Sawdust Nights

Indigenous Native American Prophecy (Elders Speak part 1)

2010-05-08T21:25:00.001-07:00

Progress Can Kill

2010-03-07T11:22:00.000-08:00

Gaga In Wonderland

2010-03-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

Martyn Chabry at Circus Sarasota

2010-03-06T18:18:00.001-08:00

Illusicnation Opening

2010-03-06T18:12:00.001-08:00

World's Largest Herd of White Deer

2010-03-03T15:04:00.001-08:00

Circus Vargas 2010

2010-03-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

Jobs in Artistic Direction at Cirque du Soleil

2010-02-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

Barnum's Funundrum Mixed Animal Display

2010-02-20T13:06:00.001-08:00

Kelly Miller Festival Circus

2010-02-13T15:18:00.001-08:00

Scenes from Kelly Miller Circus 2009

2010-02-13T15:15:00.001-08:00

Hans Suppmeier's Baby Tigers

2010-02-13T15:05:00.000-08:00

The Headless Woman

2010-02-09T18:15:00.000-08:00

Cirque du Soleil for Sale?

2010-02-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

I just read this article on http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3680 stating that Dubai World might be selling their portion of Cirque du Soleil. Has anybody else heard anything?
One has to wonder if that has anything to do with the decline in public opinion of some of their shows (Believe, Wintuk, Bannaa Spheel).

Gunther Gebel-Williams American Express Card

2009-08-18T18:29:00.000-07:00

Ringling Bros. Commercial 1986

2009-08-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Salute the Movie

2009-08-18T11:29:00.001-07:00

Update

2009-08-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

I've been super busy the last several months. My show, Circus Vera, had several dates throughout the spring and into the early summer. All of the dates were highly successful. There are already plans to return to each of those dates next spring so you can't beat that.
After the Vera dates were finished up I was the assistant director for a children's theatre production called "Be Careful What You Wish For." This was my first time directing theatre and working with children. I had a blast. It was so cool seeing a bunch of young performers get their start. It as even cooler being able to help mold them as performers.
I just finished that show up last weekend so I have a had a lot of spare time lately and in that spare time I realized that I have strayed from the original purpose of why I started this blog. Originally I started this blog to share some of my ideas of future projects and even just a place to bitch if need be and it slowly morphed into a series of articles and videos. So in addition to the videos and articles I am going to attempt to write some more.
Next week I start to move back to Bowling Green where I will be directing the first and only circus college program in Ohio, Circus Ziggy. I am quite excited to see how it turns out. Hopefully it will grow large enough to compete with FSU's Flying High Circus one day. In addition to Circus Ziggy I will also be returning to a productions of The Nutcracker Ballet as Drosselmeier. And then next spring Vera will unveil their 2010 show and I will also be directing my first theatre show.
On top of all of that I was having been collecting several sideshow oddities such as shrunken heads, FeeJee mermaids, unicorn horns, two headed animals, etc so if you have any sideshow attractions for sale let me know!
A little note about this blog I am happy to approve any comment of any nature UNLESS it is hate speech or anonymous. I have been getting a lot of hate comments against certain groups from anonymouses lately
Till next time,
Logan

Man Faces Six Months in Jail for Yawning

2009-08-11T21:21:00.000-07:00

So according to the Associate Press Clifton Williams was sentenced to six months in prison for yawning in court. He was charged with being in contempt with the court. God I love our court system.

Logan

Mermaid Sighting Craze Makes a Splash in Israel

2009-08-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

Israel is in the grips of mermaid fever after numerous sightings of the mythical sea creature off its coast.

One town council is taking the reports so seriously it is offering a $1 million reward to anyone who can prove the existence of a mermaid in its waters.

Kiryat Yam municipality, near Haifa, says it has been told of dozens of sightings in the past few months.

"Many people are telling us they are sure they've seen a mermaid and they are all independent of each other," council spokesman Natti Zilberman told Sky News.

The nautical nymph is only seen in the evening at sunset, according to media reports, drawing crowds of people with cameras hoping for a glimpse.

"People say it is half girl, half fish, jumping like a dolphin. It does all kinds of tricks then disappears," Zilberman said.

