Summer Circus Spectacular finds balance in new show
Editor’s Note: Just as this story was published, one of the members of the Alexis Brothers hand-balancing act was injured. They have been replaced in the Summer Circus Spectacular, at least temporarily, by the Zorilla Brothers.
For nearly a quarter of a century, Marco and Paula Lorador enjoyed the kind of stability few circus artists experience, especially two brothers who so heavily rely on one another for balance in their lives.
They spent 23 years performing their Alexis Brothers hand-balancing act in Las Vegas in the Cirque du Soleil hit show “Mystere,” part of their nearly 30-year association with the Canadian company. The extended shutdown caused by the COVID pandemic that temporarily sent Cirque into bankruptcy led to some major life decisions for the brothers.
“They made a lot of changes and we decided it was time for us to move on to something different, to take advantage of opportunities we couldn’t before,” Paulo Lorador said in a phone interview.
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The brothers were inducted into the Circus Ring of Fame in February and have plaques honoring their achievements on St. Armands Circle.
One of those opportunities is bringing them to Sarasota again to perform in the annual Summer Circus Spectacular, the collaboration between the Circus Arts Conservatory, which presents the annual Circus Sarasota shows, and The Ringling, which hosts the production in the Historic Asolo Theater.
The brothers first met CAC director Pedro Reis when they were touring with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in the mid-1980s.
“I think Pedro is doing a great thing,” Paulo Lorador said. “There are not many places in the states where you have a town with a lot of circus in it and he brings in a lot of great acts from all over the world, the best acts from Europe, and the people in Florida get to see a lot of talent.”
Paulo is the bottom guy in the act, supporting his lighter and younger brother, Marco, through tricky maneuvers.
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In such acts, the performers are committed to their positions.
‘I weigh 15 to 20 pounds more. You usually can’t switch like that. I can’t replace him,” Paulo said.
Is one job harder than the other “A lot of people who see the act might say that it would be mine, but it’s really 50/50. I couldn’t do his job and he couldn’t do mine,” he said.
They’ve been supporting one another since they were children, carrying on a family act, like their grandfather and their father.
“My father did trapeze, acrobats, clown. In the early days, they used to do everything, but his specialty was hand balancing,” Paulo said. And he passed that specialty down to his four children. In addition to the Alexis Brothers, there are the Alexis sisters, who also do a balancing act.
The brothers are part of a summer show meant to provide an introduction to the circus with traditional and new acts. Patrons can get access to the Ringling’s Circus Museum on the day of the performance for $5.
Heidi Herriott, a third-generation circus artist, who also performs as an aerialist and equestrian, will serve as ringmaster for the show. Other acts include Serge Sergeev and Aurika Annaeva performing what is called a Crystal Balance act. Former Ringling Clown College director Dick Monday and his longtime clowning partner Tiffany Riley, better known as Slappy, return for comical antics. Tersit Asefa Dersu performs a bounce juggling act, and Garrett Allen, who began performing at age 10, does an aerial rope act.
‘Summer Circus Spectacular’
Runs June 9-Aug. 12 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 2 and 5 p.m. Saturday. In the Historic Asolo Theater, 5401 Bay Shore Rd., Sarasota. Tickets are $20, .$13 for children 12 and younger. 941-360-7399; ringling.org
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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Hand balancing brothers continue family legacy in summer circus show
