A LITTLE HUMOR ON A SNOWY DAY!
From Hartland Smith
Charity circus set for 3 shows Saturday under big top
Look out Ringling Brothers. There's another circus in town.
Showmen's Charity big top circus is Saturday in Gibsonton
By Kim Wilmath, Times Staff Writer
By Kim Wilmath, Times Staff Writer
Friday, January 7, 2011
The Showmen's Charity is hosting its own big top show Saturday at the International Independent Showmen's Association grounds, 6925 Riverview Drive.
Expect performances by clowns, dogs, horses, elephants, jugglers, aerialists, contortionists and a live 16-piece circus band — plus a midway with fun bounces, animal rides, a petting zoo and what's billed as the world's largest model circus display.
"There's nothing like an old-time circus under a tent," said event spokesman C.M. Christ. "It's a very intimate circus."
He said the annual show has been taking place for almost 30 years.
"It's a tradition," Christ said. "Grandparents take their grandkids, parents take their kids, to experience an indigenous American art form that's just vanishing into the horizon."
Three shows, each seating 1,200 people, are scheduled for 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The midway opens an hour before each show.
Tickets cost $12 at the door. Advance tickets cost $10 and can be bought at M&M Printing Co. and the Osprey Observer in Ruskin, Paradise Pet Salon Boutique in Riverview and at the Showmen's Club in Gibsonton. Proceeds go to charity.
Expect performances by clowns, dogs, horses, elephants, jugglers, aerialists, contortionists and a live 16-piece circus band — plus a midway with fun bounces, animal rides, a petting zoo and what's billed as the world's largest model circus display.
"There's nothing like an old-time circus under a tent," said event spokesman C.M. Christ. "It's a very intimate circus."
He said the annual show has been taking place for almost 30 years.
"It's a tradition," Christ said. "Grandparents take their grandkids, parents take their kids, to experience an indigenous American art form that's just vanishing into the horizon."
Three shows, each seating 1,200 people, are scheduled for 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The midway opens an hour before each show.
Tickets cost $12 at the door. Advance tickets cost $10 and can be bought at M&M Printing Co. and the Osprey Observer in Ruskin, Paradise Pet Salon Boutique in Riverview and at the Showmen's Club in Gibsonton. Proceeds go to charity.
From The St Petersburg, FL TIMES
RINGLING ADVANCE CLOWNS GO TO SCHOOL
Friday, January 07, 2011 By Tamika Moore -- The Birmingham News Follow Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clowns Todd Zimmerman, left, and Kirk Marsh, right, answer questions at Wilson Elementary for a Clown Camp with 1st grade, Kindergarten and Pre-K students, Friday, January 7, 2011. The students got an opportunity to learn all about what it takes to be a Ringling clown. They showed students the tricks of the trade. (The Birmingham News / Tamika Moore)
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clowns Kirk Marsh,left, and Todd Zimmerman teach Wilson Elementary student Re'Onna Merrill how to spin plates during a Clown Camp 1st grade, Kindergarten and Pre-K students, Friday, January 7, 2011. The students got an opportunity to learn all about what it takes to be a Ringling clown. They showed students the tricks of the trade. (The Birmingham News / Tamika Moore)
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clowns Kirk Marsh and Todd Zimmerman at Wilson Elementary for a Clown Camp with . 1st grade, Kindergarten and Pre-K students, Friday, January 7, 2011. The students got an opportunity to learn all about what it takes to be a Ringling clown. They showed students the tricks of the trade. (The Birmingham News / Tamika Moore)
Fellow Wilson elementary students try on clown noses at a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown Camp with clowns Kirk Marsh and Todd Zimmerman. Students in the 1st grade, Kindergarten and Pre-K, were entertained by the clowns, Friday, January 7, 2011. The students got an opportunity to learn all about what it takes to be a Ringling clown. They showed students the tricks of the trade. (The Birmingham News / Tamika Moore)
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clowns Kirk Marsh,left, and Todd Zimmerman teach Wilson Elementary student Re'Onna Merrill how to spin plates during a Clown Camp 1st grade, Kindergarten and Pre-K students, Friday, January 7, 2011. The students got an opportunity to learn all about what it takes to be a Ringling clown. They showed students the tricks of the trade. (The Birmingham News / Tamika Moore)
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus clowns Kirk Marsh and Todd Zimmerman at Wilson Elementary for a Clown Camp with . 1st grade, Kindergarten and Pre-K students, Friday, January 7, 2011. The students got an opportunity to learn all about what it takes to be a Ringling clown. They showed students the tricks of the trade. (The Birmingham News / Tamika Moore)
Fellow Wilson elementary students try on clown noses at a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown Camp with clowns Kirk Marsh and Todd Zimmerman. Students in the 1st grade, Kindergarten and Pre-K, were entertained by the clowns, Friday, January 7, 2011. The students got an opportunity to learn all about what it takes to be a Ringling clown. They showed students the tricks of the trade. (The Birmingham News / Tamika Moore)Cirque du Soleil brings its amazing gravity-defying feats to Van Andel Arena this month
Curtains: A performance from "Dralion." Friday, January 07, 2011
By Sheila McGrath Advance Newspapers
If your idea of a circus involves tired-looking clowns in greasepaint and wigs, prepare to be amazed by Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion, which comes to Grand Rapids for eight performances January 12—16.