Asked whether a dolphin or large fish could be a more rational explanation, he insisted: "They say it is a female figure, it looks like a young girl."

The council denied its offer of a reward was a publicity stunt, but said it hoped to nurture the mermaid as something which could bring in more tourists.

Capturing a mermaid is not necessary, a verifiable photograph will do, Zilberman said. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,538918,00.html

Bally Master

2009-08-11T17:27:00.001-07:00

Todd Robins Eats a Lightbulb

2009-08-10T14:53:00.001-07:00

Last Save Coney Island Rally

2009-08-10T14:45:00.001-07:00

Jackie the Human Tripod dazzles audiences, knocks down stereotypes

2009-08-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

KAHRIN DEINES Of The Gazette Staff | Posted: Thursday, August 6, 2009 6:10 pm | (5) Comments
Jackie Molen looks and gets around differently from most people.
She has two very muscular arms and only one leg, which measures about 15 inches, not including her 3-inch high heel. And though she has a wheelchair, she likes to leave its bounds for the stage, where she has been known to cartwheel and karate chop flaming boards into pieces.
She is, in her own words, a freak. A talented freak, in fact, with her very own freak show that she manages, books and headlines.
"It's not like the common words are so different," Molen said. "It's all negative stuff as well, like disabled or handicapped. Everybody can use the words that they're comfortable with."
Molen is performing for the duration of the MontanaFair as "Jackie the Human Tripod," along with her fire-eating, animal-taming boyfriend, Josh Bladzik, and a menagerie of about 30 "odd and unusual" animals that they maintain.
Among others, there's Whitey, the albino turtle, and Remulus and Romulus, Siamese turtles. And Daisy May, the two-nosed cow, Sunny, the six-legged steer, and the 14-foot-long Julius the Squeezer, a giant snake.
"It's just showing people that people and animals can be born different and that it's really OK," Molen said, sitting outside her show tent on the midway earlier this week.
Molen was born with a rare condition known as proximal femoral focal deficiency, which can have mild and extreme manifestations, but generally results in a partially missing femur bone. For Molen, it means she has one very short leg that she likes to angle outward with a black stiletto on her foot - which she is proud to say has only four toes - to create an alluring stage pose.
"A lot of people (with the condition) would get their legs amputated, but I love my leg," said Molen, a brunette 24-year-old with big eyes, who looks like a starlet in her fuschia-fringed gown.
For her show at MontanaFair, Molen is performing a short bit called "Miss Electra," where she serves as a human conductor to light batons for her fire-eating partner, along with gymnastic stunts, including her signature one-armed handstand.
"She has perfect tripod balance, all while showing a little leg," Bladzik announces as the pair performs.
Molen began performing in school plays in Idaho as a young girl, but she often didn't get the roles she wanted. "They would always typecast me in the beginning to play kids or animals," she said. But she continued seeking the spotlight, performing on the balance beam and bars in gymnastics, competing in martial arts and, in college, singing.
One day, she heard a radio announcement that changed her life. It was an ad for a freak show, looking for freaks.
It went like this: "If you have a genetic anomaly and amazing talents, come on down."
Molen heeded the call and spent about three years with a troupe known as 999 Eyes, performing with others identified by marquee names such as "Lobster Girl" and "Elephant Man." Now she has her own show and is on the road performing about nine months out of the year.
"For me, doing this is about being proud of who I am and having that effect on people where they can be proud of who they are," Molen said. "For me, it's more about being proud of who you are and being proud of what you can do instead of what you can't do."
Children, in particular, are curious about how she moves and looks, Molen said. And she often hears parents tell them to look away. But looking is exactly what she wants them to do, because she wants them to understand that difference does not mean disability. It's another way of being alive.
"I just think that curiosity is a good thing and they're just wondering about stuff," Molen said. "I'd rather they come talk to me and ask me questions, instead of trying to ignore me."
At MontanaFair, Molen and Bladzick can be found in the sideshow tent labeled "Jackie the Human Tripod." Tickets to the tent buy a tour of their museum of odd animals, a performance by the couple and - as she bills herself - "the world's smallest acrobat," one who stands 37 inches tall, all of them proud.
"I've found that being different has helped me rather than hurt me because I'm one of a kind," Molen said. "I can't be replaced."
Contact Kahrin Deines at kdeines@billingsgazette.com or 657-1392.
http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6691610750979591428

