Inflatable Show Sure to Wow Whole Family

The Hylton Performing Arts Center continues its inaugural Hylton Family Series this weekend with a wacky and wild interactive performance featuring gigantic inflatable props and costumes that dance, shimmer, balloon, deflate and bounce in a rainbow of colors. 

The Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater Co. takes the Merchant Hall stage at the Hylton Center in Manassas on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 at 4 p.m. This unique ensemble combines physical comedy, dance, juggling and inflatable props in its clever and engaging performances that amaze and entertain children and adults alike. 

The show begins when a massive cylinder slithers onto the stage, and soon the entire audience is tossing around blow-up objects in a variety of shapes. Artists Fred Garbo and Daielma Santos both don inflatable costumes - Garbo as his stage persona "Fred Zeplin" and Santos as a beautiful ballerina with a balloon-like skirt - and the result is sheer comedy that leaves the audience marveling and howling. 

A professional performer since 1974, Garbo has performed as Barkley the Dog on PBS’s “Sesame Street,” and was the chief juggler in the hit musical “Barnum” on Broadway. He also performed in the Obie Award-winning “Foolsfire,” which toured Europe, Hong Kong and Australia after a successful Broadway run; appeared in the New York City Opera’s production of “Turnadot”; and worked with the MOMIX Dance Company in Brazil. 

In 1988, Garbo was preparing for a skydiving trip and was inspired when he packed his parachute. In the show's program, Garbo said, "I was struck by its qualities: bright colors, strong material and, most important to a traveling performer ... so much of it could pack into a really small space! Bingo! The parachute material inflates into a huge, big prop and then deflates down to nearly nothing." Garbo began collaborating with a friend named George York, who was a hot air balloon artist, and together they created a series of inflatable props for his act.

Several years later, Garbo was in a flight where he met Brazilian-born ballerina Daielma Santos, who had graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance in London and performed with several companies in Brazil, including as a principal dancer of the Opera Paulista II Company in Sao Paulo. Santos was fascinated by Garbo's inflatable suit and wanted to try it on, thus launching collaboration that has lasted for more than 18 years. 

Garbo and Santos have since brought their zany stage show to diverse audiences of all ages across the globe, with performances in Morocco, Scotland, Japan, Chile, Canada and throughout the United States.  

For tickets to the Fred Garbo Inflatable Theatre Co. performance at the Hylton Center on Nov. 5, please visit hyltoncenter.org, call 888-945-2468 or stop by the Hylton Center box office, open Wednesday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.