One of my favorite things as a kid was to go to the traveling circus when it was in town. I loved the booths lined up along the entrance to the tents, the performing animals, the hawkers, the circus foods and the performers giving a preview of what they would do inside. Driving up to the huge tents in the parking lot of Maplewood Mall brought back so many great memories. Coupled with my love of Halloween, I had great expectations of what was to come. Frequently when I have such lofty expectations I set myself up for disappointment, but Paranormal Cirque did not let me down!
I attended the Thursday night performance because I wanted to be one of the first in the St. Paul area to see the Paranormal Cirque. Pulling into the circus area, I was overjoyed to see plenty of parking, so no long walk with the photo equipment! Entering the exterior tent, there were several people in costumes, which I later learned were performers. Also a graveyard and a few concession stands and some other spooky displays. I wish I had spent more time in the exterior tent, but had no idea what else was there and was eager to see what other horrors awaited me.
I circled the outer area a few times before I found the entrance to the main tent. On the walk to the main tent, there was a maze/haunted house with various scary characters and rooms. There were ghouls jumping out at every turn and the shrieks were loud and constant – not sure how many were from me…
I finally arrived at the entrance to the main tent where there were more scary characters wondering around, jumping out and grabbing unsuspecting attendees. The seating was great, not a bad spot in the tent – great views from every angle. Performers were frequently wandering in the audience, interacting with the crowd and involving people in some acts.
The crowd loved the performance and at the conclusion gave the performers a loud, long standing ovation. I really loved it, it was Cirque du Soleil meets Michael Meyers. Great magic, great gymnastics and stunning lighting and sound. I am hoping this will be an annual event. Make sure to see Paranormal Cirque during their run in St. Paul and if they come to your area!
