The Flying Brian is coming to Luling.
Stephanie Little Thunder Morphet, who is known onstage as The Flying Brian, is an Indigenous performer specializing in hair suspension. Morphet, who holds the Guiness World Record for most weight held while suspended from hair, will perform in the Omnium Circus Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. at the Lafon Performing Arts Center, alongside acrobats, jugglers, clowns and other performers.
Tickets are $25.
Lisa Lewis, the founder and executive director of the Omnium Circus, said the circus prioritizes accessibility, with the use of American Sign Language, live audio description and other special accommodations. There is also a “chill zone” in the lobby for guests who need a temporary break from the show.
“It is absolutely vital that disability becomes normalized,” Lewis said. “People have been disabled since the beginning of time. I mean, this is just a fact of life.”
Lewis, a 35-year veteran of circus performance, founded the Omnium Circus five years ago.
About 25 percent of all performers in the Omnium Circus have a disability and 50 percent of the circus staff has a disability.
Lewis said she recognized the power of inclusion when she was performing in a circus, and another performer began using sign language to communicate with a group of deaf teenagers in the audience.
“There’s so much power and so much beauty, and so much that we can accomplish when we all come together,” she said.
About 44.8 million people, or 13.5 percent of the population in the U.S. have a disability, according to a 2024 report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Omnium Circus has performed in 17 states and has served 140,000 people. The company was recently shortlisted for the United Nations’ Zero Project Award, which recognizes innovation in accessibility and inclusion in the arts.
The Omnium Circus’ “I’m Possible” show is for everybody, Lewis said.
“That’s the whole point – that people with and without disabilities, you sit next to each other because you’re both ‘humaning,’” Lewis said. “You get information differently. You perceive the world differently. You function in the world differently. But we’re all at our core human, and we can human together.”
Sunday’s performance will feature two ring masters – one who is hearing and one who is deaf. The show will also feature the world’s fastest female juggler, a nonverbal acrobat, a hand-balancer, and the seven-time NCAA All-American gymnast Rik Daniels. Daniels competed in the NCAA against able-bodied gymnasts and performs wheelchair flips in the show.
The show also includes two clowns.
“They are absolutely hysterical, not like big nose red noses, not like that,” Lewis said. “They are comedy entertainers who’ve been doing this a long time and really, really know their stuff.”
Lewis said all forms of expression are welcome at the show, which maintains a sensory-friendly environment.
“Most people have either themselves, a cousin, a friend, a relative someone who never gets to go out because there’s never access for them,” she said. “So, let’s share the fun. Bring them with you. Let’s make this a great fun event for everybody, and you’ll meet people from your own community you never even knew were there. You’ll make new friends.”
This will be the first time Omnium Circus has performed in Luling. On Monday, Oct. 6, the Lafon Arts Center will also host the circus for two free performances during the school day for St. Charles Parish students with disabilities.
