Under the direction of Michelle Hurd, GUSH-E.D. promises extraordinary delights with some of the country’s top circus performers, including Australian ballet and aerial tissu artist Rachel Bowman, breakout aerial duo Cohdi Harrell and Laura Stokes from New Mexico, the Colorado-based rock band Storytyme, the singular clown Mr. Robb from New York and the crowd-pleasing Two Men with Three Balls.

In response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans native and FOCUSfish founder Kristy Beauvais and her husband, Paul, decided to stage a performance extravaganza that would bring kids and families together with professional artists in a community-building celebration to create a magical work of flying, clowning and dance. With enthusiastic community response and raves in the Los Angeles Times, last year’s production, GUSH, tackled the problem of environmental distress; this year’s sequel expands on that theme with an “extra dimension” of hope and healing.