It takes a special type of show to get its very own venue, but when it comes to the famous Ashton family, you know it’s going to be worth the visit. Think of Lassu Cosmic Cabaret as the little brother to Infamous Circus. Created by seventh-generation Ashton Family Circus member Merrick Ashton and creative director Mitchell Woodcock, this show has a cowboy bent in a cosmic setting, which provides truly spectacular visuals. And, of course, coming from the Ashton lineage, you can expect plenty of singing, dancing, clowning and many jaw-dropping circus stunts.

Rusty the cowboy clown is our unspoken MC of the night. Tying all the wonderful acts together, he playfully moves the show along and appears in between the chapters. The begging acts are quite a sight to behold. Starting with a hair-hanging routine, it was a brave choice to put on this type of act to begin with. The mirror-like costume worn by Coline created a gorgeous disco-ball effect. But just when I thought that would be hard to top, we saw a powerful display of hand balancing that required strength, concentration, and a vast array of skills. Merrick Ashton is the star of the show. I think he may have been in at least three or four different acts. From balancing on a tight rope to soaring through the air on straps and a tandem body balancing act that needs to be seen to be believed, this man is someone who has not only worked on his craft but perfected it. A hilarious and all-too-revealing balloon act by Jesse left the crowd in shock, while the Rodeo Sisters provided plenty of singing and dancing to keep spirits high and the vibes rocking. In between all that, we even got to see impressive fire displays and beautiful lyra work by Isabella. If you think this show had everything, you’d be pretty much right. And, at a running time of two hours, it had lots of time to fill.

The running time did seem to work in Lassu’s detriment, though. After the intermission, everything just seemed to drag. The clown act ran a little too long in segments; the whole objective of the show (as told by Erwin) was not explained until the one-and-a-half hour mark, and acts that I saw in previous footage (bow and arrow, aerial chains, knife throwing) didn’t even make an appearance. At only twelve months old, Lassu is a show that seems to be evolving until it reaches its final form. Still, if you want to see some truly spectacular acts of human strength and skill, you will be hard-pressed to find anything better.

**** Four Stars