Transmidialities of the poem “O grande circo místico”

Abstract

From the poem “O grande circo místico” (“The Great Mystic Circus”) by Jorge de Lima, published in the book A túnica inconsútil (A seamless tunic, 1938), this article analyzes some of its transmediations over the years as a poem, play, album and musical cd-rom, and, finally, documentary and films, showing their extensive potentiality and organicity. Through this perspective, we highlight the history of the circus and its importance in the work of Chico Buarque, author of the poems that go along with the musical compositions of Edu Lobo, since the first ballet version, in 1983. The study intends to value the additions and enrichments that the original poem gained throughout this process of transmediation.