Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater Co. visits Macky Auditorium
Children squealed with laughter as giant, inflated rainbow-colored objects bounced through the air inside Macky Auditorium on Oct. 8.
Hundreds of children gathered at the CU campus to see the Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater Company put on its show. The show has traveled the globe during the last 13 years and has made stops at the Kennedy Center the Late Show with David Letterman.
The company, which consists of Fred Garbo and Daielma Santos, brings a variety of different acts to the stage. Juggling, dance, mime shows and different inflatable props were mixed with comedy that brought nearly non-stop laughter and clapping from the audience.
Santos, a classically trained ballerina, danced to Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” followed by Garbo juggling white hoops. This juxtaposition gave the audience visual and audio entertainment with the classic and the comedic.
Throughout the show, large multi-colored props with the performers inside twisted and bounced across the stage. Fred Zeplin, Garbo in his first inflatable creation, danced and performed tricks. He mimicked a parody of a man with only his head, legs, and hands barely visible amide a giant, orange and purple suit blown up around him.
The interaction with the audience was present throughout the show. Garbo, as a giant red inflated box, entered the audience by rolling off the stage. He then proceeded to roll about in the orchestra section before returning to the stage.
“I liked the fat costumes,” said 5-year-old Sam Pearce.
At one point, Santos took the stage wearing a pink can-can dress. The dress grew and eventually became a ball gown, which engulfed her into a balloon that floated off the stage. This act caught the attention of one young audience member.
“My favorite was the lady in the pink dress,” said 4-year-old Sarah Bortolotti.
For the finale of their show, Garbo and Santos tossed inflated toys into the audience; one toy was a giant jack-o-lantern. They bounced all over the auditorium while screams of delight erupted from the children who were able to play with the toys.
Both 4-year-old Ainsley Hutchison and 6-year-old Annie Wilhelm had positive reviews for the show.
“I liked the show,” they said in agreement.
