Dig Dragons? Win 4 Free Tickets to Ringling Bro. and Barnum & Bailey Presents Dragons #giveaway #ChiRingling

All of our readers are winners.   Enter the code MOM for discount tickets.   

We're circus freaks.  Our kids have been performing with CircEsteem for two years now, learning everything from aerial arts and juggling, to clowning, Spanish Web, Chinese Pole and more!   So our family live and breaths circus, and we freak out and get super excited when the pros come to town.   


What's better than circus?   DRAGON themed circus!!!!    Oh yeah.  We seriously can NOT wait to see them bring it for 2012--Year of the Dragon.  It's a lucky year for the Chinese and lucky for us, too, cause we've seen some amazing dragon themed shows already...with more to come.


What's better than DRAGON themed circus?   Winning free tickets from ChiIL Mama!  Enter through midnight 10/21.


Once again, we'll be giving away a family 4 pack of tickets to one of our lucky readers.   Winner can pick 4 tickets to either opening night at Allstate Arena Thursday Nov. 1 at 7:00pm, or Friday Nov. 2 at 10:30am at Allstate Arena, or Friday Nov. 14 at 7pm at United Center.


*Wait for Rafflecopter to load up right here (if you've gone through RSS feed or are scrolling down the blog and don't see it, click on the actual page title or "a Rafflecopter giveaway link" and it should pop right up).   Enter like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks to FELD for once again providing us with review tickets, special pre-show opportunities & 4 tickets for our give away.


Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents DRAGONS is a once in a
millennium event that honors The Year of the Dragon. Circus performers
from the farthest reaches of the earth have assembled for Ringling
Bros.® Presents Dragons to showcase their astounding acts of bravery and
astonishing athleticism. Ringling Bros. Ringmaster Johnathan Lee
Iverson presides over this fantastical celebratory tournament of circus
champions that brings together mystic dragon lore with authentic circus
feats. Dragons is a never-before-seen blend of renowned spiritual and
real life legends that can be found only at The Greatest Show On
Earth®! 

Ringling Bros® and Barnum & Bailey Presents DRAGONS

Allstate Arena: Nov. 1-11, 2012

Prices: 

Circus Celebrity - $90 

Front Row – weekend =$60 / weekday = $50

VIP - $40

P1 – $25

P2 – $19

P3 - $13

•  Purchasing Link - http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/i89mql

**Circus Celebrity seats sell out early, with 20+ minutes where you and your family become a part of the show on the Arena floor.   Act fast if that's of interest.

Schedule: 

Thursday – 7:00

Friday – 10:30, 7:00

Saturday – 11:30, 3:30, 7:30

Sunday – 1:00, 5:00

Wednesday thru Friday – 7:00

Saturday – 11:30, 3:30, 7:30

Sunday - 1:00, 5:00

	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.	Sun.
	NOV. 1	NOV. 2	NOV. 3	NOV. 4
		10:30 AM	11:30 AM
			3:30 PM	1:00 PM
	7:00 PM	7:00 PM	7:30 PM	5:00 PM
Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.	Sun.
NOV. 7	NOV. 8	NOV. 9	NOV. 10	NOV. 11
			11:30 AM
			3:30 PM	1:00 PM
7:00 PM	7:00 PM	7:00 PM	7:30 PM	5:00 PM

United Center:  Nov. 14-25, 2012

Prices: 

Circus Celebrity - $90

Front Row – weekend =$60 / weekday = $50

VIP - $40

P1 – $25

P2 – $19

P3 - $13

•  Purchasing Link - http://www.ticketmaster.com/promo/i89mql

Schedule: 

Wednesday – 7:00

Thursday & Friday – 10:30, 7:00

Saturday – 11:30, 3:30, 7:30

Sunday – 1:00, 5:00

Tuesday – 7:00

Wednesday –2:00, 7:00

Friday  & Saturday – 11:30, 3:30, 7:30

Sunday - 1:00, 5:00

	Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.	Sun
	NOV. 14	NOV. 15	NOV. 16	NOV. 17	NOV. 18
		10:30 AM	10:30 AM	11:30 AM
				3:30 PM	1:00 PM
	7:00 PM	7:00 PM	7:00 PM	7:30 PM	5:00 PM
Tues.	Wed.	Thurs.	Fri.	Sat.	Sun.
NOV. 20	NOV. 21	NOV. 22	NOV. 23	NOV. 24	NOV. 25
	2:00 PM		11:30 AM	11:30 AM
			3:30 PM	3:30 PM	1:00 PM
7:00 PM	7:00 PM		7:00 PM	7:30 PM	5:00 PM