Blue Monkey Circus Sideshow

2009-08-05T08:44:00.001-07:00

Mozart and the Whale

2009-08-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

25 Years of Soleil

2009-08-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

Sidi Goma at the Ordway

2009-07-29T21:22:00.001-07:00

Cirque Mechanics Birdhouse Factory

2009-07-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

Big Top Big Business

2009-07-29T20:33:00.001-07:00

A'lure Call of the Ocean

2009-07-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here is the majority of the show. A couple bits were cut out. This was one of the more entertaining circuses I have seen this year.

New Poll About Circus Animals

2009-07-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Go vote!
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/07/25/2009-07-25_pete_elephant_abuse_protests_dont_stop_ticketholders_from_attending_coney_island.html

Cirque Berzerk History

2009-07-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

This show is so new, so fresh. I can't wait to see where its future goes.

Cirque Berzerk 2009

2009-07-25T13:47:00.001-07:00

Cirque Berzerk

2009-07-25T13:45:00.001-07:00

Zaia Celebrates Cirque's 25th

2009-07-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Zaia at the Bollywood Awards

2009-07-25T13:41:00.001-07:00

Alegria - Hula Hoop - Today Show

2009-07-25T13:34:00.001-07:00

Zing Zang Zoom

2009-07-24T15:42:00.000-07:00

This is how I want my wedding.

2009-07-23T14:12:00.000-07:00

A Growing Circus Movement in Ohio

2009-07-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

In addition to tours of several circus companies throughout Ohio this year there are now two circus companies growing in Ohio. Of course my own Vera, the newest of the two, and the Amazing Portable Circus which can be seen here

Kelly Miller Circus in Phelps

2009-07-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Darfur Now

2009-07-20T09:52:00.001-07:00

Columbia Brings P.T. Barnum’s Big Show to the Big Screen

2009-07-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

For 81 years, P.T. Barnum lived to entertain. Now, thanks to Columbia Pictures, Barnum will continue to entertain audiences more than 100 years after his death. As reported by Variety, Columbia recently purchased an untitled pitch for a Barnum biopic from screenwriter Stan Chervin. Chervin was recently attached to the currently defunct baseball film, Moneyball.

Mr. Phineas Taylor Barnum holds a special place in the American psyche. The prototypical showman, P.T. Barnum brought the “Wonders of the World” to the United States at a time when most Americans knew nothing of what laid beyond their own towns. Granted, many of his exhibits were hoaxes, but that did little to take away from the majesty and mystique of the “Greatest Show on Earth.”

According to the report, the film will focus on P.T. Barnum’s “early years.” I’m not entirely sure what that means, but a quick perusal of P.T. Barnum’s Wikipedia page shows countless possibilities for a movie. For instance, did you know that in addition to being one of the country’s richest and most successful showmen, Barnum also served as mayor of Bridgeport, Connecticut for a year? Or how about this: Did you know Barnum was fiercely anti-slavery and a vocal supporter of the Thirteenth Amendment? Heck, I’d watch a movie that just explored the relationship between Barnum and General Tom Thumb.

What do you think? Does a P.T. Barnum biopic sound good to you? Any thoughts on potential casting? For some reason, when I look at that picture of Barnum, I keep picturing Jim Broadbent.

Source: /Film
http://screenrant.com/columbia-pt-barnum-movie-robf-17277/

Giant tortoise might belong to circus

2009-07-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

MADISON (WKOW)-- A giant tortoise found in a Madison family's flower bed Tuesday morning could belong to a circus.

The Deleeuw family in north Madison near Cherokee Marsh found the 115 pound tortoise. They say they weren't looking for another pet, so they called animal control.

"I was just totally shocked at the size of it. In fact our son-in-law whose a landscaper tried to lift it, but he couldn't. It took two of us to lift it out of the spot and carry it into the van that carried it away," said Harry Deleeuw.

