter worked on the film “Moulin Rouge”). “Désir” transports us into the intellectual and artistic—and sexual—ferment of early 20th century Paris, as the Spiegeltent stage hosts surreal circus arts evoking the likes of Josephine Baker and aerialist transvestite Barbette.
“Désir” is easily the gayest mainstage Spiegeltent show I’ve seen. Out gay hand balancer Olaf Treibel stole lots of gay hearts last time with his pajama-clad act in last year’s edition of “Absinthe” (the Spiegeltent’s annual variety show). Here he plays Marcel, an innocent, but very curious, young sailor boy who keeps turning up in all kinds of increasingly compromising situations.
Fellow queer cast member aerialist Marco Noury plays a Maharajah who peels off layers of jewelry (some of which may be real—the designers worked with French jewelry house Boucheron) to do a particularly winsome, muscular and sexy act. And it goes on and on—Marieve Hemond and Annie-Kim Dehry have a très lesbian aeriel duo act, four acrobats strip down to their skivvies for a daredevil balancing act—all fun, sexy and very artful.
The acts in this year’s edition of “Absinthe” are no slouches either, and the show lived up to its reputation from last year. Voki Kalfayan and Anais Thomassian, as the deliciously oily Gazillionaire and the ditzy Penny, were once again ideal hosts for this decadent mishmash of an evening.
The Gazillionare’s bodyguards turn out to be Ukrainian acrobatic team Duo Sergio, whose underwear-themed act comes the closest to the queer delirium found in “Désir.” Julie Atlas Muz, one of the biggest stars of Manhattan’s burlesque scene, brought back her popular bubble act. And bald Moroccan aerialist Adil Rida is back too, displaying his ultra-muscular physique in a very simple, very sexy act. Hot damn!
“Absinthe,” 7:30 p.m. Tues., 10 p.m. Wed. Sat., 8 p.m. Fri. & Sun. and midnight Sat.; and “Désir,” 7:30 p.m. Mon., 8 p.m. Wed., Thurs. & Sat., midnight Fri. and 6 p.m. Sat. & Sun. at the Spiegeltent, Pier 17, South Street Seaport, $35-$69, 212-279-4200, spiegelworld.com.
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