THE BALLOON MAN

Sneak peak of circus
As advance scouts for a traveling circus, Dave and Cherie Gregg have a lot to laugh about

Kevin Clark/The Register-Guard
Clowns Cherie Gregg and Dave Gregg entertain children at a Willamalane Park and Recreation District’s day camp Thursday. The married entertainers travel the country staging shows in advance of the touring Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus.
By Mark Baker
The Register-Guard, Eugene, Oregon
SPRINGFIELD — What a couple of clowns — literally.
The husband-and-wife clown duo of Dave and Cherie Gregg have been in the Eugene-Springfield area since Wednesday promoting “The Greatest Show on Earth,” the upcoming Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey “Boom a Ring” circus at Matthew Knight Arena on Aug. 26-28.

And that was just fine with a bunch of 5- and 6-year-old summer camp kids who squealed with delight during a one-hour free show Thursday at the Willamalane Center, formerly the Regional Sports Center, in Springfield.

Louella Vogegeli’s favorite part?

“When the lady was being silly,” said Louella, 5, who got to participate in one of the bits after raising her hand when a “brave helper” was needed.

Of course, “the lady” was being silly the entire time — even in a post-show interview when asked where she and her husband are from.

“From our mothers,” Cherie Gregg said.

Duh.

Actually, the Greggs, who met at a “Clown College” audition in Boston in 1990, are from Foxborough, Mass. They are gainfully employed professional clowns who used to be part of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey act, but now work for the company doing promotions prior to the circus’ arrival in towns across the nation.

They travel the country in their van.

Dressed like that?

“No,” said Cherie, with a thick Massachusetts accent, a voice much different than the soft, high-pitched one the children heard earlier. “We just go from event to event dressed like this.”

Six-year-old Madison Somerville, attending her first-ever clown show, was delighted to see how they were dressed — Dave Gregg in his red-and-royal-blue suit with the black-and-white checkered socks and shirt, the straight royal blue hair, red nose and big black-and-red clown shoes, and Cherie Gregg in her black-and-white polka dot suit and jet-black hair complementing her milk-white face paint.

“I liked when she was disappearing from him,” Madison said shyly after the show, standing next to her father, Benjamin Somerville, who had come to pick her up from camp.

Yes, for a while there, Dave Gregg couldn’t seem to find his wife. Every time he quickly turned around, she was right behind him, but a tad too close for him to see. Then, suddenly, she was on the ground, her head poking through her husband’s legs.

“She’s under there!” the children screamed.

“She’s under where?” said Dave Gregg, gasping in embarrassment, before adding: “I said ‘underwear.’?”