"It looks liek an African Spurred Tortoise or sulcata tortoise which is an North African species commonly kept as pets and this just happens to be a large specimen," said Dr. Kurt Sladky from UW School of Veterinary Medicine.

Dr. Sladky says an African Spurred Tortoise is the third largest tortoise specimen in the world, but the largest of turtles kept as pets. The doctor estimates this one could be about 20 years old.

VFW Post 8483 called 27 news Tuesday night to explain they had hosted a circus a week ago, and the giant tortoise got away. They left contact with the post in case someone found it.

The tortoise is currently at the Dane County Humane Society.
http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10726571

Brownback And Landrieu Introduce Bill To Ban Mermaids

2009-07-14T20:56:00.000-07:00

Read More: Human-Animal-Hybrids, Idiots, Mary Landrieu, Mermaids, Sam Brownback, Stem Cells, Politics News

Great news, everyone! At some point last week, Senators Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.) must have finished fighting all the terrorists and repaired the economy and reversed all the bad unemployment trends, because how else could you explain the two of them introducing a law that would prohibit scientists from making mermaids and centaurs and Jersey devils and whatnot? Other than to conclude: these two senators are straight-up idiots, I mean? Who can say? Anyway, having just posted on Bigfoot, stand back as I try to WIN THE AFTERNOON with cryptozoology!

Glenn Thrush has all the news on the Human-Animal Hybrid Prohibition Act of 2009:

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) -- an ardent anti-abortion activist -- is worried that the Obama administration's loosening of restrictions on stem cell research will result in the creation of a new race of bio-engineered "human-animal" hybrid freaks.

Or beautiful mermaids.

The bill -- modeled on an inexplicably overlooked effort by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal -- would ban the creation of "part-human, part-animal creatures, which are created in laboratories, and blur the line between species."

OKAY NOBODY FREAK OUT: "The legislation, Brownback said, 'is limited in scope' and wouldn't limit the use of some animal parts for human use, including porcine pig valves." OKAY? Everyone is still allowed to get freaky with some "porcine pig valves." (Aren't all "pig valves" porcine?)

Anyway, Brownback called the measure "philosophical and practical." His worries seem to have stemmed from his "background in agriculture," where folks have been working to genetically modify soybeans. Naturally, Brownback concluded that if we weren't careful, this could lead to the rise of the Minotaurs, or a similar Dr. Caligari-type moment where we'd be "setting a time-bomb that might detonate many generations down the line," which would force the CIA to have to waterboard a human genome until it confessed to the whereabouts of the were-people.

Brownback and Landrieu have twenty co-sponsors for the bill, all of whom should be paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue while citizens mock them and throw pig valves.

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Circus Festival of Massy 2010

2009-07-09T17:00:00.001-07:00

33° Monte Carlo - Dominic Lacasse - SF 1 - 2009

2009-07-09T16:55:00.001-07:00

Truly incredible. I wish we had more acts like this in the states.

33° Monte Carlo - Dominic Lacasse - SF 1 - 2009

2009-07-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

Truly incredible. I wish we had more acts like this in the states.

Hubba Hubba Revue's Circus Sideshow

2009-07-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

World of Wonders Sideshow - Bally Show

2009-07-09T10:47:00.001-07:00

The one and only Poobah and talker Tommy Breene

World of Wonders Sideshow - Bally Show

2009-07-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

The one and only Poobah and talker Tommy Breene

2009 Kelly Miller Circus

2009-07-08T15:51:00.001-07:00

Flying Cavallini's 2009 Act of Caron & Barnes

2009-07-08T15:48:00.000-07:00

Don't Kill Coney! Fix the Plan!: A Friendly PSA from Coney Island's 'Mayor'

2009-07-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

A'Lure - The Call of the Ocean - SeaWorld Circus Show

2009-07-08T12:15:00.001-07:00

New Zaia Promo

2009-07-07T22:23:00.001-07:00

Zed Highlights

2009-07-07T22:19:00.001-07:00

Milwaukee circus parade's future in peril

2009-07-07T10:19:00.000-07:00

MILWAUKEE, July 6 (UPI) --
Organizers of Milwaukee's Great Circus Parade said the event's future is in doubt beyond this coming Sunday's parade.

