Cirque Italia makes stop in Chubbuck

The circus is in town!

Cirque Italia, a traveling water circus, is making a stop in Chubbuck this week and Thursday night was opening night. The circus opened to a packed house.

The show featured several acts, including aerialists, jugglers, water roller skaters, dinosaurs, high wires and a light show.

The main stage is made up of about 35,000 gallons of water. The Cirque Italia crew has about 50 to 60 people who travel 11 months out of the year doing shows all around the U.S.

Many of the performers are born into it, coming from several generations of circus performers.

“I can’t see myself doing something else that isn’t the circus,” said Victor Abadilla, a juggler. “I was born in the circus, I was raised in the circus, my first steps were actually inside a circus tent. So it’s very meaningful for me to be able to say I’m an 8th generation circus performer.”

The crew said there are no animals, like the elephants and tigers one might think of when you think circus. Show manager Morgaine Rosenthal, who is also an aerialist, said the owner wants to really showcase human talents and abilities.

She said she loves what she does and she loves being able to inspire others through her work.

“I really feel like I can connect to the little girls and little boys and it feels really good to me to know that I can inspire the next generation to really follow their dreams because that’s what I did,” Rosenthal said. “I’m living proof that you can follow your dreams and do whatever you want to do.”

The show runs through Sunday night in Chubbuck. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. each night, with 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. shows also on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets and seating can be found at cirqueitalia.com

The show’s next stop will be in Idaho Falls Aug. 2 – Aug. 5.