GREAT AMERICAN CIRCUS

CULPEPPER & MERRIWEATHER CIRCUS 2004


RECOGNIZE THE TRAINER?

RINGLING RED SHOW TRAIN ENROUTE--POSTED 2 DAYS AGO!

Harriet Albina Say had passion for wild animal circus acts

She started with her father's circus, built act with her husband.

January 6, 2011 from: www.jacksonville.com

By Coulter Kirkpatrick

Retired lion tamer and circus performer Harriet Albina Say of St. Augustine died Dec. 20, just four days short of her 79th birthday.
Albina Diana Lorraine Beatty Say was born Albina Davilia on Dec. 24, 1931, in Chicago to Harriet Evelyn Evans Davilia and Clyde Raymond Beatty.
Say took her mother's name when her mother died in 1950, becoming Harriet Diana Lorraine Beatty. She moved in the early 1930s to Fort Lauderdale and graduated from Rosarian Academy in West Palm Beach in 1950.
While in high school, she became a circus performer during the summers with her father's circus, The Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus.
She married Edward William Say in 1953 and had three children.
Inspired by both her parents' love for wild animal acts and being a fourth generation animal trainer, she started performing her own act when she and her husband bought her first set of two female lion cubs, Pam and Tam, from a zoo in Thousand Oaks, Calif. in 1959.
They built the act up to eight lions and two tigers, all performing different tricks.
Say routinely performed as a headliner with the Pan American Circus, Bartok Circus, Paul Kaye International Shows, Tom Packs Circus, Hamid Morton Circus and George Hubler Circus from 1960-1977 after which she retired from performing.
In 1977 Say and her husband produced several of Elvis Presley's conventions, as well as several international pet shows in cities throughout the northern U.S. and along the southeastern coast.
The Says changed their profession from producers to concessionaires in 1990 when they formed Ed Say and Assoc. to run snow cone and cotton candy concessions in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando and at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.
The couple retired in 2008 when she was diagnosed with colon and ovarian cancer.
Survivors include her husband, Edward Say; a son, Edward Raymond Say; a daughter, Evelyn Marie Jaynes; and her grandchildren Nicholas Jaynes and Shanna Shay. Say was predeceased by her son Michael Robert Shay in 1983.

Wake Up Your Senses — Circus Performance for Sensory-Impaired Children

By Gidon Belmaker, Epoch Times Staff Jan 6, 2011
NEW YORK—Franklin Kocheran exclaimed, “I liked the acrobats!”
The eight-year-old boy voiced his preference after attending a circus performance at the Damrosch Park in Lincoln Center. Normally, this would not be a surprising statement coming from a child after a circus show. Kocheran, however, could not actually see the flips, somersaults, or human towers that had been performed.
The Big Apple Circus put on a free show, called the Circus of the Senses, for children with sensory impairments from the New York Metro area on Wednesday.
Sign language interpreters narrated the show for those members of the audience who could not hear the host introducing the performers or the loud music coming from the speakers. For the visually impaired, on the other hand, a play-by-play account of the performance was offered through an audio broadcast.
The show is a way to bring the circus to people who might not otherwise experience it, said Guillaume Dufrensnoy, artistic director of the Big Apple Circus.
read more at: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/48744/

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus comes to Macon Coliseum

Magician David DaVinci serves as ringmaster for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Zing Zang Zoom.

Passion is what drives David DaVinci to perform in Zing Zang Zoom, the latest in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s Illuscination series.
“I think I speak for all of the performers: If I didn’t have the passion, I couldn’t do it. It’s very demanding, but equally as rewarding,” he said. “Some of the performers risk their lives every night to create a memory for these kids and their families and put a smile on their faces.”
DaVinci risks his life during the show when he attempts to escape a straitjacket while suspended three stories in the air above a den of lions, in a nod to Harry Houdini, a magician whose performances inspire DaVinci.
“I think any entertainer intends to create a legacy and put on a good show. In terms of being a magician, the straitjacket escape is a tribute to (Houdini),” said DaVinci, who once set a world record for escaping from a straitjacket 220 times in an eight-hour period.
The “thrillusionist” got his start playing with his brother’s magic set and soon began performing for family and friends. As his audiences grew, so did his craft. He began competing -- and winning -- against magicians much older than he and from all over the world. After winning one of those international competitions at age 17, DaVinci was invited to perform on a television show in China, and later performed a solo show in Saipan for more than 13 months.
“To perform live like that was such an amazing experience and led to being the host of The Greatest Show on Earth,” he said. “It’s been such an incredible opportunity. I grew up reading about the circus; this is amazing.”
In addition to his daring straitjacket escape, DaVinci serves as ringmaster and performs with eight birds, which include an African Grey, a Blue Throated Macaw, Rose Breasted Cockatoos and Camelot Macaws.
read more at:
http://www.macon.com/2011/01/07/1399507/an-amazing-experience-davincis.html#ixzz1ALYzWyj2

