When the lights dimmed on April 2 and spotlights began to swirl over a small stage, the old-timey music that had been playing fell away and was replaced by “Thunder and Blazes,” the jaunty tune that has become synonymous with circuses. Almost immediately, the crowd began a steady, synchronized clap.
The show opened with a dance number. A performer disguised as an audience member leaped onto the stage and transformed into a clown, complete with a striped shirt, suspenders, beret, oversized red shoes and foam nose.
The show alternated between silliness and suspense throughout the night. Laughter rang out during a skit in which Morales, a clown, invited audience members to throw potatoes at him. During a balance act atop a piano, a little girl covered her eyes.
Ivo Manfredo attempts to keep his balance as the tower of items sways back and forth during the Cirque de Paris show beside The Citadel Mall, Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Charleston.
Gavin McIntyre/Staff
Awe rippled over the audience when an aerial dancer in a pink rhinestone leotard ended her performance by spinning rapidly upside down, giving the appearance of a glittery cocoon caught in a cyclone.
A high-heeled hula-hooper at one point gyrated at least 10 neon yellow hoops around her torso.
A few minutes later, one of the clowns balanced an audience member’s popcorn on his forehead before showering the family with the bag’s contents.
Clown Pedro ‘Rampin’ Santos Jr. runs as a broom he throws falls to the stage floor during the Cirque de Paris show beside The Citadel Mall, Thursday, April 2, 2026, in Charleston.
Gavin McIntyre/Staff
During an intermission, Grahl admitted that although the show wasn’t quite Cirque du Soleil, she was enjoying it.
“It’s very entertaining,” she said. “And the kids are loving it.”
Tony Acuti, who sat in the front row, said the show filled him with a sense of nostalgia.
“This is a real throwback,” he said. “It’s honest entertainment.”
When the show returned after intermission, the audience was treated to a solo performance that blended juggling and dance, a brief trumpet performance, an aerial dance duet and a skit where five people were pulled from the audience for a fake boxing match.
Cirque de Paris closed with a bicycle stunt performance and a laser show reminiscent of a “Star Wars” light saber battle set to a pulsing techno beat.