Many of my professional TV critic friends razz me relentlessly about my well-documented guilty pleasure of NBC’s reality cirque des l’etoiles : Celebrity Circus.
Christopher Knight - funny and a real trooper on Celebrity Circus © Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos
I could care less what they think; the show is fun and seeing up close what the contestants go through on a daily basis to master or at least try to put on a good show has sold me on the dedication and the sincerity of everyone involved.
The show is glamorous illusion and athleticism combined, and it is a perfect summer series to just sit back and enjoy: No weighty subtext, morality plays, bleeped out chef cursing or mortifying D-Listed lives exposed, with children in therapy and ex husbands vilified. Just straight up showbiz. Even the judges are a riot.
The trooper of the show is the unpretentious Christopher Knight, who has been shellacked with injuries since he began the venture.
Chris Knight's hand injuries - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C
At 50, Knight is the oldest participant in the seven-person Circus. His competition from the guys is the strapping Antonio Sabato Jr., 36, and the surprise audience breakout favorite, Jason "Wee Man" Acuńa, 35.
Rehearsal stage prep- photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C
When I first sat down with him at the summer press day on May 2, he looked good, but not as much as he does now. I was inside Stage 21 at CBS Radford for the show rehearsal run on June 24th, where the guys were all rehearsing their routines prior to the show taping later that night.
Now even his lats are visible and his arms are totally ripped from the often eight plus hour days of non-stop training. His face even changed; he looks a good five years younger now than we first met.
Chris Knight's makeshift ice pack - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C
The only thing that caught me off guard was the makeshift ice pack saran-wrapped to his back. "Yeah, this is just part of it,” he says of his icepack, "I’ve got the arm thing still, and I’m balanced in my gimpiness now.”
“This latest was a pulling injury during a rehearsal,” he shared. Knight told me he relies on hot baths drawn by his wife, “she’d like the circus to be over now,” and the help of painkillers to get him through the day.
“The experience to overcome my limitations, like the clown act was a result of me not being able to do what I had to do because of the injuries, but now, the bungee tonight, it’s a timing element and I have trained hard for this one, so hopefully I get a chance to show I can do the athletic part of this too with some style.”
Knight shared that even the costumes and protective undergarments they have to wear often times literally peels the skin right off of them when they are on the ropes or poles. Everyone has bruises, knee damage, patches of missing skin and ligament damage. Stacey Dash is still nursing broken ribs.
"It's not fun when your routine wipes you out and partially maims you,” added Knight.
On Circus, performers are eliminated each week based on audience votes. And in this circus, everybody is working hard to stay in the game. Blu Cantrell was the first contestant eliminated from the Celebrity Circus. And after the show rehearsals, I watched at home as Janet Evans was the second contestant eliminated.
Backstage rehearsal - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C
Emmy winning co-executive producer Rick Ringbakk spoke at length about his cast’s dedication, and how the show’s reception has surprised even him.
“People thought this would be a joke,” said Rick. “What we set out to make is mesmerizing reality television, and everyone has stepped up to the plate, and the acts - I cannot even believe what they are actually accomplishing on a weekly basis. Really, the stuff they are all doing is pretty incredible. I love how Rachel delivers and just does it, and Janet is so focused and intense. Wee Man has this lightheartedness and humor and he’s stepped up to the challenge - everyone really. It’s been a great experience for us all.”
I was curious to know what apparatus Rick thought he might be able to master. “I think the Wheel of Death,” he laughed.
Season two of Celebrity Circus? Big, big smiles and no comment from a beaming Ringbakk.
Wee Man was prepping his costume fitting and introduced me to his partner Lilia for his apparatus, the flying straps. He was wiped out but pumped up for the pending rehearsal and performance. He had been practicing hard, and was ready to get it done.
Lilia and Wee Man - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C
Lilia was attached to him, there seem to be a bit of chemistry brewing, but everyone who meets him is drawn in by his personality and killer smile. Wee Man rocks big man charisma.
“We worked for five days, always more than three hours a day together on this,” she shared.
“This has been hard for me, it’s all upper body and I have had to really work out and practice,” revealed Wee Man. “Stacey really surprised me last week; she is doing great, Rachel too. Next apparatus I have to hit after this is hand-balancing, and I have just a few days to master that,” he added.
How does he take care of himself? “Man, lots of shvitzes , sauna and steambaths! Laughed Wee Man. “A good diet and early to bed too.”
Wee Man was hammered last week with the lowest scores from the judges, but voters showered him with votes, keeping him alive in the game.
Wee Man's designing socks! - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C
I asked what other ventures he was up too. "I have a skateboarding video - worldwide of me skating, that's next, plus I am getting into designing socks," and with that, he whipped up his trousers and showed me his Wee Man socks; very cool stuff.
Fatone and Wee at Rehearsal - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C
Rehearsal for Wee Man began, and Joey introduces Wee Man and Lilia. Dressed in a tuxedo he rocked his strap routine to “Everybody Wants You” and they pull it off nicely.
Later for the show taping they replicated the performance beautifully.
The last person I spoke with was a very tired Antonio Sabato, Jr., his beautiful little daughter off to the side, watching the circus extras and production commotion behind the scenes.
The reason for his fatigue was his constant work the last week with the extremely difficult Chinese Poles. “This is flat out the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I’m a pretty fit guy right? Does not matter; these poles use every one of your muscle groups and ones I didn’t even know I had. I’m jumping 20 feet in the air from pole to pole, I really didn’t think I could pull this off,” he revealed.
“Steve, my coach has been amazing and helped me immensely, but I tell you I really cannot imagine anyone else in our group who could have done this.”
Antonio is not rehearsing today; he told me he was reserving every ounce of energy for the real performance later that night. “I am done, and next up is the Wheel of Death, I get four days to master that apparatus.”
Antonio Sabato Jr. - photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C
Sabato shared with me he was born in Rome and then came to New York. Sabato had watched Wee Man perform his flying straps routine in rehearsals with Lilia, and the two had a nice eh cumpari moment, as Wee Man was born in Pisa, Italy himself.
I had to ask him about the Blu Cantrell romance rumors. “No, we are not dating,” he confirmed.
Next week I’ll be at rehearsals once again to catch up with Rachel and Stacey, and see how the guys are physically holding up still.
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