Why Absinthe Is 'Intimate And Soft' Circus Arts

Absinthe is a contemporary interpretation of Europe's decadent fin de siècle cabaret subculture, in which absinthe, as a psychoactive spirit, was the 'purple drank' of the day. It's the same bohemian world depicted in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!. Absinthe incorporates circus, burlesque and vaudeville. The Sydney production flaunts an international cast plucked from Australia (Karla Tonkich, playing The Green Fairy), the US and as far away as Belarus, with fictional sleaze The Gazillionaire as comic host.  

They both hail from Saint Paul, Minnesota and Maika Isogawa performs aerial straps in the Spiegeltent with partner Jacob Oberman. Isogawa arrived in Australia for the first time in February, Absinthe initially hitting Newcastle. "The coffee here is the best coffee I've had anywhere in the world," she enthuses, amid a break from rehearsals in Perth.

"Our act is a more intimate and a softer routine because it's a love story that we're trying to portray."

Isogawa has known Oberman for years. "We actually grew up in the same circus school [Circus Juventas]. It was kind of like you went to normal school and then it was an after-school activity, and we did that together for about six years." Isogawa's acrobatic routine with Oberman in Absinthe is extreme but also balletic and romantic, and, crucially, requires ongoing practice. "We try to make it look as easy and effortless as possible. But it takes a lot of trust in each other. We train together almost every day." Their segment is distinct in tone from others in the "raunchy, dirty, fun show". "Our act is a more intimate and a softer routine because it's a love story that we're trying to portray." But they're not a real-life couple, as often assumed.  

The Australian Absinthe mirrors the one playing in Vegas, the New York blockbuster a fixture in the forecourt of Caesar's Palace since 2011 that has lured celebrity punters as diverse as Britney Spears and James Franco. Isogawa herself has caught Absinthe on the Strip. "We practised in Vegas for the month of January, so we got to meet the artists there and watch that show a couple of times." 

Circus art isn't Isogawa's only interest. She's deferred a degree in science and engineering at California's elite Stanford University — a tricky decision. "It's very difficult 'cause science and engineering and performing are such different worlds and it's not very easy to do both at the same time. So, since I'm still 18, and I was thinking my body's not gonna last forever, I might as well take this opportunity [to do Absinthe] while it's here." Isogawa is unsure what she'll do when Absinthe completes its Antipodean run. "We'll have to see where this tour leads and [I'll] weigh my options a little bit." For now Isogawa's primary concern is to sustain her high standard of performance. "It is very difficult work on the body, but the company takes really nice care of us — we get weekly physio. We make sure we eat healthy, fresh food and vegetables... We go to the gym pretty often and just try to get outside — I think sunshine's a really good medicine."