Monday, September 29, 2008
Survey
As many of you know I was asked to produce a show this winter/spring for a local entertainment organization. So if you could please help me out by taking this quick, it won't take more than five minutes, survey http://www.polldaddy.com/survey.aspx?id=404ee7a1b09f236d and let me know what you look for in a circus, it would be a great help. Thank you sooooo much in advance!
Parades
I'll be involved with three parades this fall. I'll be marching in one and producing floats in two others. The first of which is on Friday. My next performance is October 13 at Bowling Green State University. I believe tickets are going on sale soon. I'll keep you posted.
Since we're on the subjects of parades. Here's Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's Elephant Parade!
Take care,
Logan Jacot
Since we're on the subjects of parades. Here's Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's Elephant Parade!
Take care,
Logan Jacot
Big top brings 'Over the Top' show to Salt Lake City
Big top brings 'Over the Top' show to Salt Lake City
By Erica Hansen
Deseret News
Published: Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008 12:08 a.m. MDT
"Congratulations! Your ruminative responses provide incisive indication of loyal leadership and thorough theatricality — you are particularly predisposed to being a rollicking Ringling ringmaster!"
How about that?
It's not very often a reporter heads to a Web site to do a little research and finds out they have what it takes to be a ringmaster.
But anything is possible when Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is involved. The Greatest Show on Earth's mile-long train arrives in Salt Lake City Wednesday. It will be carrying flying dogs, Asian elephants, miniature horses, llamas, pigs, Bengal tigers, 84 performers — even a performing porcupine, the makings of an "Over the Top" extravaganza.
If you want a glimpse into the "circus" of "Over the Top," gather the kids around the computer and go to www.ringling.com.
After getting distracted by shooting a clown out of a cannon into a tub of water, learning about the beautiful Asian elephants and taking a circus aptitude test, you'll soon discover what makes this show "over the top."
"This show is so cool," said Peggy Williams, who has been with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey in different capacities since 1970. "We have the motorcycle routine, there are Chinese acrobats who do amazing things, we also have acrobatic horseback riding and agility dogs."
The "Over the Top" show puts ringmaster Chuck Wagner and clown Tom Dougherty in a competition for control of a magical top hat. Williams, trying not to give away any surprises, did her best to describe the numerous moments that will make the crowd gasp. "We have a motorcycle guy who rides on a high wire, double trapeze acts, it's amazing."
The fun begins Wednesday at noon with the traditional Elephant Walk and Circus Parade. With the help of motorcycle police, the parade will begin at EnergySolutions Arena, head north through The Gateway and back to the arena. The parade is free and open to the public.
"Come early!" Williams urges. "If you come to the show 90 minutes early, you can go to the animal open house," where guests can see the animals up close. Kids can even watch one of the elephants do a painting. "She paints every preshow, and one lucky person at the show will win her painting."
If you arrive an hour early, you can head on down to the arena floor. "People can try on costumes, try out some of the apparatuses — that are safe — get photo ops, talk to the performers and clowns, and it's free with your ticket," Williams said, adding that children love it "because kids don't normally get to see these things up close."
Williams, who was the first female clown to graduate from Clown College in 1970, now spends her time working on combining education and fitness with the circus.
"The stuff on the Web is free, and it's for everyone — from teachers to parents to kids. It helps teach science, for example. We're trying to make it fun — to make whatever is coming to town a little more relevant in the classroom."
So, for some fun before the show, go to the Web site with your kids to discover that:
• Elephants respond to some 60 verbal commands.
• When annoyed, llamas and alpacas spit.
• Zebras' stripes are as distinctive as a human's fingerprint.
You can also find out if you have what it takes to be a Ringling ringmaster.
If you go
What: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Where: EnergySolutions Arena
When: Wednesday through Sunday, times vary
How much: $10-$24
Phone: 801-325-7328
Web: www.ringling.com
Circus is coming to town
138th Ringling Bros. Circus opening Thursday
Gene Davis, DDN Staff Writer
Monday, September 29, 2008
It’s nice to have traditions to fall back on during these uncertain times.
Lucky for Denverites, the 138th edition of Ringling Bros. is coming to town this week.
