Israeli city bans religious-friendly Italian circus
Hearing half of the performances were adapted for religious audiences - meaning male performers only, Givat Shmuel refused to grant the Circus permits.
The Medrano Circus in Tel Aviv in 2005.Photo by: Archive / Nir Kafri story by: Ilan Lior
from: www.haaretz.com
01.12.11
The Givat Shmuel municipality has canceled 24 planned performances by Italy's Medrano Circus later this month, because half of them were to feature a program specially adapted for a religious audience - meaning male performers only.
Angered by the news, the city refused to grant the circus the necessary permits for its performances, which were due to begin on December 20The first "religious-friendly" circus performances took place last year in Lod, under the title "Circus with a Skullcap," and according to impresario Doron Etzioni, they were a huge success. Therefore, when he brought in Medrano this year, he and the circus agreed that a few performances would similarly be in this format. This time, however, he decided the venue would be Givat Shmuel, the last city in which Medrano was due to appear on its Israel tour.
Etzioni said it never entered his head that performances aimed at the religious public would spark opposition, and especially not in a city with many religious residents. But that is what happened when the first advertisements for the show appeared two weeks ago.
Etzioni insisted the changes in the program were minor: An act by a scantily-clad female acrobat - the show's only female performer - was to have been replaced by a magician, and Spanish songs that included bad language were to have been replaced by Hebrew ones.
But Givat Shmuel Mayor Yossi Brodni, who confirmed to Haaretz that he ordered the show canceled, doesn't care how minor the changes are. He said he was angry that Etzioni failed to tell the city some of the performances had been adapted for a religious audience. "I was hurt. I felt deceived," he said. "I don't do business with people who deceive me, and I won't lend a hand to an event for a particular population group. I have no right to do such a thing." read more at:http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-city-bans-religious-friendly-italian-circus-1.398818
Angered by the news, the city refused to grant the circus the necessary permits for its performances, which were due to begin on December 20The first "religious-friendly" circus performances took place last year in Lod, under the title "Circus with a Skullcap," and according to impresario Doron Etzioni, they were a huge success. Therefore, when he brought in Medrano this year, he and the circus agreed that a few performances would similarly be in this format. This time, however, he decided the venue would be Givat Shmuel, the last city in which Medrano was due to appear on its Israel tour.
Etzioni said it never entered his head that performances aimed at the religious public would spark opposition, and especially not in a city with many religious residents. But that is what happened when the first advertisements for the show appeared two weeks ago.
Etzioni insisted the changes in the program were minor: An act by a scantily-clad female acrobat - the show's only female performer - was to have been replaced by a magician, and Spanish songs that included bad language were to have been replaced by Hebrew ones.
But Givat Shmuel Mayor Yossi Brodni, who confirmed to Haaretz that he ordered the show canceled, doesn't care how minor the changes are. He said he was angry that Etzioni failed to tell the city some of the performances had been adapted for a religious audience. "I was hurt. I felt deceived," he said. "I don't do business with people who deceive me, and I won't lend a hand to an event for a particular population group. I have no right to do such a thing." read more at:http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israeli-city-bans-religious-friendly-italian-circus-1.398818
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