Midnight Circus’ Full Citywide Tour Canceled For 2023 Season
CHICAGO — Put up-pandemic, lots of executing arts teams are paring down. Past thirty day period, the Lookingglass Theater introduced it was pausing productions for a year and laying off employees, and other functionality organizations have manufactured identical cutbacks.
Admirers of Chicago’s Midnight Circus In The Parks may possibly have been ideally observing for day announcements for the 2023 circus time, as it typically holds performances through September and October.
But Thursday, Midnight Circus founders Jeff and Julie Jenkins announced they were becoming a member of this unfortunate theatric craze, telling subscribers in an electronic mail “it is with a large coronary heart that we announce we will not be capable to make a total-scale, city-large Midnight Circus in the Parks Tour for the 2023 year.“
In past yrs, the acrobatic, inventive, and mostly animal-totally free circus — help you save for a handful of very talented rescued pit bulls that are the Jenkins spouse and children pets — travelled all around to distinct parks inside of the Chicago Park District program, aided by a multitude of volunteers. It starred a limited-knit group of aerial-dancing, tightrope-strolling and bowling-pin-juggling performers.
Above the several years, ticket revenue have lifted practically $2 million for “community groups, play-whole lot renovations, and park applications,” according to the Midnight Circus website. The team, launched in 2007 by the Jenkins, was also in a position to provide free of charge performances and positive aspects for various communities throughout the metropolis. Their two young children, Maxwell and Samantha, performed in the circus, too.
Even all through COVID, Midnight Circus obtained rid of its large top rated to be in a position to offer you open-air performances to are living-functionality-starved community crowds.
But now, the founders mentioned in a statement, “Regretfully, our capability to defy gravity whilst battling bureaucracy has proved to be our toughest obstacle still. We are going through a write-up-pandemic change in how Midnight Circus is supported, funded, and authorized to run in Chicago.”
Thankfully for followers of this a lot-anticipated yearly tour, which attributes astounding acrobatic and musical performances to the delight of all ages, all may possibly not be lost in the Midnight Circus globe. The statement, which is also out there on the Midnight Circus internet site, concludes with a simply call for donations and a assure that “an formal announcement outlining our 2023 program” will come next 7 days.
“We are confused by the outpouring of support from the communities we have served due to the fact 2007,” Julie Jenkins instructed Block Club Chicago. “This is a hard time for all arts corporations and we are at this time figuring out what is probable for Midnight Circus in 2023 and appear forward to updating everyone inside the up coming week.”
That announcement could include things like at least a couple of pared-down performances for longtime fans of the Midnight Circus’ acrobatic artistry and finish-of-summer time pleasurable.
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