“Over the Top,” the Ringling Bros.’ newest incarnation, focuses on the mayhem between ringmaster Chuck Wagner and clown eccentric Tom Dougherty as they compete for control of a magical top hat that brings their imaginations to life.
Family friendly
“Over the Top” is family friendly and will put a smile on grandparents and grandchildren alike, said Donna Larkin, a spokeswoman for Ringling Bros.
“It definitely has a little bit of everything,” she said. “There is something for everyone in this show.”
That “everything” includes dogs flying, Asian elephants skipping and a man standing eye to eye with a pack of powerful Bengal tigers. It’s the ultimate reality show since the high-risk feats and no nets mean everything is very real and immediate.
Staying relevant
Being a year older than baseball, the fact that Ringling Bros. is still going strong is an impressive feat. The legendary circus has survived the Great Depression, both world wars and even disco.
Larkin attributed Ringling Bros. longevity to the circus staying in touch with popular culture and remaining relevant.
“I think the key is to keep the tradition of the spectacle and thrill but keep reinventing it every year,” she said.
One change this year is the implementation of stealth screens. The large screens, which are similar to the ones used during sporting events, mean every attendee has a great view of the action.
Great deal
“Over the Top” is a great idea for families looking for fun at an affordable price.
Opening night, Oct. 2, has tickets for $12, which is a small price to pay for a full night of entertainment
“You get a lot for your money, and you come away with priceless memories,” said Larkin.
Ringling Bros. “Over the Top”
When: Oct. 2-13
Where: Denver Coliseum
Information: Ringling.com
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Carson & Barnes Returns to Paso Robles
Circus returns to Paso Robles
Posted: Thursday, Sep 11th, 2008
Julia Bluff 9-12-08
In the year 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien published “The Hobbit,” construction on Golden Gate Bridge was completed, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in to his second term in office after a landslide victory and D.R. Miller founded a small traveling show that would later evolve into the Carson & Barnes Circus.
Now in its 72nd edition, Carson & Barnes boasts the largest tent circus in the world. On Saturday, Sept. 20 the famous Big Top will roll into Cuesta College North Campus in Paso Robles, bringing with it more than 100 performers and animals. The massive traveling circus will stay in town for just two days before packing up and leaving town on Sunday, Sept. 21.
According to a release, of the 250 days each year that the circus plays, some 200 of them will be in different towns, cities and communities all over the nation.
“We are like a traveling city,” said Carson & Barnes Circus spokesperson Harry Dubsky. “Imagine 100 people traveling on the road in about 40 trucks and arriving in the morning and setting up a tent the size of a football field, doing two performances — sometimes three — packing it up and moving the next morning to the next location. It is a fascinating site.”
Last seen in Paso Robles in 2004, the Carson & Barnes Circus will be hosted by the Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association in partnership with Cuesta College as a fundraiser for local community projects. A part of the proceeds from the shows will support Main Street’s free Christmas programs, said executive director Norma Moye.
Still a family run operation after 72 years in the business, Carson & Barnes is based upon the family-brand of entertainment popularized during the American circus heydays, which spanned more than 100 years from roughly the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. Though a staple of American entertainment history, the prevalence of traveling circus shows has waned considerably over the years due to the dip in the economy, the rising cost of fuel and resistance from animal welfare groups. Dubsky pointed to Carson & Barnes’ perennial persistence, affordable prices and strictly G-rated, family-friendly brand of entertainment as reasons why their traveling circus show continues to thrive while so many others have waned.
“It is clean, family entertainment,” he said.
