Crown Uptown Theatre goes to the circus for its holiday show

More than 16 months ago, before plans to jump-start the Crown Uptown Theatre were revealed, organizers looked at the smorgasbord of holiday entertainment offerings in Wichita and wondered what was missing.

The answer was a circus.

“Everybody came to the consensus that the circus sounded like a good old time,” said Max Wilson, founder of the Crown Arts Collaborative.

Originally planned for last year but delayed by the pandemic, “Inverno: The Great Holiday Circus” opens this weekend and continues through Dec. 19.

With the help of Maddy Campbell, a Wichita performer who worked for a circus in Brooklyn, Wilson and his team collaborated with playwright Ryan Schafer and music director/score composer Andrew Bowers to create the circus-themed show.

“They wanted something that kind of surrounded the holidays and we wanted something that is circus-oriented, but outside of that they gave Andrew Bowers and I free rein to create whatever we wanted,” said Schafer, who also co-wrote Mosley Street Melodrama’s current holiday production. “As a playwright you always want to be able to tell a story that’s cohesive and articulate and that will resonate with people, especially around the holidays.”

Wilson said the goal was to keep a universal theme for a broad audience.

“We wanted to give them something that was unique and special — something Wichita hasn’t seen before but was connected to the season and what it meant to people of all walks of life, whether they’re religious or not or have a family they spent a lot of time with or not,” he said.

In the play, a traveling circus act makes a stop at the Crown and begins to set up for a show. It includes aerial silk performers, strongmen, fire breathers, dancers and singers.

Schafer said Bowers’ score includes some hints of Christmas classics but is all original.

“You will have this overwhelming feeling of the holidays without the traditional music song and dance that usually comes with it,” he said. “Andrew has done a fantastic job of marrying traditional Christmas songs and non-traditional Christmas songs to help you feel what winter really makes you feel, the joy and companionship and winter provides without being overtly religious or overtly Christmas.

“I feel like it’s a really unique opportunity for people who may not like traditional music or may not be traditional in their beliefs to come and experience something that is collective, as far as what this time of year really provides people,” Schafer added.

Schafer said the performance is largely inspired by Cirque du Soleil, but with its own spin on the entertainment.

“Every act and every performer has done a fantastic job and really articulates the story and really adds to the story,” Schafer said of the nine-person cast, backed by an eight-person band.

Director Danette Baker said putting together “Inverno” has reinforced the strength of the talent pool in Wichita, both for those on stage and behind the scenes with knowledge and ability to make the acts work.

“We’ve been fortunate to be able to call on so many experts in the industry in Wichita,” she said.

“Inverno” will be the Crown Arts Collaborative’s first dinner theater, with what Wilson calls a plated buffet format, served by Corporate Caterers of Wichita. Every show next year will feature a different restaurant catering each production, he added.

“Our mission is to add another layer of community involvement,” Wilson said. “We’re making an effort to get everybody really into the fold here.”

Crown Arts announced its 2022 season — “Rent,” “The Addams Family Musical,” “The Wedding Singer,” “Calendar Girls” and “The Rocky Horror Show” — and lists its final show of next year as “A Crown Holiday Spectacular,” although that spot might become a second round of “Inverno.”

Baker said theater companies in Wichita are more enthusiastic about holiday productions than last year, since the pandemic either shut down or minimized Christmas shows.

“It’s a beautiful time for the entertainment industry because everybody gets a chance to celebrate together,” she said. “Everybody is anxious to celebrate.”

‘Inverno: The Great Holiday Circus’

When: Dec. 4-19; performances at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays

Where: Crown Uptown, 3207 E. Douglas

Tickets: $20-$30, with group discounts for 10 or more, from 612-7696 or crownuptown.com