• Doors open an hour prior to each performance ALL tickets holders are invited down to the arena floor for the FREE ALL ACCESS PRE-SHOW Power Up Party!!  Arrive early and bring your cameras for a chance to meet your favorite performers and animals.

The anticipation builds throughout Ringling Bros. Presents DRAGONS as Children Of All Ages bear witness to one phenomenal Ringling Bros. circus act after another, from Shaolin Kung Fu Warriors, charging Cossack riders, magnificent Asian elephants, fierce tigers to the frenzied Globe of Steel. As the audience observes these and even more real world displays that pay tribute to the dragon, their continued excitement will bring glimpses of the elusive beast. But, the big question remains; what will it take to lure a true dragon from its golden lair? 

Ringling Bros. Presents DRAGONS opens with the All Access Pre-show available to all ticket holders. Families can join Pre-show Host Andre McClain and participate in interactive experiences such as learning juggling and balancing skills, get performer autographs, see one of Ringling Bros. majestic Asian elephant’s paint a one-of-a-kind masterpiece and meet the Ringling Bros. Clowns, whose side-splitting spoofs, absurd antics and comical parody are guaranteed to keep audiences roaring with laughter!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey searched far and wide, from north to south and east to west, to bring audiences spellbinding acts, including:

•  The Shaolin Warriors, from China, eintense and fearless Kung Fu martial arts dating back to the 5th Century. Trained at an early age to become masters of their discipline, the Shaolin Warriors demonstrate powerful concentration and skill by using rapid movements and the sheer strength of their own bodies to twist eight foot long metal rods; break six foot long wooden poles in one precise strike; or be lifted seven feet in the air on the points of five handheld spears. Not even 16 steel blades rotating within a metal ring of fire can unnerve the steady mind of a Shaolin Warrior as he jumps through the razor-sharp blaze blindfolded!

•  The Riders of the Wind, a dozen of the most deftly-balancing Cossack riders, charge into the ring on their thoroughbred horses, displaying great strength and amazing dexterity. The equestrian acrobat riders perform intricate maneuvers on horseback, including a double-man pyramid that builds to a remarkable Roman riding five-man high pyramid, all while the horses are galloping at full speed!

•  The Globe of Steel features the Torres Family who will shatter all records by putting eightfamily members on specialized motorcycles. Once locked inside a 16-foot steel globe, all together they will orbit at an unprecedented 65 miles per hour within inches of each other.

•  Hailing from Great Britain and appearing in the United States for the first time, Alexander Lacey, trainer and award winning presenter, along with his big cats including tigers and lions, summons brazen bravadoand valor in one mixed cat display. Lacey’s fearless command of the big cats’ agility and strength demonstrates unconditional respect between man and predator.

•  Featured in a dazzling aerial display, Viktoriya Medeiros and Widny Neves, the Hair Hang Heroines ascend 35-feet in the air from just the strands of their long dark hair. Relying on the pure strength of their hair, they juggle, flip and even spiral down a silk chiffon!  

•  The Flying Caceres,with their double decker high trapeze specifically for Ringling Bros., will soar elegantly through the air at The Greatest Show On Earth. will present the wildly difficult forward triple somersault and in the first worldwide attempt, troupe leader George Caceres will undertake a full twisting double bar-to-bar somersault.

Lions....and tigers....and DRAGONS?!   OH MY!