On Saturday morning, early risers will be treated to a feast for the eyes as the traveling circus troupe erects the Big Top in just a matter of hours at Cuesta College North Campus, 2800 Buena Vista Dr. According to Carson & Barnes, hundreds of stakes, poles and several miles of cables and ropes will be laid out and prepared, culminating with the crew and trained elephants hoisting the almost 300-foot Big Top 40 feet into the air before finally placing all the circus equipment inside the massive tent along with seating for more than 2,200 people. In addition, some 25 species of exotic and domestic animals, featuring a large traveling zoo, are unloaded, fed and watered as soon as their huge transports pull onto the ground, according to a release. This display of “circus history and magic” will be available to the public free of charge. The circus crew starts to arrive at about dawn and the Big Top will be hoisted at around 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Just as Carson & Barnes focuses on a brand of family entertainment, so have their acts been honed and perfected through generations of performing families. Circus acts are often passed down through the family, which each successive generation expanding and pushing the envelope on what was previously considered to be impossible. New to the Big Top in 2008, Carson & Barnes will feature the feats of some of the youngest to carry the torch of the circus tradition; many featured in the show are the children of performing families. Six-year-old acrobatic daredevil Brandon Cavallini will perform jaw-dropping feats on the flying trapeze, 11-year- old Francesa will startle with acrobatic undulations, young hula-hoop stars will attempt a record-breaking gyration of 50 hula hoops and 10-year-old Amanda Loyal, a bareback ballerina who can trace her circus lineage back seven generations, will astound atop her favorite horse Antoinette.
“My act is not just riding a horse in a pretty costume,” she said in a release. “I have to be in top physical shape and be very strong to have the correct posture and balance while Antoinette is galloping around the ring.”
This year’s show will also feature a Grand Spectacular Parade centered on a “Salute To Our Troops” theme, the Incredible Flying Fernandez Family, death defying high wire performers from South America, the giant Wheels of Destiny, a daring high wire motorcycle ride, Millers Majestic Prancing Ponies and a pack of performing pachyderms.
“We have the second largest herd of elephants in the U.S.,” Dubsky said.
With so many performing species taking part in the traveling circus, Dubsky said that Carson & Barnes pays great attention to welfare of the show’s animals. In fact, he said the Miller-Byrd family — owners and operators of the circus for four generations — established the Endangered Ark Foundation in 2003 to provide for endangered species and operate a breeding program for the extremely endangered Asian elephant. The EAF is based out of Hugo, Okla.
With its focus on the mainstays of circus entertainment and adherence to traditional performing arts, Dubsky said he considers Carson & Barnes to be a traveling piece of living history.
“It is our heritage,” he said.
Show times are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20 and 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21. Advance general admission 2-for-1 coupons for either children or adults will soon be mailed to many local families and will also be available at some local businesses. Printable coupons are also available at www.carsonbarnescircus.com.
Posted: Thursday, Sep 11th, 2008
Julia Bluff 9-12-08
In the year 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien published “The Hobbit,” construction on Golden Gate Bridge was completed, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in to his second term in office after a landslide victory and D.R. Miller founded a small traveling show that would later evolve into the Carson & Barnes Circus.
Now in its 72nd edition, Carson & Barnes boasts the largest tent circus in the world. On Saturday, Sept. 20 the famous Big Top will roll into Cuesta College North Campus in Paso Robles, bringing with it more than 100 performers and animals. The massive traveling circus will stay in town for just two days before packing up and leaving town on Sunday, Sept. 21.
According to a release, of the 250 days each year that the circus plays, some 200 of them will be in different towns, cities and communities all over the nation.
“We are like a traveling city,” said Carson & Barnes Circus spokesperson Harry Dubsky. “Imagine 100 people traveling on the road in about 40 trucks and arriving in the morning and setting up a tent the size of a football field, doing two performances — sometimes three — packing it up and moving the next morning to the next location. It is a fascinating site.”
Last seen in Paso Robles in 2004, the Carson & Barnes Circus will be hosted by the Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association in partnership with Cuesta College as a fundraiser for local community projects. A part of the proceeds from the shows will support Main Street’s free Christmas programs, said executive director Norma Moye.
Still a family run operation after 72 years in the business, Carson & Barnes is based upon the family-brand of entertainment popularized during the American circus heydays, which spanned more than 100 years from roughly the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. Though a staple of American entertainment history, the prevalence of traveling circus shows has waned considerably over the years due to the dip in the economy, the rising cost of fuel and resistance from animal welfare groups. Dubsky pointed to Carson & Barnes’ perennial persistence, affordable prices and strictly G-rated, family-friendly brand of entertainment as reasons why their traveling circus show continues to thrive while so many others have waned.
“It is clean, family entertainment,” he said.
