A Soleil surprise: Traditionally offbeat Cirque goes traditional

The director/writer also is very high on the silver-sequined and otherwise dazzling Anthony Gatto, calling him "the best juggler in the world. After I saw him, I had to have him for the show."

And how about that pair of fearless, gravity-defying guys who run, jump and skip rope inside and atop two wheels spinning at the ends of a giant rotating pendulum? They don't call it the Wheel of Death for nothing.

Shiner agrees.

"It's terrifying, a great act, so dangerous. The momentum on that huge spinning thing is so great. It's so easy to go flying off, and the dismount, if you do it wrong . . . "

While he offers some input on the acrobatic acts, Shiner's training and interest really come to the fore with "Kooza" 's clowns. For a change, the Cirque funny guys aren't just time killers meant to distract us while the set is being reconfigured. These merry pranksters seem central to the show's devil-may-care spirit, often working on the edge in an old school, slapstick, Keystone Kops-meet-the-Three Stooges vein.

Confetti flies everywhere and so do people. A fluffy dog does a nasty deed that could easily upset the ticketholders. A slimy pickpocket artist works his con on a hapless victim pulled out of the audience.

You're glad it's not you.

Not all's funny business

All went well in our conversation until I dared to ask Shiner if spectators pulled out of the seats by the clowns were authentic ticket buyers or "plants" - part of the show. Suddenly, he became agitated.

"I can't tell you that," he declared. "You don't really want to know that, now do you? Asking me that is like asking a magician how he does his tricks. These are wonderful secrets that you like to keep that way. I won't spoil anything for the audience."

Shiner also argued that it would be disrespectful to the clowns to share their business. "In the U.S., we tend to dismiss clowns as simple characters in baggy pants, big shoes, a fright wig and a big red nose. But in Europe, and with Cirque, clowning is a highly respected profession for an artist and a highly refined art. Truth is, it takes years for these guys to come up with a great 10 minutes of material."

But that's not to say that the clown bits (or the other acts) in "Kooza" are fixed in stone. "I encourage the performers to keep trying different things, especially at matinees when there are lot of kids in the audience," tipped Shiner. "Children are more generous with their laughter, and more forgiving when something doesn't go exactly right." *

Cirque du Soleil plays on the Avenue of the Arts (Broad Street and Washington Avenue) through June 15. Tickets $50-$85, ages 2-12, $35-$59.50, ages 65-plus, $45-$76.50, students (with ID) $45-$76.50. 1-800-678-5440, www.cirquedusoleil.com.