Clowns, acrobats, giants and novelty acts. Add a little popcorn and an elephant and you have all the essentials of a circus, right? Maybe.

Once again returning to Columbus, Cirque Du Soleil has created an enchanting, heart-warming masterpiece of these typical circus elements. This year the company will present Corteo – a whimsical tale of a clown who is imagining his own funeral procession.

Corteo, meaning “cortege” in Italian, meshes circus antics with the grace of musical theater. As a clown guides the audience through his imagined funeral procession, he revisits people from his past, including lost loves, former co-workers, childhood friends and many more.

The genius behind the captivating performance is rooted in a fantasy of the director’s. “It came from the director Daniele Finzi Pasca, who has often wondered who would come to his funeral, so he wrote about a clown who imagined his funeral,” says Alison Crawford, the show’s artistic director. “It’s a celebration of his life. That’s what we get to see throughout all of Corteo; all of the circus people and acts that happened in his life.”

Using bright, vivid colors, swelling music and springing acrobats, the show keeps the audience on the their toes at all times. “Like, any of the other shows, it's imaginative and it's full, full of great acrobatics,” says Crawford. “This one has a little more theatrics in it.”

Sixty-one acrobats, from 16 different countries have become essential elements of the performance, undergoing an extensive period with directors and choreographers to determine their role in the show. “They have to have a formation … in dance and movement and theater.” says Crawford. “All of them are high-caliber athletes.”

From swinging on chandeliers, bouncing on bed mattresses to rolling across the stage in Cyr wheels like coins, Corteo’s performers define energetic.

Though each Cirque Du Soleil performance relies on their noteworthy acrobatic elements, Corteo’s presentation is somewhat altered. “What’s a little different is the actual stage itself,” says Crawford, of the circular seating arrangement. “The audience is on both sides. You’re getting a very different look when you’re watching the show.”

With the help of high-spirited acrobatics, colorful costumes and magical atmosphere that each combine to highlight a spectrum of emotions, Corteo draws a magical portrait that will appeal to all audiences. “It’s a very magical, very whimsical, very surreal, very touching show. It’s very beautiful to watch,” says Crawford. “It’s a great night out to go and see a good show that will bring some warmth to your heart.”

Cirque Du Soleil’s Corteo will premiere in Columbus on May 11 and last until June 3. The act will debut Tuesday through Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and will also provide matinee performances on Sundays, at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Performances will take place in Le Grand Chapiteau tent that will be set up at the Ohio Expo Center. For more information about the show or to buy tickets, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com or call 614-940-7867.