•  A whimsical, heartwarming and awe inspiring display of showmanship brings an animal menagerie from 10 pounds to 10,000 pounds only found at Ringling Bros. DRAGONS. Treasured Ringling Bros. Asian elephants, the largest herd of any circus in North America, are presented in an incredible spectacle of majestic wonder and strength. Andre McClainpresents a charming display of mixed hoofstock including horses,ponies, mini-donkeys, goats; Hans Klose his ten high-energy rescue dogsdisplay their animal athleticism by high jumping, hurdling, back flipping, walking on their hind legs and even diving from 16 feet up in the air; and, Mayyaand Andriy Panfilovamaze as their troupe of performing domestic felinesscale a “kitty low wire,” balance on top of balls, jump through hula hoops and walk across parallel bars only using their front paws.

•  In a friendly tournament of Russian Bar Renegades and Teeterboard Titans, two amazing acrobatic troupes attempt to outdo one another as they vault from a 12-foot-long, six-inch-wide Russian bar showcasing an overwhelming series of flips, twists and somersaults sequences. These athletes will astonish as they ramp it up by securing themselves to six-foot-tall stilts before being launched from the teeterboard, executing not a just single, not even a double, but an unbelievable triple somersault!

 Roaring through the arena sky is the dueling double motorcycle high-wire!  Hearts will pound as two daredevil riders race their motorcycles on specially designed high-wires suspended 30 feet over the audience. Precariously poised from each bike are beautiful aerialists who feed the flames of excitement with flips and spins all while on the moving bikes!

All Access Pre-show Descriptions:

Don’t miss DRAGONS, all-new circus entertainment from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®! Arrive an hour early and meet our animals and performers at the All Access Pre-show Power-up Party – free with your ticket!

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® DRAGONS! goers can meet some of Ringling Bros.majestic animals, see a pachyderm paint a portrait and learn more about Ringling Bros. commitment to elephant conservation at the All Access Pre-show―Free with your ticket! Playing Allstate Arena Nov. 1-11 and united Center Nov. 14-25.  Get your tickets today at Ringling.com.

An hour before show time, audiences can join Ringling Bros.talented performers and learn new circus skillsthe All Access Pre-show, FREE with your ticket! Audience members can get up close and personal with Ringling Bros. performers to take photos, get autographs and learn circus skills at the All Access Pre-show. 

Playing Allstate Arena Nov. 1-11 and united Center Nov. 14-25.  Get your tickets today at Ringling.com.

Click here for sweet show videos, behind the scenes fun and more details.     





I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre -Show events.  


Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine

Cirque Shanghai Year of the Dragon Closing September 3rd #discount tickets

We're coming into the final days of Cirque Shanghai.    If you haven't seen it yet or want to squeeze in one more show, then go now.    The show must close September 3rd.

**Check out our show review and photo filled feature from opening day right here**

For the price and the frequency of shows, Cirque Shanghai is hard to beat.    They play Navy Pier all summer, making this an easy, entertaining option for visiting friends and relatives.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE AND TICKET INFORMATION

“Cirque Shanghai: Year of the Dragon” will perform May 24 – Sept. 3, with regular run performances as follows:

Wednesday at 2, 6 and 8 p.m. 
Thursday at 2 and 8 p.m. 
Friday at 2, 7 and 9 p.m. 
Saturday at 2, 6 and 8 p.m.

Sunday at 2 and 4 p.m. 

There will be additional performances Tuesday, July 3 at 2 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 3 (Labor Day) at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Tickets are $15.50 - $29.50 and are available by calling 800-745-3000 or visiting Ticket Master here. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are available by calling GroupTix at 773.327.3778 or visiting GroupTixs website here.

Use code KIDS for $25 Adult Gold Circle tickets for Wed-Fri performances through the end of August.   Kids' regular tickets are just $15 all summer long!   Check out the special offers page here for more combo pack discounts.  Tickets now on sale through ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

Cirque Shanghai: Year of the Dragon is Here #review #liveshowphotos

Enter the year of the Dragon, 2012.   What better way to celebrate than with Chi-town's favorite Chinese circus, Cirque Shanghai.   ChiIL Mama caught opening night, and the whole family had a blast.   We welcome this circus' annual summer residency at Navy Pier and eagerly anticipate it.   

Tickets are available via Ticketmaster here or at 800-745-3000.