Circus act's smoking raises health and safety alarm (but the fire-eating is fine)

Circus of Horrors says officials had concerns over performer who fires bow and arrow with her feet – because of her smoking

Handy with her feet ... the Corn Exchange said the circus performers were not banned from smoking. Photograph: Circus of Horrors
Mark Brown, arts correspondent guardian.co.uk, Thursday 6 January 2011 Fire-eating is fine. As is walking barefoot up a ladder of swords and swallowing a revolving electric drill. And – while it may not be to everyone's taste – there should be no problems with a dwarf dragging a genitally attached vacuum cleaner round the stage.
But a contorted performer smoking a cigarette while firing a bow and arrow with her feet is causing something of a headache for a touring circus company.
The Circus of Horrors, which began life at Glastonbury 15 years ago, said today it was locked in a battle with officials at the Corn Exhange, in King's Lynn, after being asked to provide a risk assessment for performers smoking on stage in order that an exemption could be sought from the council's health and safety and licensing departments.
read more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2011/jan/06/circus-horrors-smoking-corn-exchange

Pima County Fair celebrates its 100th year

Jan 6, 2011, from KVOA.com
TUCSON - The Pima County Fair is celebrating 100 years of fairs in Tucson - and they're looking for your memories, photos and memorabilia to share with fair-goers.
From April 14 to 24, the Pima County Fail will be holding its Centennial Celebration - 100 years of fairs in Pima County, dating back to Elysian Grove on October 25, 1911.
Organizers for the fair are asking people to share their memories, photos and fair memorabilia, to be displayed at the official Centennial Exhibit during the fair. Loaned items will be returned to their owners after the 2011 fair is over, and submitters of selected items will get two free passes to the fair and a free parking pass.
Selected written memories will be published in the Pima County Fair History book, which will be on display at the Centennial Exhibit.
Selected submitters will receive a complimentary general admission pass to the fair.
The deadline to submit memorabilia, photos and memories is March 1. Call Merilee at 762-9100 for more information, or email your written submission and include "Fair Memories" in the subject line to Office@Pimacountyfair.com as an attachment or a PDF. Please include your first and lastname, address and phone number in the general body of your email.

Cirque du Soleil's 'Totem' astounds the senses.

REVIEWS JANUARY 7, 2011.

'Totem' Should Top the Polls

By PAUL LEVY LONDON—Since 1984 the French-Canadian "Cirque du Soleil" has dazzled audiences all over the world with its classy take on traditional circus skills, minus the animal acts. Its current show, "Totem," written and directed by the avant-garde Canadian Robert Lepage is almost beyond praise, and certainly defies description.
It would need thousands of words to begin to detail the act involving five Chinese girls riding stilt-high unicycles, who do amazing things involving light metal bowls of various sizes carried on their heads. While they pedal with one foot, the other one kicks the bowls, sometimes backwards, into the air. The website (which I'd consult before seeing the show) explains: "The abundance of fall is represented by the harvest colours and details of the costumes as five unicyclists juggle metal bowls in an astounding display of agility, balance, synchronized control and physical grace, tossing the bowls with their feet—sometimes over their shoulders—and catching them on their heads without using their hands."

