THE BALLOON MAN

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey ZING, ZANG, ZOOM
Where: Consol Energy Center

Mr. Gravity, center, and his band of "Heavies" perform in Zing Zang Zoom.

Pittsburgh, PA, Oct. 31, 2010
Tweedy, a Ringling Bros. circus clown, had to pause for a moment to remember where he was calling from.
Originally from Scotland, he is in the second year of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey ZING, ZANG, ZOOM tour. Tweedy, aka Alan Digweed, has traveled to every major American city and many smaller ones on the 59-car Ringling Bros. circus train.

After a few seconds, he remembered where he was: Bridgeport, Conn.

Starting Wednesday, Tweedy and the rest of the circus -- 97 performers, nine Asian elephants, 15 horses, 13 tigers and five zebras -- will be at Pittsburgh's Consol Energy Center, whether they know it or not. It's billed as "The Greatest Show on Earth."

"There's no show that's been going on as long as this one," Mr. Digweed said. "It's a great privilege."

Tweedy the clown wears a black bowler hat and has bright red bangs, but even among the cavalcade of clowns on the circus floor, it won't be difficult to pick him out. As Mr. Gravity, he's one of the central characters in ZING ZANG ZOOM.

"I'm the mischievous one in the show that causes trouble throughout," Mr. Digweed said.

During the two-hour show, magical Zingmaster Alex, his assistant Levitytia and other performers defy gravity in high-flying fashion, while Mr. Gravity and his team of Heavies try to bring everyone down. Mr. Digweed said his favorite part of the show is when he is turned into a tiger.

"I'm still trying to figure it out myself," he said.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10305/1099302-51.stm#ixzz141jVcIbA