That's Government Center. Looks like something the borg shat out thirty years ago. Named the worst public space in America recently, we all know Government Center sucks. A while ago, we were walking through it and noticed the above pictured indentation in the brick landscape, a small amphitheatre/pond. It's kind of out-of-the-way and so easy to miss. And, as of the past few weeks, it looked like it was being filled in with concrete, and we're pretty sure that's what's happened to it. Why they would fill in the only variation in the bleak brick landscape was beyond us, but so is the design of the entire site.

As days went by, we noticed that a good portion of that large expanse of brick the new concrete island is adjacent to was being fenced in. So much fence you're forced to walk on the handicap ramps next to the city hall building itself. We watched over the next few days as equipment arrived and starting depositing various implements of building. Was the borg coming back to deficate on our fair city again?
An ad on the orange line at Back Bay explained that the circus was coming to Government Center. The show is called "Grandma Goes to Hollywood," and we hope we're not the only ones who read that and start humming Relax:

Relax don't do it
When you want to to go to it
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
Relax don't do it
When you want to suck to it
Relax don't do it
When you want to come
Come-oh oh oh

It's not Barnum and Bailey's (nor Barneys, for that alliterative matter), and we'd never heard of "Big Apple Circus," so we did a little research. Their website's splash page declares:

We're more than just a circus we're a not-for-profit performing arts institution dedicated to kids and their families.

This is nice to hear: too often circuses are things to be protested, not enjoyed. At least to us, animal cruelty isn't something we want to spend our disposable income on. But Big Apple Circus looks different. The site details community programs they support, including special free and accessible shows for kids, clown doctor visits to child hospitals, and an educational program for city kids. We also didn't see any evidence of animal cruelty; the site specifically addresses animal care, and a juggling-based review of a show (not Grandma Goes to Hollywood, which we can't find right now) mentioned that the animals looked happy and healthy. We think it might have a lot to do with their choice of animals, as only horses, small dogs, and birds were apparent in the pictures we saw.

The Big Apple Circus has an interesting history, explored on Wikipedia — some highlights:

Michael Christensen were a pair of American street jugglers who, after meeting in San Francisco, decided to travel to Europe in the early 1970s. During 1974, while in Kent, England, they decided to tour around Europe with their act. Eventually they would also participate in the prestigious Nouveau Cirque de Paris, in France. When they decided to return home in 1976, they had gained some celebrity in Europe.
…
The idea of starting a circus school to train future "first" generation circus performers was the innovation of Russian born Gregory Fedin and his then wife Nina Grasavina. The school had a humble beginning working out of a lower Manhatten loft. The circus couple collaberated with the Paul and Micheal to develop the Big Apple Circus following the European style "one ring" circus tradition. In 1977, they located and secured an open grounds area where they could debut the Big Apple Circus.
…
During 1988, the Big Apple Circus once again made headlines, when the company participated in the first circus collaboration between China and the United States in history. "East Meets West" debut at the Lincoln Center Damrosch Park Winter Season. Paul Binder received an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Dartmouth College that year.
…
That same year (1999), Michael Christensen was inducted into Miami's Ambassador David A. Walters pediatric Hall of Fame, for his "contributions to pediatrics" by way of the circus and its different programs.
…
2001 saw the circus' best known performer, clown "Grandma" (Barry Lubin), inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame.

The show follows "Grandma" as she careens through Hollywood's "celluloid dreams". There are preview videos on the official site, and you can read a review of Grandma Goes to Hollywood here, the Globe story here, or the Herald story here.

Maybe we just missed it, but we didn't see any reference to the concreted-in ampitheatre/pond. Did the city really fill it in just for the circus?

Technorati Tags: boston, circus, government center, big apple circus

Popularity: 10%