WORLD-PREMIERE
THE FLYING ESPAÑAS IN FLIPPIN’ METAL CIRCUS
Globally Renowned Circus Stars Perform FREE Shows at Parcel 5
Rochester, NY – The World Premiere of The Flying Españas in Flippin’ Metal Circus opens next week in Downtown Rochester. This heavy-metal, psychedelic, circus event was created especially for the 2022 Rochester Fringe Festival by the globally-renowned circus company, The Flying Españas, and creative director Matt Morgan. The show headlines Friday & Saturday on the Fringe and is scheduled for Friday, September 16 and Saturday, September 17 at 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM. Gates open at 5:00 PM with food trucks, bars, and buskers.
Kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month, this family-friendly spectacle show is FREE and takes place outdoors at Parcel 5 (275 E. Main Street, Next to One East Avenue). DJ ha-MEEN will rock Parcel 5 starting at 5:00 PM and between performances of Flippin’ Metal Circus. Festival-goers are encouraged to wear walking shoes so they can comfortably follow the action from one electrifying apparatus to another.
Inspired by the film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, Flippin’ Metal Circus features daredevil feats of superhuman strength, daring, and agility. Famous for their creativity, The Flying Españas have put together a lineup of thrilling aerial acts. The Sky Cycle features a motorcyclist deftly navigating a massive, 200-foot overhead highwire which spans the length of Parcel 5. As the Sky Cyclist traverses the length of the wire, another performer dangles upside-down from the bottom of the motorcycle more than 30 feet in the air. On the Wheel of Destiny, two aerialists balance, tumble, and defy gravity in open-wire cages on a spinning, seesaw-like structure. The Tower of Chairs spotlights a powerful acrobat expertly layering multiple chairs to then stand on his head at the pinnacle. Dangerously graceful and elegant Flying Trapeze stunts add to this jaw-dropping production. Prior engagements have included productions for the Sydney Opera House, Disneyland, NBC, and with the popular rock band KISS.
The addition of live, improvised, music from the New York City-based hard rock band, Mountain Girl, enhances every aspect of this heart-pounding outdoor experience. Mountain Girl will unveil brand-new music for the Flippin’ Metal Circus, which is designed to be molded and changed on the spur-of-the-moment to match the experience as it unfolds.
Ambrose Martos, who has appeared at Rochester Fringe previously in Cirque du Fringe: AfterParty and Princess Wendy’s Late Nite Tease Room, will emcee. Ambrose Martos is an actor, clown, and host based in New York City. On TV, he can be seen in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon), The Good Cop (Netflix) and Gotham (Fox). He has performed with Cirque du Soleil’s Joya and Quidam, in the award-winning Off-Broadway hit Slava's Snowshow, and with Australian comedy legends, the Umbilical Brothers in Speedmouse. His alter-ego, Manchego, a fixture on the burlesque circuit, starred in the New York City run of the sexy circus cabaret La Soirée.
“This show has the entire Fringe team gobsmacked. It is impossible to describe the artistry and mastery that six generations of The Flying Españas have brought to the circus arts. Not since Sam Patch’s world-famous and ill-fated performance in 1829 have Rochester audiences experienced a breathtaking spectacle of this caliber in a public space,” said Erica Fee, Festival Producer.
From Mexico, The Flying Españas are widely recognized for having modernized the art of the flying trapeze by incorporating ballet and aerial choreography into their acts. The family’s circus history dates back six generations, to the 1880s. They are the recipients of many prestigious awards including the coveted Monte Carlo Silver Clown Award and the Circus Ring Of Fame, which recognizes artists who have made a significant contribution to the art and culture of the circus over the span of a career.
“The España Family are legendary in the circus world! Flippin’ Metal Circus will bring together Mountain Girl, one of Brooklyn's most exciting improvisational rock bands, and the hilarious antics of Ambrose Martos for a high-flying, death-defying, circus extravaganza. I’m so excited to help blend all of these unique elements together,” said Creative Director Matt Morgan.
Rochester Mayor Malik Evans and Monroe County (New York) Executive Adam J. Bello will be present on Friday, September 16 to introduce the 7:30 PM opening night performance.
More About Rochester Fringe Festival:
The 12-day Rochester Fringe Festival has become the largest multidisciplinary performing arts festival in New York State and one of the top three attended Fringe Festivals in the United States. More than 500,000 people have attended nearly 4,000 performances and events at the Fringe since its inception in 2012. The non-profit organization’s mission is to offer a platform for artists to share their creativity and develop their skills, while also providing unparalleled public access to the arts. It strives to be diverse and inclusive, and to stimulate downtown Rochester both culturally and economically. It showcases the work of regional, national, and international artists from emerging to superstar.
More About Fringe Festivals:
In 1947, eight theatre groups showed up—uninvited—to perform at the newly established Edinburgh International Festival in Scotland. Although not listed in the official program, the groups performed anyway, at venues they found for themselves. The following year, a Scottish journalist coined the term “festival fringe” to describe these non-curated shows that began turning up annually. The Edinburgh Fringe is now the world’s largest arts festival and the third largest event after the Olympics and the World Cup. Today, there are more than 250 Fringe Festivals worldwide, with nearly 50 in the United States. The Rochester Fringe Festival was the first in Upstate New York.
2022 Sponsors Include:
New York State Council on the Arts; City of Rochester; University of Rochester; ESL Foundation; Monroe County; Ames Amzalak Memorial Trust; Daisy Marquis Jones Foundation; Rochester Area Community Foundation; Nocon & Associates; Rochester Institute of Technology; Waldron Rise; Elaine P. & Richard U. Wilson Foundation; Louis S. & Molly B. Wolk Foundation; Konar Enterprises; Mary Mulligan Trust; J.M. McDonald Foundation; Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation; VisitRochester; Nazareth College; St. John Fisher University; Monroe Community College; The Pike Company; 13WHAM TV; CITY Newspaper; D&C Digital; WXXI; Fred & Floy Willmott Foundation; Wegmans; Hyatt Regency Rochester;; Canandaigua National Bank; Genesee Beer; The Rubens Family Foundation; City Blue; Aspire Transformation Services; Benderson Development; Hamilton A/V; Wilkins RV; McCarthy Tents & Events; Broccolo Tree & Lawn Care; The Harley School; Boylan Code; Bond Schoeneck & King; Yelp!; and the House of Guitars.
COVID-19 Update:
The Rochester Fringe Festival and each venue in the Festival independently establish their own COVID-19 guidelines. At this time, the Fringe does not currently require vaccination checks for Parcel 5. To confirm the rules in place at the time of a Festival performance, please visit rochesterfringe.com/covid-protocols; these rules will be continually updated so you should check them at the time of a performance you plan to attend. The Rochester Fringe Festival encourages mask wearing regardless of the rules set forth by each venue.
