Friday, December 6, 2013

Circo Comedia Entertains at Westport Playhouse

Jean Saucier and Patrick Côté in “Circo Comedia
Westport Country Playhouse will continue its 2013-14 Family Festivities Series with Circo Comedia, featuring unpredictable thrills, side-splitting comedy, and daredevil stunts, on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 1 and pm (recommended for age4 and up).\

Running time is approximately one hour. Family Festivities shows are presented on selected Sundays from November through March. Tickets are $20.

Following in the tradition of the Quebec Circus, Jean Saucier, master equilibrist, juggler, trick cyclist, acrobat, and magician performs his feats from dizzying heights while Patrick Côté, burlesque clown, expert roller skater, and drummer, innocently tries his best to be the (imperfect) assistant.

A unicycle launched the career of Jean Saucier. At age 11, Saucier cut a curious figure in his native Montreal when he delivered newspapers atop his one-wheeler. Mostly self-taught until the age of 18, he attended the École National du Cirque de Montréal. Cirque du Soleil noticed his talent and hired him. In 1987, Saucier was awarded the Bronze Medal at the Festival du Cirque de Demain in Paris for his bicycle routine together with his performing ensemble. Since then, much has changed as he discovered that he was destined to be a "Straight Man" - the serious side of comedy.

In 2004, Saucier began performing with acrobat/stuntman/drummer/roller skater Patrick Côté. In 2005, the duo won the First Prize (Public Choice) at the Mondial des Amuseurs of Trois-Rivières Festival in Québec. Côté trained as a gymnast and acrobat at Montreal's National Circus School. He discovered a passion for burlesque stunts and created his well-known alter-ego/comic characters "PatPatinFou" and "Le Baron Fou.” He continued to create several new characters for projects such as the Cirque du Soleil, among others. In 2005, he joined the troupe Les Parfaits Inconnus.

Upcoming Family Festivities presentations include “Dino-Light,” on Sunday, Jan. 19, “Sleeping Beauty Dreams,” on Sunday, Feb. 9, “Diary of a Worm, a Spider, and a Fly,” on Sunday, March 9, and “Seussical,” on Sunday, March 23.

In conjunction with the Family Festivities Series, the Playhouse will host a book collection of gently used and new children’s books for Read to Grow, Inc.

Family Festivities Partners are Meredith and David Bukzin, Galia Gichon and Adam Clemens, and Darlene Krenz. Family Festivities Corporate Sponsor is Pitney Bowes.

Everyone in the audience requires a ticket: www.westportplayhouse.org; 203- 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529; box office 25 Powers Court, Westport. 

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