William Fox, co-chairman of the Great Circus Parade, said officials have already decided not to hold a parade in 2010 and the event scheduled for 1:20 p.m. Sunday may be the last of the parades for several years, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Monday.

"The American economy must show signs of life" before the parade can gather enough funds to return, Fox said. "So for some people this parade on Sunday will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

Fox said the last Great Circus Parade, which took place in 2003, cost $1.5 million to produce.

"I would love to see another parade put on, but we just don't know," Fox said.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International
All Rights Reserved.
http://www.timesoftheinternet.com/89777.html

ODYSSEA

2009-07-07T09:48:00.001-07:00

You think you know HSUS? You don't know Wayne!

2009-07-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

Alexey Goloborodko - Contortion at Circus Massimo

2009-07-06T18:02:00.001-07:00

Zirkus Frankello

2009-07-06T17:59:00.001-07:00

Soul Circus

2009-07-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

Take That's Circus Tour

2009-07-06T17:56:00.000-07:00

Australia's got talent Lyra

2009-07-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

An Open Letter To Animal Rights Activists

2009-07-04T16:00:00.000-07:00

To any and all animal rights activists that will read this. Attacking me online through anonymous attacks or even attacking me directly is one thing. But to start attacking my family who has nothing to do with the circus industry or my personal stances on animal issues is completely unacceptable. If you feel like vandalizing property, calling with threats, or anything along those lines please do it to me and not my family. To the activist who called this weekend leaving a nasty voicemail calling certain circus owners "whores" among other inappropriate language I hope you are happy that my 3 year old nephew got the message not me.

We obviously have differing opinions on circus animals. I would like you to treat me with respect and not vandalize my property as I would never go after your personal property or you for your beliefs, but going after my family who has no connections to this business is completely unacceptable. The authorities have already been contacted and one of the suspects is already feeling the heat of it.

RIP Roy Huston

2009-06-29T16:28:00.001-07:00

I was just informed that long time Gibsonton resident magician Roy Huston passed away. I had the privilege of meeting him during my stay there in 2007. He will be missed.

RIP Roy Huston

2009-06-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

I was just informed that long time Gibsonton resident magician Roy Huston passed away. I had the privelage of meeting him

Kelly Miller Circus

2009-06-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

2008 Carson Barnes Circus Elephants

2009-06-29T07:57:00.001-07:00

Bello Nock Promo

2009-06-29T07:53:00.001-07:00

Zing Zang Zoom Commercial

2009-06-29T07:51:00.001-07:00

Coney Island Circus Sideshow

2009-06-27T20:14:00.001-07:00

Cirque Dreams New Show

2009-06-27T19:55:00.000-07:00

Good luck to Cirque Productions on their new show Pandemonia!

Next to Normal

2009-06-27T19:25:00.001-07:00

Alice Ripley the lead in this clip was one of the original Hilton sisters in Sideshow the musical.

Next to Normal

2009-06-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

Alice Ripley the lead in this clip was one of the original Hilton sisters in Sideshow the musical.

Coney Island Boom A Ring Tent Raising

2009-06-26T12:59:00.001-07:00

Coney Island Boom A Ring - Opening

2009-06-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

John Strong's Sideshow With Danny the Half Boy

2009-06-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

It's nice to see freaks slowly but surely returning to the circus sideshow.

Happy 25th

2009-06-18T18:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 25th Soleil. Regardless if you like them or not you have to admit the "street performers from Canada" changed the circus forever.

The Entire Greatest Show on Earth Movie - HERE

2009-06-09T18:23:00.000-07:00

Mexican Shows

2009-06-08T19:53:00.001-07:00

Circo Osorio's New Big Top

2009-06-08T19:52:00.001-07:00

Circus Osorio Highlights

2009-06-08T19:47:00.001-07:00

Difference between Animal Rights and Animal Welfare

2009-06-08T18:41:00.001-07:00

Fableux Cirque Estival Comes To Sydney

2009-06-08T11:27:00.001-07:00

Let Them Live

2009-06-06T22:30:00.001-07:00

Cirque du Soleil Founder to Be Next Space Tourist

2009-06-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

Clara Moskowitz
Staff Writer
SPACE.com clara Moskowitz
staff Writer
space.com – Thu Jun 4, 1:00 pm ET
Expect some professional flips and twists when Guy Laliberte flies to space this fall.