Tribal "Native Americans" manipulate hoops in mind-boggling combinations.
It would need thousands of words to begin to detail the act involving five Chinese girls riding stilt-high unicycles, who do amazing things involving light metal bowls of various sizes carried on their heads. While they pedal with one foot, the other one kicks the bowls, sometimes backwards, into the air. The website (which I'd consult before seeing the show) explains: "The abundance of fall is represented by the harvest colours and details of the costumes as five unicyclists juggle metal bowls in an astounding display of agility, balance, synchronized control and physical grace, tossing the bowls with their feet—sometimes over their shoulders—and catching them on their heads without using their hands."
And this tells you nothing about Kym Barrett's costumes or Nathalie J. Simard's astonishingly elaborate makeup. Says the small print of the website: "Each unicyclist has her own look, but together they form an integrated unit. The base costumes are printed in earth tones, with small details sewn onto them—including bolts and screws as well as feathers and insects. The line of the costumes and the stylized tutus create flirty ballerina silhouettes."
read more at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703909904576052082546141002.html

The 2011 Mizpah Shrine Circus will be held January 27-30 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana. For tickets and information, contact 260-422-7122 or visit www.mizpahcircus.com

MASSEY CIRCUS FESTIVAL

The 19th edition of Massy International Circus Festival will be held from January 13th to 16th, 2011.The most intense circus festival in the world and the most important in France.VISIT: http://www.massy-circusfestival.com/

ORANGE ALLIGATOR?

FROM: SCOTT BUNDY--

Click on article to enlarge and read!

CIRCUS FLORA--THE FLOATING PALACE, ST LOUIS

Circus Flora teams up with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra

BY CALVIN WILSON • calvinwilson@post-dispatch.com • www.STLtoday.com Thursday,January 6, 2011
It's not unusual for Circus Flora to perform under the Big Top not far from Powell Symphony Hall. But this weekend, the acrobats, jugglers and high-wire walkers will take the magic inside the classical music venue — to the accompaniment of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
"The Floating Palace" marks Circus Flora's 25th anniversary. The show, which takes its name from a riverboat that toured the Mississippi River in the 1850s, is the first collaboration between the circus and the symphony.
"It's an honor to us," says Ivor David Balding, artistic director and producer of Circus Flora. "We like to think of ourselves as a beloved St. Louis institution, but we know the symphony is one. It's also, to be honest, nice to get out of the parking lot and into the building."
The show is part of the Live at Powell Hall series. Fred Bronstein, president and CEO of the SLSO, says the series aims to "present different kinds of programs, a little more popularly oriented, reaching different kinds of audiences."
Collaborating with Circus Flora was a natural.
"We thought it would be particularly interesting to design a special show," Bronstein says. "There have been a couple of (SLSO) shows with some circus elements incorporated. But nothing to this extent."
Fans of Circus Flora shouldn't be disappointed by the array of acts, Balding says, or the narrative involving pirates, spies and romance. But don't expect any whinnying.
"We can't have any horses galloping on the stage," Balding says with a laugh. "And I love to do shows with horses. But we do have a very funny dog act, as well as some of the best aerial acts in the country."
The St. Louis Arches, a troupe of young acrobats, will play stowaways on the boat. The real Floating Palace, he says, "was extremely elegant, with about 2,500 seats. It had a full circus ring in it."
Creating a circus atmosphere in Powell poses a few challenges, Bronstein says.
"We had to figure out, 'What's going to work in this hall, what can actually be done?'" he says. "There'll be high-wire acts above the audience, but we brought in a structural engineer to make sure all of that stuff could be rigged properly."
While being family-oriented, Bronstein says, "The Floating Palace" also will allow the symphony orchestra to perform classical favorites.
"We've got some Copland, we've got some music from 'Peer Gynt,' a little bit of Sibelius — it's a wide range," he says. "But most of it will be very recognizable to people."

Cirque reinvents the circus experience

'Alegria' coming to Broomfield's 1stBank Center Jan. 19-23

MAGICAL PEFORMANCE: ?A scene from Cirque du Soleil s Alegria, which comes to the 1stBank Center Jan. 19-23. Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil ( danieldesmarais.com )

By Dylan Otto Krider Enterprise Staff Writer

01/06/2011
Cirque du Soleil is about as much a circus as Penn and Teller are about pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Its stylish show is a complete re-imagining of the circus, as if the creators simply scrapped everything people thought they knew about the circus and re-built it from the ground up. Some of the elements that have kept the circus around this long remain, but whatever genetics Cirque shares with Barnum & Bailey are barely recognizable. Cirque du Soleil has evolved into an entirely different species. More than 25 years after a couple of street performers founded the Canadian company, Cirque still manages to instill in audiences the sense of something they`ve never seen before.
"Ninety-nine percent of the audience walks away saying two things: 'I`ve never seen anything like that before,` and 'Where did they find those people?," said Tim Smith, artistic director of one of Cirque`s most successful and longest running shows, "Alegria," which comes to the 1stBank Center in Broomfield on Jan. 19.

