Circus Vargas brought a little magic to the Chico Mall Thursday night, for its 50th anniversary, “Greatest of Ease” show. With talent varying from tightrope walking, juggling and to aerial silk acrobatics, there was entertainment for everyone.

Immediately, the show was set up to pay homage to circus traditions of the late 1800s. The stage was set with artifacts from the golden era of the circus, including an authentic-looking train that held the audience in bewilderment.

The first act was a contortionist who kept the crowd on the edge of their seats as she twisted her body in ways that made some audience members cover their eyes. To finish off the act she even performed a bow and arrow routine using only her feet, which resulted in a fantastic round of applause from the entire room.

Other acts that followed included a tightrope performance that incorporated all kinds of objects like hoops and knives and an insane trampoline act.

As an audience member, I had never seen anyone use trampolines the way the Circus Vargas performers did. They were jumping, flying and even running up the sides of the huge train prop at the center of the stage.

Another highlight of the show was the adorable “Singing in the Rain” solo performance that was primed with a really fun skit that even made the crew of the circus a part of the show. It was the small details like this which proved how much effort was put into the show.

After a short intermission, the evening’s entertainment was back, this time with a group trapeze act that included more performers flying and swinging in the air, and even some two-person tricks.

Just when the crowd thought they had seen everything, a group of motorcyclists came out and rode inside “the Globe of Death,” a fearfully named sphere cage, that fit four cyclists in it at once. The audience’s reaction was pure astonishment.

The night closed off by bringing back the full Circus Vargas cast of trapeze artists, contortionists, cyclists and other talented performers alike.

Since 1969, Circus Vargas has been keeping the vision of founder Clifford Vargas alive by creating an experience that captures the traditional circus essence. With the sole amount of talent that was packed under the big top, it’s certain that Vargas’ vision will be kept alive for as long as the circus continues to amaze and entertain.

To find future dates for Circus Vargas’ 2019 “Greatest of Ease” tour, visit their official website.

Danielle Kessler can be reached at [email protected] and @reserv0irpups on Twitter.