When I was a child, it was my dream to be in the circus. I wanted to fly on the trapeze, or juggle, or do just about anythig I could think of to get into the circus. Maybe that’s why I am so excited for The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air). A podcast about one of my childhood loves? Sign me up!
The Orbiting Human Circus (Of the Air) presented by the podcast-world-prestigious Night Vale Presents, is a new podcast just two episodes old. A lot of buzz about this podcast makes it worth a listen to begin with. This podcast features an all star cast, including John Cameron Mitchell (of Hedwig and the Angry Inch fame), Cecil Baldwin, Mandy Patinkin (a personal favorite), Meg Bashwiner, Tim Robbins, Susannah Flood, and others.
This podcast runs a bit like a three ring circus. It is enticing to want to listen to every segment with equal interest, so re-listenability is a must for The Orbiting Human Circus (Of the Air). “Acts” of the circus often interact or interject over one another. However, it is balanced well by the writer, Julian Koster.
Like flipping the channels of a radio, Koster flicks from act to act with incredible ease. Listeners will enjoy following the journey.
In the first “ring”, we have the circus itself, which is “broadcast live, from the top of the Eiffel Tower”. Acts such as a tap dancing mouse, an Orchestral Bird (A rare bird from Africa), and short stories weave in and out of the other two “rings” of this circus. The whimsy of this podcast is played off well in this ring, as Night Vale Presents‘s trademark. The short stories balance nicely with a taste of darkness.
In the “center ring”, the circus performers try to put on a show without any hangups or terrible incidents. This particular “ring” reminds me of backstage scenes during The Phantom of the Opera and Noises Off. Lead by John Cameron (Mitchell) as the Ring Master, members of the circus argue and attempt to put on a good show for their broadcast listeners. They are often obstructed by the bumbling Julian the Janitor, the (possible) protagonist of this podcast. Through the show, we learn more about Julian in particular as he interacts with the rest of the circus, and himself.
In the third ring, we have a young girl who just wants to listen to The Orbiting Human Circus (Of the Air) on her radio. What could possibly be a one-0ff, the unnamed girl, like Julian, has potential to be a very interesting character.
The Orbiting Human Circus (Of the Air) shows a lot of promise in its first two episodes. I personally am very excited to see where this show goes. Particularly, I am curious to see how Julian Koster’s writing grows. Fans of Night Vale Presents hear the growth of Jeffrey Cranor and Joseph Fink as Welcome to Night Vale progresses. Julian Koster shows a lot of potential to be great. I am excited to see this show take off!
The Orbiting Human Circus (Of the Air) is the newest production from Night Vale Presents. It is written by Julian Koster. You can download episodes of The Orbiting Human Circus (Of the Air) on OrbitingHumanCircus.com/Podcast, iTunes, YouTube, Libsyn, and Stitcher.
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