HOT SHOW COMING TO TOWN: A scene from Cirque du Soleil s Alegria, which comes to the 1stBank Center Jan. 19-23. Photo courtesy of Cirque du Soleil ( danieldesmarais.com )

The performers are pulled from acrobatic and circus groups from around the world: French street performers, Chinese acrobats and Russian gymnasts. Having run Broadway shows for 15 years, Cirque is a bit different from what Smith is used to.
"When I run a meeting, I`m translated into two or three languages," he said.
One of the ways Cirque du Soleil has managed to stay fresh and relevant is it is constantly creating. Smith said founders Guy Laliberté and Daniel Gauthier, always had their ear to the
ground for fads and waves of the future, which they bring to audiences years in advance, while a lot of entertainment companies that stumble on a successful formula concentrate on keeping and maintaining it. "It`s nice for artists to get a position like that," said Smith, who joined the production eight months ago.
"Alegria" (meaning jubilation in Spanish) continues to change as well. Rather than the enigmatic travelling big top, "Alegria" has been converted into an arena show that can now perform in places like the 1stBank Center.
"It looks exactly the same, only redesigned to move faster, so people in Witchita can see it," Smith said.
"Alegria" artistic assistant, Sheryl-Lynne Valensky, told the Houston Press the show was partly inspired by the creation of the Internet.
"The explosion of change and the opportunity to do things in a new way inspired us to come up with the concept. Like the Internet knows no bounds, the same is the case with Cirque Du Soleil 'Alegria.` You never know what to expect when you step into our world."
The theme, fittingly, regards the old guard making room for the new. The Nostalgic Old Birds who reside in the castle are empty shells who admire their reflections in empty mirror frames. The Bronx are the young rebels who are out to overthrow the old order.
This circus has clowns, but not like any people are accustomed to seeing. Even the trapeze act is taken to another level, including the same death-defying feats, but choreographed into a dance. The show features, contemporary costumes, sets like something seen on the Great White Way and the kind of lighting one expects to find at a rock concert.
"It looks like and smells like the circus, but it`s definitely not," Smith said.

FROM NEW ZEALAND

Run Away With The Circus

The Timaru Herald
LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU:

Circus Aotearoa are preparing to wow audiences at Caroline Bay.
The cast of Circus Aotearoa are ready to entertain at Caroline Bay with daily shows at 11am and 4pm until Sunday.
The Raglan-based troupe present an entirely animal-free circus.
The human-based performances showcase superb Circo Arts Christchurch-trained talents.
The cast includes David D. Deville, Beck Finn, Michael Wizowski, Nick Steward, Artemis Goed, Mac Islas, Shelley Dingwall, Irene Goed, Matthias Goed, Briar Seyb-Hayden and Damian Gordon.
FROM:http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/4512001/Run-Away-With-The-Circus

Ticket deal offered for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus

By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

WRAL-TV RALEIGH, NC
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus is returning to the RBC Center in Raleigh next month during its 200th anniversary celebration. And I wanted to share a discount code for some of the shows.
The circus will be here Wednesday, Feb. 9, to Sunday, Feb. 13. You can score tickets in the $15 and $23 price levels for $12 (plus the usual fees) using the code MBLOG11. It's good for the Thursday night show and both shows on Sunday. It worked the last time I checked.
Click here for details on the show. Once you choose the show you want to go to and click "buy tickets," be sure to enter the code where it says "enter offer code/password" under the blue bar.
And just to tease ... we'll be having a little contest for circus tickets shortly. So stay tuned.

