Cirque Mechanics presents "42FT -- A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels!" at Rozsa Center Sept. 28

Cirque Mechanics video from YouTube courtesy Rozsa Center. Click on YouTube icon for larger screen.

HOUGHTON -- From the inventive Cirque Mechanics who brought us "Pedal Punk" in 2016, comes 42FT -- A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels! At the center of every circus rests a 42ft ring full of thrills, laughs and excitement. 42FT -- A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels, is the latest invention from the creative minds of Cirque Mechanics. The company dares us to leap into the circus ring and experience the timelessness of this evolving art form. The show's unique mechanical interpretation of the traditional, and its story full of the lore of the historic one-ring circus, create a welcoming place, like a big top, where we can be amazed. The action in 42FT is full of theatricality and a modern sensibility, showcasing a galloping mechanical metal horse and a rotating tent frame for strongmen, acrobats and aerialists. Cirque Mechanics' 42FT -- A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels comes to the Rozsa Center stage at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Creative Director Chris Lashua spent most of his career on a BMX bike and inside a German Wheel. This new production showcases his innate passion and fascination for all things mechanical and acrobatic. The synergy between man and machine, the hallmark of Cirque Mechanics, is magnificently exposed in 42FT -- A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels. It is that synergy that The New York Times called "exceptional, evocative, eye-catching and grossly entertaining…in a word, excellent."

Cirque Mechanics was founded in 2004 by Boston native and German Wheel artist, Chris Lashua, after the success of his collaborative project with the Circus Center of San Francisco, Birdhouse Factory. Cirque Mechanics quickly established itself as a premiere American circus, with its unique approach to performance, inspiring storytelling and innovative mechanical staging. Spectacle Magazine hailed it as "the greatest contribution to the American circus since Cirque du Soleil."

Cirque Mechanics, although inspired by modern circus, finds its roots in the mechanical and its heart in the stories of American ingenuity. The shows, rooted in realism, display a raw quality, rarely found in modern circus, that makes their message timeless and relevant. The stories are wrapped in circus acrobatics, mechanical wonders and a bit of clowning around.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $12 for youth, and at no charge for Michigan Tech students with the Experience Tech Fee. Discount family packs are available. Tickets are available by phone at (906) 487-2073, online at mtu.edu/rozsa, in person at the Central Ticketing Office in the Student Development Complex (SDC), or at the Rozsa Box Office the evening of the performance. Please note the Rozsa Box Office only opens two hours prior to performances.