Under the Big Top: Life in the Circus
Tuesday, 04 January 2011Written by J.W. Arnold
For Billy Murray, joining the circus seemed natural.
“My parents took me and my brother to the circus every year,” the 24-year-old clown recalls. “The circus was always magical to me, and of course, the clowns were my favorite.” As a boy, Murray would make up his own clown face using his mother’s lipstick and put on his own circus acts. He later took gymnastics lessons from a graduate of the now closed Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College who encouraged him to pursue his love of clowning. He eventually completed a course in clowning but then enrolled at the Art Institute in Philadelphia to become a graphic designer.
“(Graphic design) just wasn’t satisfying because I knew at heart I was a performer,” Murray says.
After going on auditions and a stint at Universal Studios, in 2009, the aspiring clown got his big break and won a position with the famed Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey circus, which rolls into Miami this week for a 10-day run at American Airlines Arena.
Nearly two years later, his character, a musical clown with a real drum in his hat, enters the arena—circuses rarely perform in tents anymore—to unleash his antics on the audiences.
“With clowning, you get to wear your insecurities on the outside,” he says. “I’m not a big guy, only 5’2”, but I can really play with that. Somebody who is 6’4” can look pretty still next to somebody who is small.”
While Murray dishes out zany stunts, keyboardist Ryan States provides the music for the acts, setting the scene for crazy clowns and death-defying stunts alike. Unlike his colleague, however, States never dreamed he’d be performing for the circus.
A 36-year-old singer-songwriter, he saw a job posting while studying at the University of North Texas. He inquired about the job and eventually spoke to the band leader. Soon he had joined the circus. Read more at:http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/arts-and-entertainment/event-calendar/2856-under-the-big-top-life-in-the-circus.html
“My parents took me and my brother to the circus every year,” the 24-year-old clown recalls. “The circus was always magical to me, and of course, the clowns were my favorite.” As a boy, Murray would make up his own clown face using his mother’s lipstick and put on his own circus acts. He later took gymnastics lessons from a graduate of the now closed Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College who encouraged him to pursue his love of clowning. He eventually completed a course in clowning but then enrolled at the Art Institute in Philadelphia to become a graphic designer.
“(Graphic design) just wasn’t satisfying because I knew at heart I was a performer,” Murray says.
After going on auditions and a stint at Universal Studios, in 2009, the aspiring clown got his big break and won a position with the famed Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey circus, which rolls into Miami this week for a 10-day run at American Airlines Arena.
Nearly two years later, his character, a musical clown with a real drum in his hat, enters the arena—circuses rarely perform in tents anymore—to unleash his antics on the audiences.
“With clowning, you get to wear your insecurities on the outside,” he says. “I’m not a big guy, only 5’2”, but I can really play with that. Somebody who is 6’4” can look pretty still next to somebody who is small.”
While Murray dishes out zany stunts, keyboardist Ryan States provides the music for the acts, setting the scene for crazy clowns and death-defying stunts alike. Unlike his colleague, however, States never dreamed he’d be performing for the circus.
A 36-year-old singer-songwriter, he saw a job posting while studying at the University of North Texas. He inquired about the job and eventually spoke to the band leader. Soon he had joined the circus. Read more at:http://www.southfloridagaynews.com/arts-and-entertainment/event-calendar/2856-under-the-big-top-life-in-the-circus.html
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