REDMOND, Washington – If the famous Barnum&Bailey/Ringling Brothers were the circus favorite in North America and Europe in the past, they now have a worthy successor in "Cirque du Soleil" as the greatest show on earth!

I had the chance to watch it, this 2 1/2- hour spectacle, in a cavernous custom-built tent pitched at Marymoor Park, last Sunday, July 11. This sprawling park is just a stone's throw away from the huge multi-building complex of Microsoft.

This year's production theme is "Kooza." Cirque de Soleil was organized in 1984 by Guy Laliberte' in Montreal, Canada. "Kooza" is a Sanskrit word meaning "treasure chest."

There are 11 performances in the show. Each one is so ecstatic and electrifying that one would wish it would never end.

Notable among these numbers are a solo trapeze by a 17-year-old Ukrainian girl; four artists performing double high-wire, perpendicular to each other, in bicycles and chairs 25 feet above the stage; wheels of death, teeterboard acrobatic performers on high wire.

If one notices that acrobats – men and ladies – are so agile and dexterous doing their acts and twirls up in the air, it is because they are former Olympic gymnastic champions recruited by the French-Canadian founder of Cirque.

In the wheels of death, 30 feet above the stage, two giant wheels attached to each other resembling giant wedding rings maybe 40 feet in diameter, are constantly turning at a fast clip, with each artist stomping inside a two-foot wide circular space to make it speedier.

In the middle of their act, the two step out of the rings that are still crazily turning around, stomping the exterior cover of the ring and even jumping the skipping rope. I tell you, it is so death-defying!

Here are some statistics about Cirque du Soleil: There are 125 artists and crew members involved per production theme. They come from 17 different countries. There are 1,080 production outfits – 175 costumes and hats alone. Others are shoes, wigs, and accessories.

In the circus premises, I counted 15 giant container vans used to transport the whole caboodle as a traveling circus. Even the four-teller ticket booth is a specially designed van.

"The Cirque du Soleil artistic process is defined by a need to constantly reinvent and to take creative risks. In addition to its signature shows, since 2002, Cirque du Soleil has undertaken to diversify its artistic content by offering varied productions," says its finely crafted full-color brochure.

It calls its international headquarters in Montreal, Canada, a world-class creative laboratory where the most creative minds from all over the world jointly produce artistic endeavors.

After watching this spectacle, I am convinced Cirque du Solei is today's greatest show on earth! And I wish some artistically committed businessmen would make decisive steps to bring this fascinating circus here in Manila. And give Filipinos the opportunity to witness this once-in-a-lifetime family entertainment.

My wife Ligaya and I were accompanied to the show by Martin and Teresa Loughlin (she is her niece). The young couple have a 7-year-old daughter, Kayla.