CIRCUS VARGAS 1975 PROGRAM

CIRCUS VARGAS 1975 PROGRAM

CIRCUS VARGAS 1975 PROGRAM

CIRCUS FLORA

NEW "BATMAN" ARENA SHOW

A model of a set from "Batman Live"

The Telegraph provides the first glimpse of what the sets will look like for Batman Live, the big-budget arena show that kicks off this summer in the United Kingdom.
Officially announced in November, the multimillion-dollar production, which naturally draws comparisons to the troubled Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, will pit Batman and Robin against such villains as the Joker, Catwoman, the Riddler, Penguin, Two-Face and Harley Quinn. But at the story’s core is Dick Grayson’s transformation from traumatized orphan to Boy Wonder, and how Batman relates to his new sidekick.

A model of a set from "Batman Live"
As you can see above and after the break, the newspaper has photos of models of a Joker hot-air balloon, the 100-feet by 60-feet performance area backed by a giant video screen, and the Flying Graysons circus set. (According to the article, “there will be an onstage disaster with a hot-air balloon and a Joker face whose eyes, teeth and hair are made up of dozens of dancers.”) The show also will recreate such Gotham City locations as Wayne Manor, the Batcave and Arkham Asylum.

A model of the Flying Graysons circus set from "Batman Live"
Batman Live kicks off on July 20 in Manchester, then tours the U.K. through Oct. 8 before heading to Europe and then North America. FROM --http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2011/01/heres-what-the-multimillion-dollar-batman-live-arena-show-will-look-like/

Under the Big Top: Life in the Circus

Tuesday, 04 January 2011

Written 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

FROM: RICHARD REYNOLDS

HUNT BROS CIRCUS POSTERS 1958 SEASON

Circus to entertain needy children in the new year

12/31/2010
HO CHI MINH CITY--An elephant circus performance at HCMC Circus.

Free circus shows for needy and disabled children will take place in Ho Chi Minh City until January 2, 2011.
According to the organizer, Circus of HCMC, the shows will feature award-winning acts which won top prizes at circus competitions both in Vietnam and abroad.
The event is to include eight shows and expects to attract more than 25,000 people.
For more info on obtaining tickets, please contact Ms. Trang at (08) 3 925 5545 or 091 819 6685.

Lincoln Center riot

Punk-rock clowns go crazy

WHAT A CIRCUS! Fans go wild for Japanther last night before security had to shut down the Rock N' Roll Circus. "I thought I was going to die," a teen said.

By JAMIE SCHRAM and FRANK ROSARIO

January 4, 2011
Lincoln Center went lowbrow last night -- hosting a free punk-rock concert that turned into a mini-riot.
About 100 fans of the Brooklyn-based band Japanther rushed the stage during the Rock N' Roll Circus in Damrosch Park at 11:30 p.m., said the event's co-producer, Jessica Resler.
"People were crowd-surfing and jumping on each other. It was like, what the hell just happened?" Resler said.
A teenager who went to see her favorite band with two pals said she was scared to death.
"Oh, my God, it was crazy. I was off my feet for a whole minute. I thought I was going to die in there," said Jessica Schmidt, 18.
"I thought my friend was going to get trampled because he fell and hit his head pretty hard."
The event, which attracted more than 1,000 people, took place in the tent that normally houses the Big Apple Circus, which helped produce the event.
Circus security quickly responded, and within 20 minutes, threw out the clowns before anybody was seriously hurt or arrested.
Japanther played only three songs before the show was unceremoniously shut down.
Jim Roper, director of concessions, said everything had been mellow until Japanther's hardest-core fans arrived.
"It's not my job to be shoving around a bunch of crazy fans," he said.
"We put out the lights and stopped the show.
"But they wouldn't stop moshingRead more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/lincoln_center_riot_bXIf8JlJltGmcpTg20E5cI#ixzz1A3m6H7ec

Spring Hill, FL man says he'll live in lions' den for 30 days

screen grab of the live streaming video of a Spring Hill man living with lions at Wildlife Rehabilitation of Hernando.

