'Pedal Punk' comes to Sarasota

Ever since Cirque du Soleil revolutionized circus entertainment starting in the 1980s, a handful of American companies have sprung into existence, using "cirque" -- which, of course, is merely the French word for "circus" -- in their names to indicate that they combine traditional circus elements with a fine arts sensibility.

One of the best, by many accounts, is Cirque Mechanics, which is coming to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota for one show only on Friday.

They'll be performing a show titled "Pedal Punk," and from a Youtube video it appears to take a retro, steampunk attitude toward its circus performances, and as you may have guessed front the title, bicycles figure prominently. The publicity materials says that the show offers cycling as "a way to escape the technology-obsessed society."

The story lines in this kind of show aren't usually very important, and it's usually hard to even discern the narrative thread. What's important is that it's all really cool to look at, and that the performers and designers are able to make something fresh and vibrant out of the essential elements of an old-fashioned circus. Most reviews say "Pedal Punk" does that extremely well.

Details: 8 p.m. April 22, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets: $40, $50 and $60. Information: 941-953-3368, vanwezel.org.

--Marty Clear

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 5:41 PM with the headline "'Pedal Punk' comes to Sarasota ."