The Canadian acrobat and founder of Cirque du Soleil is set to become the seventh private space explorer when he lifts off Sept. 30 aboard the Russian Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft.

Laliberte booked his trip with the Russian Federal Space Agency through the U.S. firm Space Adventures, which usually charges about $30 million for the excursions. Laliberte is set to visit the International Space Station for about 12 days.

Laliberte is calling his voyage the "first social/humanitarian mission in space," and says he is devoting his trip to raising awareness of worldwide water issues. In 2007 he founded the non-profit One Drop Foundation, which fights for better access to clean water for people around the world.

"This is a mission that can make a difference and be true to my personality," he said Thursday at a press conference in Moscow. "We need to provide access to clean water where it is needed."

To get his point across, Laliberte plans to carry up a poem he co-wrote with a friend and read it from space. The piece is "a poem to planet Earth and its inhabitants in regard to the situation with water," he said. Laliberte has named his mission the "Poetic Social Mission in Space."

Laliberte, 50, is married and has five children. He is currently training in Russia's Star City cosmonaut training center to prepare for his mission.

"The Russian Federal Space Agency really puts you through some tough tests," he said. "My main concern is to make sure that I am ready and I will not have to be babysat by my crew."

Travelling into space represents a childhood dream, Laliberte said, and he thinks the expense is absolutely worth it for the experience he will have and the impact he can make.

"I think this is one of the best investments anybody will have done to promote the awareness of water," he said. "Everything I will get out of that experience, I will bite in it like in a juicy apple."

The last space tourist to fly was Charles Simonyi, a Hungarian software executive who made his second paid trip to the space station in March, also through Space Adventures. Laliberte will be making the eighth space tourist flight.

Laliberte could be the last private citizen to travel to space for a while. If NASA retires its space shuttle fleet in 2010 as planned, the Russian vehicles will be the only way to transport people to the International Space Station. In that case, available Soyuz seats could become scarce for space tourists.

Laliberte will be making the eighth space tourist flight (he is the seventh private spaceflyer, since Simonyi flew twice). He, like all the other private spaceflyers so far, opted not to participate in a spacewalk, which would have cost an extra $15 million.

Laliberte is part of Space Adventures' elite Orbital Missions Explorers Circle program, which requires a $5 million deposit to join, and allows members to skip to the head of the waiting list when space tourist opportunities become available.

Carson & Barnes 2009 American Spec - Video

2009-06-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

Interesting Film on Indian Circus

2009-06-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

This is a documentary done by students in India on the decline of the Indian Circus. It is very interesting.

Inside the Soviet Circus - Part 3

2009-06-01T13:42:00.001-07:00

Inside the Soviet Circus - Part Two

2009-05-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

Inside the Soviet Circus Part One

2009-05-29T19:03:00.001-07:00

Part two is coming tomorrow!

Il Circo Americano 2009

2009-05-29T18:57:00.001-07:00

Homosexual Tigers

2009-05-29T18:44:00.001-07:00

I laughed my asss of for a good ten minutes.

Popovich Pet Comedy Theater

2009-05-28T19:36:00.001-07:00

Cirque du Soleil Meets Moulin Rouge

2009-05-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

I was just informed that Cirque du Soleil will be doing a Moulin Rouge show in New York. It should be interesting. I feel like it will either be amazing or a bag of garbage.

I think this scene, Hindi Sad Diamonds, is enough to explain why Soleil is interestedin the rights to this show.

My Next Project

2009-05-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

I am very pleased that after Vera's August tour my next project will be "The Laramie Project." I am very excited to direct this life changing play.