Monday, 03 Jan 2011
SPRING HILL (AP) - A Spring Hill man says he's going to spend the next month living in a fenced enclosure with two African lions.
James Jablon hopes the stunt will raise money for his wildlife center, Wildlife Rehabilitation of Hernando.
Jablon entered the lions' den Saturday. He says he's going to sleep on hay near the lions named Lea and Ed and eat when they eat.
He says he's also going to build a place to sleep and hide in the trees in the enclosure, in case the lions fight with each other. His adventure is being streamed live online through January 31.
About 100 animals live at the center about 40 miles north of Tampa. It was started for native wildlife needing medical treatment, but Jablon says he's now being asked to provide homes for exotic pets.
WATCH HERE: www.ustream.tv/channel/living-in-the-lions-den-for-30-days ORwrohflorida.com/live-stream-qin-the-denq

Circus animals parade through Tampa today (MONDAY)

January 3, 2011

At 3 p.m. today , animals in The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will unload at the railroad tracks on the corner of Nuccio Parkway and N. Nebraska Avenue, next to Union Station, for their return to the St. Pete Times Forum to kick off Ringling Bros. Fully Charged! – the 141st edition of The Greatest Show On Earth.
They will walk west on Cass Street, turn south (left) on Morgan St., east (left) on Channelside Drive, in front of the Forum, turn south (right) on Old Water Street, and parade around the back of the arena to the Animal Open House.
This year’s round of big-top entertainment offers acts of daredevilry, superhuman stunts, never-seen-before performances in addition to the usual rubber-nosed dorks and the Human Fuse — the artist formerly known as the human cannonball. Ukrainian strongman duo of Dmitry Nadolinkskiy and Ruslan Gilmulin spin performers and telephone poles that weigh up to half a ton, and The Tian Ye Cheng Toupe performs high flying acrobatics. Beginning 90 minutes before show time, families can get up close to animal performers in the free Animal Open House, and one hour before the show, guests can join on the arena floor for the All Access Pre-show, free to all ticket holders. Show times are 7:30 p.m. with matinee shows Sat. and Sun. Prices range from $15 to $85. St. Pete Times Forum is at 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa.

Visit sptimesforum.com for details.

FROM THE U.K.

CIRCUS MOVIE POSTERS

Le Grande Cirque smashes Sydney box office records

From: Herald Sun

December 31, 2010
ITS 35 acts range from strong men to contortionists and ballerinas sourced from Brazil to Mongolia. In other words, Le Grand Cirque has something for everybody.
The famous circus, which twice broke box office records at the Sydney Opera House, last night had its premiere at Melbourne's Regent Theatre, kicking off a three-week season.
Le Grand Cirque, which made its debut in in South Carolina in 2004, is a combination of classic and innovative acrobatics.
The white-knuckle stunts are performed by an company hand-picked from around the globe.

Circus fun for the entire family

Le Grand Cirque is showing at the Regent Theatre. Picture: Chris Scott Source: Herald Sun

Stephanie Glickman

From: Herald Sun January 03, 2011

CIRCUS is a competitive business, so every company needs a selling point. Le Grand Cirque, an American-based outfit with a mostly Chinese cast, is going the family route.
The show has hearty lashings of clean entertainment that will appeal across ages. Amidst the sparkles and smiles is an overall high-level of acrobatic talent and technical rigour in traditional acts such as hoop diving and contortion. A few truly spectacular moments stand out - especially the rarely seen Wheel of Death routine that lives up to its ominous name.
But the abundance of large, unrelated group routines, with their crude classical music remixes and predictable formations, flatten out dramatic potential.
The few solo numbers, such as Australian Julian Aldag's magnificent aerial rope and Zhang Qiang's aerial straps routines, are standouts.
LE GRANDE CIRQUEWhere and when: The Regent Theatre, until January 23.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/arts/circus-fun-for-the-entire-family/story-fn7euh6j-1225980602480

