Hollywood is a circus, a fact that NBC’s new reality show "Celebrity Circus" picks up on, and with a wink and good humor takes an interesting crew of singers, an Olympian athlete, actors and a supermodel inside in the daredevil world of le cirque .
02/08/2008 - Rachel Hunter - Verizon and People Honor Timbaland - Avalon Hollywood - Hollywood, CA. USA © Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos
The show premieres Wednesday June 11 at 9:30-11 PM ET on NBC.
Everyone involved in the project has a desire to go past their comfort zone, with bonhomie and a can-do attitude to accomplish this unlikely feat; hitting the ground running and getting up to a respectable performance speed in a short eight weeks.
There is palpable camaraderie on the set of this show, circus trainer/mentors and crew included who have the backs of their celebrity charges.
The show will be hosted by Joey Fatone and features the original Calvin Klein underwear model, Antonio Sabato Jr., singer Blu Cantrell, actor Christopher Knight, Olympian Janet Evans, actor Jason "Wee Man" Acuña, model and actress Rachel Hunter and actress Stacey Dash.
Side note: All the women on the show I spoke to had unbelievably stunning eyes; it must have been a casting requirement.
They will be mentored by a tight knit group of top experts in the circus arts, all experienced in high wire, fire dancing, hand balancing, flying trapeze, Chinese poles, aerial silks and the wheel of death.
Wait until you get a load of trainer/mentor Sacha, Blu Cantrell’s hunky “Eastern Promises” circus shadow. That white Russian tortured me with physics defying splits, and physique revealing leg extensions with feats of manly upper body prowess.
eat your heart out: Antonio!
Photo credit: April MacIntyre
Then, a shirtless sweaty Antonio Sabato Jr. walked by me. It was all I could do to not keel over.
Trust me, these celebrities have paid a price - witnessed by broken bones, bruises and gnarly abrasions the day Monsters and Critics paid a visit to the old “Rock the Cradle” stage 21 at CBS Radford where the show is now shot.
Judges are yet unnamed, and the audience will get their say in who will go home each episode. Each week viewers will cast their votes for the best acts and determine 50% of the elimination vote.
set one,
Photo credit: April MacIntyre
The first person I had a chance to speak with was Bryant, part of the Gaffer’s crew - a staggering 15 or so electricians all working together to make sure the show is lit properly. Like many craftspeople who work behind the scenes, he was a legacy.
His great-great grandfather was a Gaffer (chief electrician) on the epic 1939 film, “Gone with the Wind”, and he joked about how back then, crew wore suits and ties to work. “As you can see, we don’t dress that way anymore,” he laughed, donning his cargo shorts, t-shirt, earring and a nice sleeve tattoo on his arm. “We’re working with Simon Miles on this show, he’s our lighting director, and has a lot of experience.”
Wheel of Death
Photo credit: April MacIntyre
He showed me the wheel of death apparatus, which was drawing a crowd with the entire crew as they mused what, exactly, would be transpiring in the metal carnival looking contraption.
Singer Blu Cantrell came and sat down, she was taking a break from her Sacha, who has been schooling her in the ropes and helping her overcome her fear of heights.
Blu and Sacha
Photo credit: April MacIntyre
“The stamina I have now is amazing, I haven’t been in this good shape for 10 years,” Blu revealed. “We’re working out six hours a day, filming for eight, and I have lost 15 pounds since I started this show.”
“What is really cool is that everyone has bonded; the cast is great. Christopher Knight is a trooper, and Stacey is amazing in her ability too.”
Blu continued. “The Spanish web has been the hardest for me. I have broken all my nails and have about 30 bruises to show for this.”
set one,
Photo credit: April MacIntyre
The Spanish web is a traditional circus classic involving the tradition of rope climbing. The feat involves strength, beauty and flexibility.
She also spilled that there was love in the air. “”I have my eye on someone, that’s all I am going to say,” Blu with the topaz eyes laughed. Hint: His initials are "A.S..Jr."
After Circus, Blu plans on ramping up her music and releasing another album. “My next album I want to call ‘Out of the Blu,’ it will be my third."
And what was on her iPod? “I am listening to classic best of Aretha Franklin, The Police, Portishead, Amy Winehouse, The Killers, and I want the new Coldplay,” she shared.
Rachel Hunter
Leggy Rachel Hunter came over and was a giant ray of sunshine; she radiates gold. “I loved Cirque du Soleil, and this was presented to me, and it was like, what an opportunity to do something completely different, fun and something my own kids would get a kick out of watching,” she shared.
