Circus Has a Familiar Ring to Latinos

Mention el circo to anyone who grew up in a Latin American country and you are bound to hear nostalgic tales of colorful tents pitched somewhere in the outskirts of a big city, of distorted music blaring from cheap speakers, and of entire families (complete with babies and abuelitos ) watching with awe the exotic animals, grotesque-looking clowns and loud ringmasters en espanol .

The circus continues to be an immensely popular attraction in California. But while the state’s Latino population is partially responsible for the success of visiting circus acts, there hasn’t been a show that caters specifically to that audience.

Now a $5-million production titled “Circo Fantastico!” is about to change that.

The ambitious show, which premieres tonight at the Pomona Fairplex with subsequent stops in Huntington Park and El Monte, showcases a variety of acts from all over Latin America. Musically, it covers a wide spectrum of genres, from mariachi to salsa and Latin pop.

“It’s designed as a celebration of Hispanic culture through music, dance and traditional circus acts,” explains Doriana Sanchez, the show’s writer, director and choreographer.

An Emmy-nominated choreographer of Mexican origin, Sanchez worked with Cher for 15 years and has choreographed concert performances by rock artists such as Peter Gabriel and Jane’s Addiction. When the producers of “Circo Fantastico!” approached her, they gave her only two weeks to conceptualize and write a script for the entire performance.

Sanchez drew from her own circus experiences as a child in order to design a show that she felt would please both children and adults.

“I remember going to the circus when I was 5 and being absolutely terrified by a scary-looking clown,” she says. “So we have no scary clowns in our show. And no animals, either. I’m really glad that there isn’t a need to use them on this. I recently went to a circus and saw an animal act that upset me to tears.”

A two-hour show, “Circo Fantastico!” includes a Mexican juggler, an Argentine troupe called the Dancing Gauchos and trapeze and other extreme sports acts by the Incredible Espanas, a sixth-generation circus family from Mexico and Spain.

During a rehearsal Sunday, five couples did a sensuous dance to a salsa beat. The dance became more folkloric in style, including some fiery tap-dancing, when the mariachi sounds of “Ay Jalisco No Te Rajes” were heard. After which, two of the Espanas rehearsed a stunning--and dizzying--acrobatic act known as “The Skywheel.”

Music is an essential part of this circus. Most of it is performed live by a five-piece band led by virtuoso Cuban bassist Carlitos del Puerto. His father, Carlos del Puerto, is the bass player of seminal Latin jazz group Irakere.

“They instructed me to play whatever I wanted, as long as it was Latin and had plenty of flavor in it,” Del Puerto says in his bouncy, Cuban-inflected Spanish. “It’s a real vacilon [a lot of fun].”

Del Puerto is known among local Latin jazz aficionados for his memorable performances with some of Los Angeles’ best musicians in the tropical genre. Even though most of the show’s music was already composed, Del Puerto wrote three additional tunes for it. “There are some nice Afro-Cuban descargas [Cuban music’s traditional jam sessions],” he says.

Sanchez hopes the show will interest enough people to turn “Circo Fantastico!” into a franchise, even in this age of portable DVD players and sophisticated video games.

“When you present beauty and art in an honest way, people will come,” she says. “On the commercial end of things, it helps that Latino culture is so popular right now.”

The choreographer is quick to emphasize her belief that non-Latinos also will enjoy the show: “I’m sure everyone who likes music, color and movement will love it.”

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“Circo Fantastico,” today through Nov. 18, Pomona Fairplex; Nov. 23-Dec. 9: Salt Lake Park, Huntington Park; Dec. 13-30: Whittier-Narrows Park, El Monte. Tickets: Adults $12.50, children $8.50. Tickets available through Ticketmaster.