Circus Vargas Lights Up Hollywood

Circus Vargas (Photo courtesy of Circus Vargas)

Hollywood boasted a totally different allure for the kiddo and me last Thursday, as we ventured into a billowing blue-and-gold tent to catch opening night at Circus Vargas.

Clowns, acrobats, motorcyclists and other daredevils all made their way into the ring (and sometimes above it), where they showed off their whirling, twirling and death-defying chops, all to the delight of my little munchkin and the other children in the crowd.

This year, Circus Vargas has opted to go animal-free, a commendable decision that tips its top hat to a city that's not shy about its preference for the ethical treatment of animals.

That didn't stop CC, though, from asking where the lions were. And I have to say that I was totally OK with lions not being anywhere near me -- especially in a relatively compact tent (and by compact, I mean, it's not the Staples Center, where we would have some chance of escaping if things went sideways).

Instead, the show was filled with hula-hooping aerialists (six-plus hoops while airborne!), a man who balanced a ladder (!) on his chin and another fella who ran along the outside of a giant hamster wheel while blindfolded.

There were also kiddos who were pulled from the audience to don costumes and rock out to Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber for the crowd. (That was CC's favorite part -- I think because she wanted to be up there herself. Baby Gaga? Yikes!)

The atmosphere was magical and, at times, nail-bitingly tense. Watching Leo Garcia jump rope on a moving contraption 25 feet in the air made me wince (in a good way), but CC's eyes were wide and unblinking.

It seemed no animals were necessary after all.

We did have to take off a bit early, unfortunately, as it was already getting late before the 7:30 p.m. show ended. And because there is no dedicated parking lot for the show (only street parking, which fills up quickly), I wanted to make sure we weren't getting out too late.

That said, CC is already asking me when we can go back.

For those who would still like to check it out, Circus Vargas will be in Hollywood (Sunset Boulevard and the 101 Freeway) through Monday, May 16, before it travels to Westminster, Santa Ana and Irvine. Click here for tickets.

(Note: Media tickets provided)