Circus Flora (From Don Covington)

961e9967-ef8d-41d5-8a32-678e123e5f8e, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. If you've always wanted to run away with the circus, there's a big advantage to being a St. Louisan: You don't have far to run. Circus Flora, which has become a local tradition, will once again bring its magic to Grand Center. And as fans have come to expect, there will be an enticing show under the big top. "Medrano" is set in 19th century Paris, named for a place that attracted colorful characters from acrobats to diplomats, and from Russian spies to folks needing alibis. What better atmosphere for circus excitement? "It's a new show for this year," said Ivor David Balding, co-founder of Circus Flora. "(Cirque) Medrano was a famous circus building and a hotbed of great arts. It's where major artists — like Renoir, Degas and, most of all, Toulouse-Lautrec — did a lot of their famous circus paintings. It was also part of a world that was fairly wild." Balding, who worked at Cirque Medrano in his youth, has "always thought of it as a romantic place." He described the show as "a spy spoof and love story." Among the performers are the Flying Wallendas high-wire act; the Flying Pages trapeze team; the St. Louis Arches troupe; Johnny Peers & the Muttville Comix, a dog act; Terry Crane, an aerialist; and Riders of the Ring, a Cossack riding troupe. Cecil MacKinnon, director of the show, will also appear as its narrator, Yo-Yo. And Circus Flora fans will be happy to know that Giovanni Zoppé will return as Nino the Clown. One of the advantages of creating new shows is that it allows Circus Flora to present favorite acts in fresh settings, Balding said. But what comes first: the idea or the cast? "It depends," he said. "Sometimes we have a strong idea, and we'll cast certain acts that fit it. And sometimes we know that there are acts we want to work with, and we'll commit to them. It's sort of like, which is first, the music or the lyrics?"