HIGH VOLTAGE ENTERTAINMENT AT NEW 'ELECTRIC CIRCUS' By Elaine Mitchell "We would like everyone to GROK!" What does grok mean? As Jerry Brandt, co-partner of New York's Electric Circus explained to me during a recent interview, grok means 'totally understand' and this is the concept behave provided us with some groovy ways of doing this. Among its vast interior are sensation designed rooms such as The Great Expectations; a large room composed entirely of foam rubber. Then there's the Kaleidoscope Room made of mirrors. Go in and you can see yourself for miles...and miles...and miles. DO IT YOURSELF ENTERTAINMENT The Graffiti Room is stark white. In here you can write and draw whatever you want. The Meditation Room is on two of the Circus' three levels and is perfect for meditating or talking to friends (two people can sit in each booth). There is s beverage area (serving cold drinks) and upstairs is a restaurant serving light snacks. Biggest of all the rooms is the arena which really isn't a room at all! This is where the groups perform, completely surrounded by a totally computerized environment. The Electric Circus was created for the kids of Toronto. It's sort of like a teenage nightclub and instead of the pretentiousness of many adult nightclubs (with their lavishness, booze and stale jokes), the Circus will provide us with entertainment we can enjoy. SPECIAL RATES FOR NUDISTS Regular admission is $4.00. "It's $3.50 if you're barefoot, $3.00 if you're wearing a bathing suit, and if you come naked you get in free." (Hey don't take him seriously about coming naked. We don't want anyone arrested!) The Electric Circus is located at 99 Queen Street East, it will be open every night except Sunday and will sometimes present free shows. "If people support us, we'll support them." (They may even have children's theatre group performing for youngsters on weekend afternoons.) Tentative opening dates are Dec 20-24. Each week, 200 free passes will be handed out and during each night the Circus is open, a clown will walk around its many rooms giving away money. It will cost you $4.00 (with regular clothing) to get in , but if you're one of the lucky ones, you'll get it back by the end of the night! Jerry Brandt doesn't agree with those that think Toronto isn't hip enough to accept a 'Circus' in its midst. "This city is a hip place. There are some groovy people here." "I would like to turn Toronto on."

Go Back

©1999 TG Magazine/Le Magazine TG
tgmag@tgmag.ca