Circus with stamina: Ringling Bros. still delivers family-friendly fun

2009-05-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

By CHUCK DARROW
Philadelphia Daily News

darrowc@phillynews.com 215-313-3134

IT MAY or may not still be "The Greatest Show on Earth," but the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is certainly one of the most surprisingly popular shows on the planet.

Despite seemingly endless competition for the entertainment dollar (television, video games, movies, the Internet, et al), the decidedly low-tech and old-fashioned circus remains a major attraction for "children of all ages."

Opening night of this year's edition of the circus found the soon-to-be-demolished Wachovia Spectrum, which is hosting the extravaganza for the 41st and final time, pulsating with energy as fans delighted in a potpourri of acts - from trained dogs, horses and zebras to aerialists, clowns and even a pair of women who were launched from giant twin cannons.

To be sure, there are some differences between the circuses that captivated audiences a century or more ago and the current version, which is called "Zing Zang Zoom" and runs through Memorial Day.

For instance, the traditional three-ring format, which showcased different acts simultaneously, is gone. Generally, the spotlight is taken by one act at a time.

The music - performed by a large, live band - is more rock-based than the calliope-and-marching-band sounds historically identified with such presentations.

And the "freak"-dominated sideshow has long been a politically incorrect memory.

Essentially, though, the circus has remained consistent since its two forebears, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey productions, pretty much introduced grand-scale entertainment to America in the mid-19th century.

So how does this relic of such a long-ago time survive - nay, thrive - in our iPodded, Xboxed, CGI'd society?

Some first-nighters said the key to the circus' enduring appeal is its emphasis on the novel and exotic. "There's nothing like it," proclaimed Jackie Cabrera, 33, of Washington Township, N.J., as she kept an eye on her daughter, Isabella, 3 1/2, during the circus' "pre-show."

The event welcomed visitors to the arena floor, where they could watch jugglers and other performers. Kids could even try on the performers' costumes (Isabella chose a short jacket with puffy scarlet sleeves that appeared to come straight from Carmen Miranda's trunk).

"Where else do you see animals and clowns?" Cabrera said.

For Peggy Schroeder, "It's just the whole excitement of it," although when pressed, the 81-year-old Roxborough resident, who was taking her 6-year-old granddaughter, Melody Mauer, to her first circus, named the trapeze artists as a particularly favorite attraction.

In this day and age, when even TV commercials can be borderline R-rated, the circus provides wholesome, kid-friendly fun, noted Julia McBride, of Drexel Hill, who attended with her husband, John, 49, their 5-year-old son, Danny, and a nephew, Dale Lennon.

"This is one of the few things" we can bring Danny to, she offered. McBride added that, for her, a visit to the circus also offers her a sweet trip back in time. "It reminds me of my childhood."

As far has her husband is concerned, the Ringling Bros. spectacular has some practicality as well. Nodding in the direction of Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers, John McBride suggested the circus "is a little cheaper" than a Phils' game.

Not that New York-based Feld Entertainment is a philanthropic endeavor. Most tickets to the circus are reasonably priced (most are scaled at $13 to $25), but you can spend as much as $85 a pop for a "Celebrity Circus" ticket that includes a seat on the first two rows, arena-floor seating during one act and even the chance for a parent to be levitated by his or her child during a magic bit.

Then there are the nonstop food and merchandise vendors whose style falls under the "in-your-face" category. After all, the circus was the Petri dish for modern marketing and promotion.

But even with such distractions, Yves Nutter, 37, of South Philly, finds the circus a very special place.

"It's still family-oriented, but without the gadgets and games. And it's a good way for the family to come together," said Nutter, who was with his wife, Tameka, and their two children, son Zaquez, 5, and daughter Jenna, 4.

He advised that it's also something to be experienced in person. "You might see it on TV," he said, "but in real life, kids enjoy it more." *

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, through Monday, Wachovia Spectrum, Broad Street and Pattison Avenue. Showtimes: 7 tonight, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. tomorrow and Friday, 11 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m. Monday. $85, $50, $25, $21 and $13, 800-298-4200, www.comcasttix.com.

http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/20090520_Circus_with_stamina__Ringling_Bros__still_delivers_family-friendly_fun.html