For the price and the frequency of shows, Cirque Shanghai is hard to beat.    They play Navy Pier all summer, making this an easy, entertaining option for visiting friends and relatives.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE AND TICKET INFORMATION

“Cirque Shanghai: Year of the Dragon” will perform May 24 – Sept. 3, with regular run performances as follows:

Wednesday at 2, 6 and 8 p.m. 
Thursday at 2 and 8 p.m. 
Friday at 2, 7 and 9 p.m. 
Saturday at 2, 6 and 8 p.m.

Sunday at 2 and 4 p.m. 

There will be additional performances Tuesday, July 3 at 2 p.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. and Monday, Sept. 3 (Labor Day) at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Tickets are $15.50 - $29.50 and are available by calling 800-745-3000 or visiting Ticket Master here. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are available by calling GroupTix at 773.327.3778 or visiting GroupTixs website here.

 

Our whole family loves to watch people push the boundaries with circus arts 



and we've NEVER seen someone unicycle on a parasol,



fit so many girls on one bike, 

or flip so many simultaneous pots on their head from a rolla bolla board!

 































The new horizontal configuration of the hoop diving was sweet, too. 

 

The motorcycle wire tricks are gone this year, but the Globe of Doom with 5 bikers in a metal globe is always breathtakingly impressive, even though we've seen it in past years with Cirque Shanghai and with Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus.   



We've seen it at Ringling Brothers, but the metal Wheel of Destiny was a new addition for Cirque Shanghai, and provided quite a few gasps, as a blindfolded/hooded performer nearly plunged to the stage below. 



He nearly bit it again during the jump rope routine, 



which I first thought was intentional, to mess with the audience and freak us out.  On further discussion we agreed that maybe his blonde partner (who had less taxing tricks) was walking a bit too fast and threw off his timing.   Thankfully he hung in there!

My kids adore circus arts and have become quite the critics after seeing world class acts from Cirque du Soleil's Ovo and Quidam, Ringling Brothers, Cirque Eloize, Zoppe Family Circus, George Orange, New York's Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, and local favs El Circo Cheapo, Aloft, Midnight Circus, The Actor's Gymnasium and more!   Our kids are also taking circus arts classes from local gem, CircEsteem, where they're learning juggling, unicycle, silks, trapeze, lyra, pyramids, Spanish Web, Chinese Pole, acro, and more.   They've auditioned for and been invited onto the pre-team and hone their circus skills 3 times a week.   So, they're harder to impress than the average 9 & 11 year old off the street.



When the kids saw Cirque Shanghai's 7 ball bounce juggling act, they rightfully noted, "That was pretty cool, and he did juggle up stairs which was impressive, but our friend Will can do 7 ball bounce juggling and he's still in high school, and we just saw it in our own spring CircEsteem show.   They did envy and want a pair of his cool, juggling pocket pants, though!   

They were likewise nonplussed by the silks and lyra, diablo, and even the contortion and acro acts.   Those elicited a series of "My friends and/or I can do that....and that....and most of that act too," from the kids.   Though admittedly their friends are way more flexible and adept at circus arts than the average bear.   As long as they don't want to master the Wheel of Destiny or Globe of Death next....!!

Nonetheless, they thoroughly enjoyed the show and thought that kids of all ages and adults would dig it, whether they're well schooled in circus arts themselves, are avid fans, or have never seen anything like it.   In addition to the super stars in Globe of Death, 



and Wheel of Destiny, 



the slackwire unicycle, 






spring board, 



creative foot juggling, 

and chair stacking acts were particularly fun.

 

Both kids were entranced with the 5 bikers, simultaneously circling the metal globe and Sagezilla, in particular, loved that one was a long haired girl!   



Sage's more interested in being strong than cute.   She's all about grrrl power and nontraditional roles, and she was elated that the biker girl gave her a high five on the way up the aisle at the close of the show. 

  

Come celebrate the Year of the Dragon in style with Cirque Shanghai!  Here are further official details:

“CIRQUE SHANGHAI: YEAR OF THE DRAGON” COMES TO NAVY PIER® PEPSI® SKYLINE STAGE MAY 24 – SEPTEMBER 3

Cirque Shanghai returns to Chicago’s Navy Pier this summer with a magnificent new show “Cirque Shanghai: Year of the Dragon”.   The production will run now through September 3, 2012 (Labor Day), rain or shine, at the Navy Pier® Pepsi® Skyline Stage, the 1,500-seat, canopied, open-air theater on Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. 

