Great Garbo

Don Music was too pompous, the Yip-Yips were too avant-garde, Count von Count was too annoying, and Bert and Ernie’s relationship was too ... complex. But Barkley the Dog was always hangin’ out on Sesame Street and keepin’ it real. The man behind (or inside) Barkley during the ’80s was the multitalented acrobat, juggler and mime Fred Garbo. These days, he tours the world with Fred Garbo’s Inflatable Theater Co., which appears from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. today at the Lied Center (1600 Stewart Drive in Lawrence). Garbo’s creation consists of performers in pneumatic suits portraying various shapes and figures in a dazzling display of energy, originality and theatrical gusto. The two-person show (Garbo and dancer Krista Paulsen) transcends age with sharp comedy, sensory overload and some required audience participation. It’s part circus, part community theater and part Flaming Lips show. For tickets, call the Lied Center box office at 785-864-2787. For more information, see fredgarbo.com. Lied Center
Sat., Sept. 29, 2:30 p.m., 2007