The Santa Clara Library offers quite a lot for people of all ages. For those that didn’t know, there’s much more to it than just books, library cards, magazines and keeping quiet. One program that doesn’t adhere to that last concept is the Summer Reading Program. If the show in the Central Park Pavilion on July 11 is any indication, keeping quiet is definitely not a priority.
Several hundred people lined the Pavilion sitting on the benches or comfortably on the grass to enjoy the show and be entertained by Circus of Smiles, who definitely provided the smiles as they entertained and amused the audience and wowed the children and the young at heart with their show. The show was put on by Mr. Mustache (Tyler Parks) and Andrew Quick, and they amazed the crowd with their tricks, antics and “Gravity Defying juggling.” Some of their gags were definitely inspired by the circus act. Sunnyvale native and circus fan, seven year old David Lesser explained, “They’re fighting for who controls the red hat, because whoever has the red hat does the tricks. Their arms aren’t really that long. Andrew has the hat and Mr. Mustache is pretending to pull on it and Andrew is pretending that Mr. Mustache is pulling on it.” No sooner had David explained how the trick was done, then Mr. Mustache stopped struggling; leaving Quick struggling with the hat in his hands by himself. Even though they didn’t fool all the circus aficionados in the audience, David was rolling with laughter nonetheless as he watched the show and declared he wanted to join the circus too. “It would be a lot of fun to make people laugh and smile all the time.”
Even if they didn’t fool all of the people all of the time, Circus was still a big hit with the children in the audience. Not content to just sit and watch, many of the children lined the area in front of the stage trying to get as close as they could to the action, to where the magic was happening. The finale of the show was a gravity-defying juggling act where Quick stood on Mr. Mustache’s shoulders while they juggled bowling pins. Other parts of the show let children throw rings, trying to get them over Quick or Mustache’s heads or arms. The show definitely had something for everyone. Declared David as the show came to an end, “I hope they come back again!”
Unfortunately, this was the last of the Family Fun Nights put on by the Library. However, there will be more programs like this in the future. The 2016 Summer Reading Program was sponsored by KeyPoint Credit Union and the Santa Clara City Library Foundation & Friends. For more information on the Santa Clara Library, visit santaclaraca.gov/government/departments/library. For more information on Circus of Smiles, visit www.circusofsmiles.com.