Acclaimed animal show coming to Yuma

BY DARIN FENGER -
A former juggler with the Moscow Circus comes to town Jan. 7 with a troupe of comical critters that Jay Leno has called the funniest circus act he's ever seen.
Lots of people adopt stray cats and dogs from animal shelters, but only Gregory Popovich trains his beloved beasties to perform tricks worthy of careers in show biz. The World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater has been written up in People magazine, lauded by The New York Times and featured in more than 20 nations around the world.
But Popovich quickly declines taking credit for his animals' amazing talents. The proud papa instead points to animals' natural proclivity toward amusing stunts of physical and comical hijinks.
“I don't believe that I ‘train' the animals to do a certain trick or stunt. Instead, I teach the animals to perform on stage by allowing them to show off their individual personalities and talents.
“Just like people, every pet has a special quirky little thing they like to do. This thing, or trait, allows the pet to show a unique part of his/her personality to their owner. This is what makes them who they are.”
Local animal lovers will see exactly what Popovich is talking about when the World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater performs in Yuma on Jan. 7. There will be a shorter matinee performance at 2 p.m. and a full-length performance at 7 p.m.
The performances are part of a larger event called Petsapalooza, a celebration of animals planned for Jan. 7-9 along Main Street.
World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is based in Las Vegas and features 25 “furry family members,” along with Popovich's wife, Izolda, and daughter, Anastasia. But the animal cast doesn't stop at cats and dogs. The show includes everything from geese and ferrets to white mice.
Sunset Magazine has called the show the Best Family Attraction in Las Vegas.

read more at:http://www.yumasun.com/articles/popovich-66338-circus-pet.html

The Great Bombay Circus packs in loads of fun for its guests

Trapeze artists performing at the Great Bombay Circus in Coimbatore. Photos: K. Ananthan

Elephants trundle and horses canter, camels trot about, their long necks wobbling, green-winged macaws and African grey parrots sing loud and proud. Joining this motley crew are clowns, acrobats, trapezists, hoopers, jugglers and more – sounds familiar? The Great Bombay Circus is here in town! Returning to the city after a five year gap, the big top has been pitched at Shastri Maidan, R.S Puram this time around.
If you thought television and internet have driven this travelling company of performers to extinction, think again. They only seem to be getting better and better. Though they've thrown in an act here and an act there to keep apace with the changing times, the Great Bombay Circus is traditional in every sense. The flying trapezists, the tube juggling Russians, the smiling girls with hula hoops, the jocund clown who catches your eye are all intact, so are the obedient dogs and the fluid acrobats.
An artist performing at the Great Bombay Circus in Coimbatore. Photos: K. Ananthan
Nostalgia
The show is bound to take you back in time when you walked in grasping your father's hand tight expecting a rogue lion to pounce on you any second! There are no lions here, mind you – just the cricket-loving elephant who can hit the ball higher than the Master Blaster himself! The African acrobats act is a new addition and the bouncy Safari, Joshua, Issac, Juma and Richard steal the show with their charm and agility.
The girls are not far behind – if the roller balance and Russian sari balance acts push you to the edge of the seat, the hoop dancing act and the cycle acrobats let you sit back and smile.
Subhash, the only cycle acrobat in India to have mastered the pocket cycle act, rides the midget vehicle balancing two people on his shoulders.
This man is incredible – “I rode it first at a show in 1996,” he says. “Practised for three days with the help of videos of foreign artists.”
The clowns enter the ring now and then, and when they do, it's the kids who are in splits. The tent reverberates with their laughter – how do these clowns do it?

MAN, ANIMAL AND MERRY MAKING At The Great Bombay Circus. Photos: K. Ananthan

The favourite act
But suddenly, they all disappear, leaving the ring desolate. And then it starts – at first a low rumble that rises to a deafening vroom. The gutsy bikers inside the motorcycle cage ball shoot inside it like bullets. This act still remains the favourite of young men the world over. So much so that even after the act is over and the spotlight shifts, you can see a lot of heads straining to get a load of the biker-heroes. The pyramid juggling act and the hanging acrobat act are two of my favourites. While the former elicits a lot of oohs and aahs from the crowd, the latter makes you wonder if the acrobats actually have rubber limbs! These artists never fail to impress. With practised perfection and a cool as a cucumber face, they simply glide across the ring. Are they ever afraid? “Only during the opening day” admits Subhash. “Once I get used to the ring, I'm fine.”
“Our circus is a miniature India by itself” says instructor Balachandran. We have artists from all over the country – Gujarat, Nepal, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, you name it.”
For most of the performers who visit their families only once or twice a year, the circus is more than a mere workplace.
For clowns Pappu, Hari, Mustafa, Bagva, Brij Kishore and Tulsi Das “Circus is family.” “It's tough to make people laugh” says Hari. “But when they do, the satisfaction I get it indescribable.” Tulsi Das, the senior most clown has been with the troupe for 50 years. In broken English he says, “People happy, I am happy.”

from:http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/leisure/article520564.ece