The New Shanghai Circus will bring a crew of 25 highly trained acrobats to the Rochester Opera House to perform feats of balance and control on Friday, March 6. Jugglers, contortionists, aerialists, plate spinners, hoop divers and dragon dancers will don brightly colored costumes as they show off their skills.

Hailing from China, the New Shanghai Circus puts a modern twist on a traditional form of Chinese entertainment that dates back more than 2,000 years. In early versions of the act, performers used common household items and farm tools like pots and grain sifters to execute unusual theatrics. The show in Rochester will add bits of modern technology to the traditional show.

The performers in the Shanghai troupe range in age from 13 to 45, and most of them have been training since they were 9 or 10 years old. Although they still live in Shanghai, China, they tour the United States for six or seven months each year, keeping a home base in Branson, Miss. They practice for several hours every day, maintaining their uncanny strength and flexibility.
The show begins at 8 p.m. at the Rochester Opera House, 31 Wakefield St., Rochester, 603-335-1992. Tickets are $22. Visit www.rochesteroperahouse.com. 

Pontine presents ‘A Beautiful Game’

Michael Parent will perform a series of one-man shows in Portsmouth this weekend chronicling his lifelong connection to the sport of ice hockey. Pontine Theatre will present four performances of Parent’s “A Beautiful Game” from Friday through Sunday, March 6 through 8. 

Set in his native Lewiston, Maine, “A Beautiful Game” follows Parent’s hockey career from his boyhood struggles to stay upright on ice skates to his days as goalie for St. Dom’s High School team, which competed for the New England Championship at the Boston Garden in 1964.

Although it is based around hockey, Parent’s “mostly true” recollections and colorful characters also offer a glimpse into mill town culture, addressing issues like the relationship between fathers and sons and the connection between sports and religion. Parent has been performing the show throughout the United States and Europe since 1977. He currently lives in Portland, Maine, where he still plays hockey.

Show times are Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 4 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25, except the Saturday matinee, which is $20. Pontine performances are held at West End Studio Theatre at 959 Islington St., Portsmouth. Call 603-436-6660 or visit www.pontine.org.

Bob Marley cooks up laughs at Jonathan’s

Maine native Bob Marley will bring his increasingly popular standup comedy routine to Jonathan’s Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine, on Friday, March 6.

Marley graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington and launched his career in his hometown of Portland, Maine. During his 15 years of standup, he has been featured in his own Comedy Central special and has appeared on all four major late-night TV talk shows: “The Late Show” with David Letterman, “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, “Late Night” with Conan O’Brien and “The Late Late Show” with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn. Marley also plays a loudmouth detective in the Boston-based 1999 cult film favorite “Boondock Saints.”

His many comedy CDs and DVDs have sold exceptionally well in the area and he continues to perform regularly throughout New England and Maine, where he lives with his wife and three children. Known for his energetic performance style and his unusual observations on everyday life, Marley is making his sixth appearance at Jonathan’s.

The show begins at 8 p.m. at Jonathan’s Restaurant, 92 Bourne Lane, Ogunquit, Maine, 207-646-4777. Tickets are $20 in advance plus a mandatory $10 show credit for dessert and beverages. Visit www.jonathansrestaurant.com.