Photo by Monica Ziegler of Michael DuBois
On Friday, Nov. 4, West Chester University’s Asplundh Hall transformed into a circus ring for the night to host the critically acclaimed duo, Michael DuBois and Viktoria Grimmy, who together, make up the show “The Great DuBois.” The talented couple took to the stage to perform a variety circus show, rife with hilarious antics, daring acrobatics and impressive feats of juggling.
After the show, Grimmy and Dubois personally sold their merchandise to fans who waited in line after the show. They posed for photos, signed autographs and gave some impromptu juggling lessons to kids who gathered around the table. It was then that I got the chance to talk to them about their visit to WCU and their circus act.
The couple talked about their gratitude for the crowds in the tri-state area. Grimmy said “the crowds here are so fun, and we have family in this area, so it’s always nice to perform here.” Grimmy and Dubois reside in New York but travel the whole country for their show and said they were heading to California soon after their show here.
DuBois and Grimmy have an impressive resume of performances behind them, with Grimmy having toured with Britney Spears, starred in the Broadway show “Pippin” and performed with Barnum and Bailey Circus along with her family to name a few past projects. Dubois has appeared on “The Tonight Show” and “The Jay Leno Show” and has performed at thousands of venues across the country. The couple also starred in the award-winning musical “The Greatest Showman” together, alongside actors such as Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron.
I asked the couple how going on their own tour compared to other big projects they’ve done. About performing their own show, Dubois said, “We’re not putting on someone else’s show. We get to choose what we want to do and when we want to do it.” They like to have the opportunity to switch things up if they want to. This goes for performance venues as well. Both of them had half-time shows coming up that they worked into their touring schedule, with Dubois saying, “We could do theater shows all year, but we like to have a variety.”
The show was full of audience interaction, with kids coming up on stage to act as assistants, and two dads assisting DuBois with getting onto a very tall unicycle. Grimmy said “we love to get everyone out of their seats and involved in the show, especially post pandemic.” The COVID-19 restrictions meant that for two years audience members couldn’t do hands-on participation like they can now. Grimmy said their show is a way “to get everyone happy and laughing together.”
They certainly accomplished that. There were a lot of laughs due to the daring stunts and DuBois’ wry sense of humor with him referring to himself as a “weirdo hipster in tight vegan leather pants and a Lululemon bedazzled shirt” and referencing Pennsylvania as “the land of Wawa.” DuBois juggled while riding a unicycle and walking a tightrope, and Grimmy put on a beautiful performance using an aerial hoop hanging from the ceiling to name a few of the segments that took place in the show.
DuBois took time to show gratitude to the audience, saying, “thank you for supporting variety entertainment.” He recalled going to see a circus show for the first time with his grandmother which set him on the path to a life of performing. Grimmy, a fifth-generation circus performer, said that the circus has always been a part of her family, and she grew up around it. She said that she “couldn’t help but fall in love with Michael,” and now they get to travel and keep the tradition of the circus show alive.
You can learn more about DuBois and Grimmy on their website, www.thegreatdubois.com. They can also be found on Instagram, @thegreatdubois, where you can see posts about their exciting performances. The talented and hardworking couple put on a show you won’t want to miss if it comes to your area!
Monica Ziegler