“Cirque Shanghai: Year of the Dragon” is a spectacle for audiences of all ages, featuring performers direct from China who are leaders in their craft of tumbling, juggling, balancing and more. This year’s production features an incredible line up of awe- inspiring acts, including favorites such as Bike Balance and Hoop Diving, as well as an all-new Group Chair Stack, Teeterboard act and the Wheel of Death!

China’s finest daredevil motorcycle troupe, “Imperial Thunder,” returns with not two, not four, but five motorcyclists riding at break-neck speed within a steel globe – more than ever before in this death-defying feat.

Audiences and critics alike rave about Cirque Shanghai. The Chicago Tribune hails the production to be a 

“beguiling, sophisticated and contemporary 75-minute show, replete with some bravura acrobatics and infused with fabric-strewn visuals,” 

and the Chicago Sun-Times raves “Cirque Shanghai has been an especially bright spot on Navy Pier...bringing young, talented acrobatic troupes and first-rate production values to the canopied, open-air Skyline Stage.” 

Time Out Chicago says, “Jaw-dropping, aerobatic stunts...adults will enjoy this show every bit as much as kids.”

Directed by Miao Miao Chen, “Cirque Shanghai: Year of the Dragon” is presented in this exclusive U.S. engagement by Navy Pier in conjunction with International Special Attractions, Ltd. (ISA) production headquarters in Shanghai, China.

MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM:

International Special Attractions (ISA) was established in 1989 and over the past two decades has become a world leader in the production of large scale special attractions, events and theatrical productions. ISA’s ICE! attractions can be seen annually at four Gaylord Hotel locations throughout the United States, and have been enjoyed by over 5 million people worldwide. ISA was the first company to bring Chinese acrobats to Broadway and also produces Cirque Shanghai, which has performed in some of the most prestigious venues in the world, and recently played a sold out run at the New Victory Theatre on Broadway in New York City. Additionally, ISA has produced Luminasia for the past two years at The Galt House Hotel in Louisville, KY, USA. Clients have included The Walt Disney Company, Gaylord Entertainment, Navy Pier Chicago, Busch Entertainment Corp and Six Flags, Inc. Featured Television coverage has aired internationally, including networks such as NBC, CBS and ABC to name but a few.

Originally from a classical music background, Haiping Ge was one of the earliest producers serving in the Shanghai government's Office of Cultural Exchange Affairs. From that office, he hosted many of the first Western entertainers performing in China. For the last two decades, Haiping Ge has been producing shows with ISA for the world's premium venues. His current productions include: Cirque Shanghai for New Victory Theatre on Broadway; ICE! attractions in Dallas, Nashville, Orlando and Washington D.C. in association with Gaylord Resorts; Luminasia at The Galt House in Louisville, KY, USA. Haiping also produced a Chinese acrobatic show for Disney World, Florida which will run through the end of this year.

Miao Miao Chen is a second-generation performer as well as the show’s director. She studied with the internationally famous Shenyang Performing Arts Academy beginning at age five, and joined the acclaimed Shenyang Acrobatic Troupe, one of the top ten troupes in all of China, at age 13.  Chen is the recipient of a Gold Lion Award from the International Acrobatics Competition in France, and received the top award for Best Innovative Performance in Uruguay. Chen has performed throughout the USA, Canada, Europe and Asia. In 2006 and 2007, Chen worked as a choreographer for “Le Grand Cirque” which has toured in cities across Australia, the United Kingdom and United States. Chen previously directed hit productions of “Cirque Shanghai” in 2009, 2010 and 2011.


 About Navy Pier:

Located on Lake Michigan, just east of Chicago’s downtown, Navy Pier is the most- visited tourist and leisure destination in the Midwest, welcoming more than 8 million visitors annually. Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, it is now one of the country’s preeminent recreation and exposition facilities, showcasing 50 acres of parks, gardens, restaurants, shops, attractions, sightseeing and dining cruise boats, exhibition facilities and more.