Rachel Spinella
Staff Writer
PC: Lauren Summers
On Friday, Sept. 7, UNCG hosted an event in the EUC auditorium known as ‘The Great DuBois’. The auditorium was packed with many people from UNCG and Greensboro, with a long line leading down the hall from the auditorium doors.
The show itself brought circus stunts, juggling, hula hoops, contortion and so much more, all laced together with comedy. The act opened with the ringmaster of this performance, Michael DuBois, who helped to create the movie, “The Greatest Showman.”
Whether it was juggling balls, hula hoops, or even balancing several objects on his forehead simultaneously, he always managed to keep things interesting as he gradually would add another object to the mix while keeping up the pace and escalating the act.
During the second act, he introduced his assistant Viktoria Grimmy, who according to DuBois, has been a part of many different projects such as being on Broadway, as well as helping with tv shows and movies such as “Shake It Up” and “Burlesque.”
Grimmy entertained the crowd with her many different talents; not only could she juggle hula hoops, but she used her flexibility and agility to take it to the next level.
She managed to perform a handstand all the while still rotating the hula hoop around her leg. To further demonstrate her talent, she would bend and contort to many different positions while still being able to maintain the hula hoop in the rotation.
DuBois and Grimmy also collaborated in acts together, whether it was juggling back to each other or displaying acts of danger.
The acts included those of awe as well as beauty. One particular act included Dubois holding two flowers in his hands, with Grimmy striking the flowers with the whip. Whenever the whip knocked off the flowers, the sound of the strike echoed throughout the auditorium all at once, making people jump in their seats.
The magician would also call guests up on stage and have them help with his acts. Many people were eager to be called on; however, only a few were chosen. The entire evening, DuBois and Grimmy brought silliness and fun for the audience to enjoy.
DuBois’ final act consisted of him riding a 6-foot unicycle across a tightrope while trying to remove a straitjacket. The audience waited with baited breath as the Great DuBois carefully made his way across, with a sigh of relief echoing out as he reached the other side.
After the performance, a few members of the audience gave their opinions on what they thought of the show.
“I thought that it was pretty good, I would have liked to see a little bit more action,” Diana Angeles stated. She continued to elaborate that her favorite act was when DuBois hopped over a volunteer while riding on a unicycle.
Along with Angeles’ statement, audience member Carina Barbosa Nunez agreed by saying, “It was different than what I had imagined.”
“I just heard about it and I like seeing performance acts like that, because they’re really creative, and I like to see them try,” said audience member Evelyn Sanchez on what brought her out.
Like Angeles, she also thought that the unicycle act was the best part of the performance because of how dangerous and difficult the trick was to perform.
The Great DuBois’ is a flashback to the circus days with a more modern twist to it, as it takes, old tricks and escalates the dangers of the acts. If you are a fan of thrilling circus acts with a dash of comedy, ‘The Great DuBois’ might be something for you.
Categories: Features
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