CIRQUE GOES BEYOND CLOWNING AROUND.

Byline: Rob Lowman, Staff Writer

Just when you think it can't get crazier, it does.

There is a double tightrope act that occurs toward the end of Act One of "Kooza," the new Cirque du Soleil show that open at the Santa Monica Pier on Thursday. At first, pairs of walkers go to each rope, strung one above the other. They then do a series of dances and jumps simultaneously before the two on the lower rope join the others on top. There they bring out the swords and dance. Around this time a net has finally appeared.

After getting rid of the swords, one then tries to leapfrog over another standing member of the troupe but slips off the wire as he lands, having to catch himself on the rope while losing his hat.

Done? Not quite. He goes back and tries again. This time successfully, although a little tipsily, to the cheers of the crowd.

Not done yet. He then jumps over two other walkers who are sitting on the wire.

They then bring out the bicycles and a chair. Two cyclists - balanced in place on the wire - are hooked together by a pole. The leaper climbs on, first balancing on the pole, then stands on a chair on the pole. Eventually, he sits down on the chair, crosses his legs and almost, with nonchalance, waves to the crowd.

These are the hallmarks of the best of the Cirque shows: daring, panache, presentation, and "Kooza" is filled with it.

After the tightrope walkers come down, there appears the other aspect that marks Cirque shows - clowns. In "Kooza," though, they are bawdier and more verbal than in the past. There are no sad clowns here; these have the mischievousness id of Harpo Marx, and they let their naughtier impulses run wild. If you give them an inch, they'll do or take almost anything. Well, a pickpocket (Lee Thompson) actually does take anything he wants as he deftly goes through an audience member's clothes onstage.

Throw in a big fluffy dog who does his duty by letting out a giant stream at the audience (water, hopefully) and supposed rat droppings that are tossed into the audience, and you get the idea that this Cirque isn't as cuddly as some of those in recent years.

The second half of the show also signals a change with a sexy, jazzy choreographed number with a macabre theme, including skeleton-clothed dancers This is all a prelude to the Wheel of Death.

Two acrobats rotate two connected metal circles at amazing speeds. At first they walk/run inside the circles, and when they reach the pinnacle, their bodies nearly parallel with the ground, they jump into the air and magically catch themselves on the downward rotation. One gets on the outside of one of the wheels, racing to stay atop the spinning circle. This isn't enough; so he pulls out a rope to skip. When he catches leg on the rope, he falls forward righting himself on a rod connecting the wheels. By the time he's back on top again, he makes a comical "that was close gesture" to the audience and then next time around goes flying in the air as he swings the rope under him a number of times before seemingly, effortless landing on the wheel.

You can catch this on YouTube, but nothing short of being there captures the excitement of the act. Sure, in some ways it is the old-fashioned circus dressed up. But as the athletes get better, the acts become more amazing.

Some 20 years ago, Cirque had contortionists in the show, but they were presented in this deliberate way, something along the lines of "isn't it amazing the way these young women can bend." The act in "Kooza" is more athletic and about strength. The "wow" factor being when one of the acrobatics has her upper body against the ground, head up looking at the audience, and back arched in a "U" so that her feet are on the ground in front of her face. That's not the hard part. She then quickly walks her feet around her body three times. (I don't think that's possible but I saw it.)

There are illusions in "Kooza," something else new. Two people are made to disappear. Neat tricks, considering the audience surrounds about 75 percent of the stage. There are other stunning acts - the female solo trapeze artist, the man who balances on chairs, and the teeterboard, where a woman on one stilt is sent flying in the air in a flip and lands perfectly on the stilt.

Even seemingly more mundane acts like the juggler and unicyclist have a style to them.

"Kooza" has a nice balance to it - between clowning around and daring-do. It takes itself less seriously than some recent Cirques.

Even the music is more witty and playful - moving from rock, to Latin to jazz. It's storyline about some lonely soul is quickly taken over by a sly character named the Trickster, and "Kooza" is filled with some great tricks, all the ones that made you fall in love with Cirque some 20 years ago - only these might be even better.

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Rob Lowman, 818-713-3687

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(1 -- 3 -- color) Cirque du Soliel's latest show, "Kooza," featuring pairs of tightrope walkers, skeleton dancers and clowns who enjoy bawdy humor and one lonely clown, the Innocent, top left.