I had previously interviewed Jason “Wee Man” Acuña LINK who could not say enough kind things about Rachel, or their on-screen unlikely yet natural chemistry.
Jason “Wee Man” Acuña
Photo credit: April MacIntyre
“Basically we just have a laugh and seriously enjoy ourselves, and we bonded very quickly. He is always encouraging, sunny, always smiling and positive. A lot of people are going to fall in love with him,” Hunter smiled.
Biggest Circus challenges? “The Wheel of Death is really hard, the women aren't doing that, but they all have their challenges. The silks too. You know you are dealing somewhat with illusions and gravity while spinning, and upper body strength is a requirement. Had I known how much so I would have trained months before signing up.”
Contestant peer who surprised her? “Stacey Dash is very strong and has a lot of finesse, she’s very graceful and she puts her heart into it,” said Hunter. “Antonio has a great work ethic. Chris Knight fractured his elbow, but he pushes forward, he’s not a whining pain in the ass like us,” laughs Hunter. “Janet’s very strong too, and Blu is doing better.”
“And all of our trainers are amazing professionals; they come from Cirque du Soleil, or were pro dancers and even Olympians. But I know people are going to say, ‘why is she (Hunter) doing a show like this?’ and all I can say is that there is a message here to just go and get it; the physical challenge for me has been exhilarating, a real opportunity and I love being forced out of my comfort zone. You know, not in 100 years would I have believed I could walk a high wire, and now I zip across it, no fear.”
Hunter was effusive about her two teenagers who she has dinner with every night, regaling them with her stories about the days circus challenges. Friends and family are extremely important to her, and she spoke warmly about her parents back in New Zealand, and how the TV is rarely on in the Hunter home, and that a shared dinner meal and conversation with her son and daughter take precedence.
“I have a swimsuit line I am launching called ‘Lola’ and a clothing line too in New Zealand. Everyone is so good to me down there. I love the atmosphere, the lifestyle; you can just be barefoot and carefree; there’s a freedom of speech and sense of adventure. New Zealand was naturally eco green conscious well before the trends here.”
Next up was Stacey Dash, who first came on my radar in the classic Amy Heckerling film, “Clueless” as Dee, Cher’s pal.
Stacey Dash
Stacey was nursing broken rib and was carefully sitting so that her weight was distributed in a way that pain didn’t double her over, “I broke my rib in the silks, I was wrapped up Arabesque and the drop was wrong,” she revealed.
“Being a dancer for years helped me with the physical challenges, I am very flexible, but I am so impressed by everyone’s performances and progress. It’s about erasing fears and personal growth, it’s been a profound experience.”
How did the show come to her? “My agent called, and he told me about it, and I was like, ‘I love ‘Cirque du Soleil,’ so I was in. I felt I was able to do this, I work out faithfully, do yoga, and try to keep to a healthy lifestyle,” she added.
Which contestant/peers impress her? “Jason takes my breath away, he’s fearless, Antonio and Chris Knight too.”
Christopher Knight
What was the mother of two looking forward to after Circus? “I want to produce, write a book, and I would love to get a normal job, a TV series, or have a talk show, something smart, I adore Barbara Walters, and I would love something along those lines. David Letterman is great too.”
Did she have any great memories from Clueless? “Amy (Heckering) is brilliant, and she and I are still friends, I look back and it was such a fun, positive movie for young girls, I am very proud of it, and it’s held up nicely. It was so lovely to be part of that movie.”
Olympian Janet Evans was sporting the most unusual foot gear that enabled her to hang from all sorts of contraptions. The athlete joked she was using muscle groups she was unaware she had.
Janet Evans freaky circus shoes
Photo credit: April MacIntyre
“I’m not naturally graceful, and this has been a more athletic endeavor than I initially thought it would be,” smiled Evans. “It hit hard when I fell 16 feet, that was a little scary, and I have a small child at home, and you start to think, okay, pay attention. I was so sore the first week I started this I could barely get up.”
How does she stay in such amazing shape? “We eat small protein meals, they feed us well here,” laughed Evans. “These challenges use a lot of climbing muscles, and abs, plus I really try to avoid sugars and carbs. I am exhausted by the time I get home.”
What is after the circus for her? “I will be at the Beijing China Olympics, which I am really excited about. I’ll be there pulling for Michael Phelps and Kate Ziegler in the swimming events.
Which circus challenge has been the most fun? “The flying trapeze – to be flying in the air at 30 feet and be caught by someone, oh yeah,” added Evans. “The silks are impressive too, I think that is the hardest apparatus here, and I hope the grace and challenge of it translates on people’s TV screens at home.”
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