On Saturday morning, early risers will be treated to a feast for the eyes as the traveling circus troupe erects the Big Top in just a matter of hours at Cuesta College North Campus, 2800 Buena Vista Dr. According to Carson & Barnes, hundreds of stakes, poles and several miles of cables and ropes will be laid out and prepared, culminating with the crew and trained elephants hoisting the almost 300-foot Big Top 40 feet into the air before finally placing all the circus equipment inside the massive tent along with seating for more than 2,200 people. In addition, some 25 species of exotic and domestic animals, featuring a large traveling zoo, are unloaded, fed and watered as soon as their huge transports pull onto the ground, according to a release. This display of “circus history and magic” will be available to the public free of charge. The circus crew starts to arrive at about dawn and the Big Top will be hoisted at around 8 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Just as Carson & Barnes focuses on a brand of family entertainment, so have their acts been honed and perfected through generations of performing families. Circus acts are often passed down through the family, which each successive generation expanding and pushing the envelope on what was previously considered to be impossible. New to the Big Top in 2008, Carson & Barnes will feature the feats of some of the youngest to carry the torch of the circus tradition; many featured in the show are the children of performing families. Six-year-old acrobatic daredevil Brandon Cavallini will perform jaw-dropping feats on the flying trapeze, 11-year- old Francesa will startle with acrobatic undulations, young hula-hoop stars will attempt a record-breaking gyration of 50 hula hoops and 10-year-old Amanda Loyal, a bareback ballerina who can trace her circus lineage back seven generations, will astound atop her favorite horse Antoinette.
“My act is not just riding a horse in a pretty costume,” she said in a release. “I have to be in top physical shape and be very strong to have the correct posture and balance while Antoinette is galloping around the ring.”
This year’s show will also feature a Grand Spectacular Parade centered on a “Salute To Our Troops” theme, the Incredible Flying Fernandez Family, death defying high wire performers from South America, the giant Wheels of Destiny, a daring high wire motorcycle ride, Millers Majestic Prancing Ponies and a pack of performing pachyderms.
“We have the second largest herd of elephants in the U.S.,” Dubsky said.
With so many performing species taking part in the traveling circus, Dubsky said that Carson & Barnes pays great attention to welfare of the show’s animals. In fact, he said the Miller-Byrd family — owners and operators of the circus for four generations — established the Endangered Ark Foundation in 2003 to provide for endangered species and operate a breeding program for the extremely endangered Asian elephant. The EAF is based out of Hugo, Okla.
With its focus on the mainstays of circus entertainment and adherence to traditional performing arts, Dubsky said he considers Carson & Barnes to be a traveling piece of living history.
“It is our heritage,” he said.
Show times are scheduled for 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20 and 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21. Advance general admission 2-for-1 coupons for either children or adults will soon be mailed to many local families and will also be available at some local businesses. Printable coupons are also available at www.carsonbarnescircus.com.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Update
Hello Everybody,
Sorry for the disappearing again. I just moved to Bowling Green, Ohio so I have been busy packing and unpacking and all that fun stuff that goes along with moving. And then on top of that my father was hospitalized.
Lewis and Clark Circus opened for their second half of their . As many of you know I will not be returning to the show as a performer but I'll still be involved with the show.
A couple weeks ago I saw Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Red Unit in Indianapolis. I have seen this show several times it by far was the best time I have ever seen it. I heard several exciting rumors about next year's red.
The highlight of my trip was meeting one of my heros, Taba. He was very nice and quite an inspiration.
That's about all for now.
Logan
Sorry for the disappearing again. I just moved to Bowling Green, Ohio so I have been busy packing and unpacking and all that fun stuff that goes along with moving. And then on top of that my father was hospitalized.
Lewis and Clark Circus opened for their second half of their . As many of you know I will not be returning to the show as a performer but I'll still be involved with the show.
A couple weeks ago I saw Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Red Unit in Indianapolis. I have seen this show several times it by far was the best time I have ever seen it. I heard several exciting rumors about next year's red.
The highlight of my trip was meeting one of my heros, Taba. He was very nice and quite an inspiration.
That's about all for now.
Logan
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