Space used smartly for circus-like ‘Hephaestus’

If you’ve never seen Lookingglass Theatre’s “Hephaestus: A Greek Mythology Circus Tale,” go. If you’ve already seen one of the theater’s past incarnations of the show, go again. It’s that good.

This time around, Lookingglass has left its home in the Water Tower Water Works and decamped to the Goodman’s Owen Theatre, a bigger, more technically savvy space. And while creator and director Tony Hernandez and co-director Heidi Stillman always created a thrilling show on their home turf, this staging has an airier, more encompassing feel that gives the show a fresh, new vibe.

A riveting theatrical event, the 85-minute show is ready-made for audiences of all ages. And there isn’t a bad seat in the house; the chairs have been reworked to afford every audience member a great view.

The eye-popping venture, which has a sci-fi-meets-Greek-mythology feel, is built around Hernandez’s adaptation of an obscure Greek myth. To that he has added a mix of acrobats who perform a series of high-level stunts that several times brought the audience to its feet in the middle of the show. It’s a rare in-your-face combination of ethereal beauty and heightened danger not often seen on stage.

The story of Hephaestus, while pretty much a means to string together the circus acts, does lend emotional heft and clarity to the show. As it’s told, Hephaestus (Hernandez) is thrown as a baby from Mt. Olympus by his mother Hera (Lijana Wallenda-Hernandez), and is crippled in the fall. He is nursed by sea nymphs and becomes a master craftsman, creating a breed of silver people to assist him in his forge. He entraps Hera in a golden throne and only releases her when the gods send Aphrodite (Katia Dmitrieva) to ease his loneliness.

Entwined throughout the story are circus feats performed by circus professionals who use no nets, and safety lines only occasionally. They are a mix of performers who have worked with Cirque du Soleil, the Wallendas and Ringling Bros. Two drummers, Rick Kubes and Jarrett Dapier, add a booming Blue Man Group vibe.

The circus artistry is the heart of the show, and begins with a visually stunning assault by eight beautiful sea nymphs performing on silks hanging from the ceiling. Nich Galzin performs a precise routine on the rolling German wheel. Wallenda-Hernandez and Erendira Vazquez Wallenda (as Hera’s messenger) ignite high-flying aerial routines. Dmitrieva seduces Hephaestus with her balletic contortionist moves, and as Ares, god of war, airborne gymnast Almas Meirmanov is a steely presence during a fiery routine.

But it is two brothers — Giuliano Espana Anastasini and his 12-year-old sibling Fabio — who steal the show with their foot juggling. Ninth-generation circus performers, their act has to be seen to be believed. Suffice it to say, instead of balls or pins, young Fabio is the one being tossed about.

With the Owen’s higher ceiling, Hernandez was able to realize his vision of a seven-man pyramid, which is the show’s final momentous act. Working without safety lines, the three-tiered human pyramid works its way across the high-wire carrying Hera on her throne to Mt. Olympus. It’s a thrilling end for a perfectly modulated show that impresses with every turn.