Theater Review: Passengers

"Passengers" at the Old Globe

I haven’t been to a circus (not even the world-famous Cirque du Soleil) in ages. Now the Old Globe show “Passengers” fixes that, thanks to the spectacular arts collective known as The 7 Fingers.

Founded in 2002 and centered in Montreal, the group's purpose was to strip down the well-known spectacle of circus to its thrilling essence, and to offer their expertise to international companies, offering everything from small one-man shows to large arena-style performances.

At the Globe, “Passengers” tells a story of nine cirque performers who happen to be on the same train. Each has a story to tell, each a spectacular expertise to demonstrate, and the result is a fascinating, thrilling and sometimes horrifying 110-minute show with no intermission but oodles of talent. 

The skills on view range from acrobat Kaisha D-W and gymnast Beto Freitas  to acrobat Nella Niva who does cartwheels and hangs upside down with apparent ease. Aerialist and contortionist Mandi Orozco works the trapeze gracefully, while Santiago Rivera Laugerud does juggling and hoop diving as well as working on the Chinese pole. Andrew Sumner’s skills are in gymnastics, trampoline and high diving, and Méliejade T. Bouchard works with hula hoops, (many at a time), and also does gymnastics.

Sometimes they work together, in a dance; sometimes a few at a time, now and then alone, but they always seem to know exactly what they’re doing and why.

The music, lyrics and arrangements by Colin Gagne underscore what you see onstage and pull you almost into the show. 

There’s a bit of a human backstory for each, as well; some are going  somewhere to meet someone, others hoping to, some trying to get away from a human situation. As one puts it, “Sometimes it’s not about being someplace but about being someplace else.”

But you won’t want to be anywhere else at all. You will be so knocked out at the talent, skill and derring-do on display that you’ll probably just sit there and gape, like I did. Then you will applaud loudly and long.

Do not, I repeat do NOT miss this show.

The details

“Passengers” runs through July 30, 2023 at The Old Globe’s Donald & Darlene Shiley Stage, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Shows Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m.

Tickets: www.TheOldGlobe.org or (619) 234-5623