Dancers perform acrobatics while juggling. Acrobats skip rope while juggling other acrobats. In all, the show features more than fifty performers stretching the notions of what the human body is capable.
Cirque du Soleil began as a group of twenty performers from Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, that roamed the streets on stilts, juggling, dancing, and breathing fire. Since its beginning in 1984, the organization has grown into a business employing 5,000 employees with twenty-one different shows traveling around the world simultaneously.
Vladik Miagkostoupov, a juggler with Dralion, first saw a Cirque du Soleil show when he was seven or eight years old. He was so entranced by the production he decided then and there it was what he wanted to do. Since his parents were both entertainers with the Moscow Circus and had been training him in dancing and acrobatics from the age of four, it wasn’t an impossible dream.
“I really liked the music, the lighting, the costumes—everything was just so different. Before that show, there was nothing like it,” he said.
He joined Cirque du Soleil in 2003 in a production of Solstrom, and joined the Dralion tour in 2006.
Dralion premiered in Montreal in 1999 and has been seen by more than seven million people around the world. Its name derives from the combination of dragon, representing the East, and lion, representing the West. The musical score, performed live by six musicians and two singers, combines classic Indian melodies with the sounds of Andalusia, Africa, and Central and Western Europe.
The theme of Dralion draws on Eastern philosophy and its quest for harmony between humans and nature.
But that’s really beside the point. The story hardly matters, it’s just a backdrop for letting the performers defy the laws of gravity in all sorts of amazing and entertaining ways.
In addition to the jugglers and rope-skippers, Dralion incorporates aerialists on trampolines, an acrobat who performs on towers of stacked chairs, an aerial hoop act, an intertwined couple flying over the stage in an aerial pas de deux, men balancing on bamboo poles, a hand-balancer, and a hoop-diving troupe. And, of course, clowns. But not of the greasepaint-and-wig variety.
Cirque du Soleil's "Dralion" will take the stage at Van Andel Arena at 7:30 p.m. January 12-15, 3::30 p.m. Janaury 14 and 15, and 1 and 5 p.m. Janaury 16. Tickets range from $80-$35/adults and $65-$28/children 12 and under. Premium seats also are available. Visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/drailon or call 800/745-3000. the Van Andel Arena is located at 130 W. Fulton St
If your idea of a circus involves tired-looking clowns in greasepaint and wigs, prepare to be amazed by Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion, which comes to Grand Rapids for eight performances January 12—16.
Dancers perform acrobatics while juggling. Acrobats skip rope while juggling other acrobats. In all, the show features more than fifty performers stretching the notions of what the human body is capable.
Cirque du Soleil began as a group of twenty performers from Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, that roamed the streets on stilts, juggling, dancing, and breathing fire. Since its beginning in 1984, the organization has grown into a business employing 5,000 employees with twenty-one different shows traveling around the world simultaneously.
Vladik Miagkostoupov, a juggler with Dralion, first saw a Cirque du Soleil show when he was seven or eight years old. He was so entranced by the production he decided then and there it was what he wanted to do. Since his parents were both entertainers with the Moscow Circus and had been training him in dancing and acrobatics from the age of four, it wasn’t an impossible dream.
“I really liked the music, the lighting, the costumes—everything was just so different. Before that show, there was nothing like it,” he said.
He joined Cirque du Soleil in 2003 in a production of Solstrom, and joined the Dralion tour in 2006.
Dralion premiered in Montreal in 1999 and has been seen by more than seven million people around the world. Its name derives from the combination of dragon, representing the East, and lion, representing the West. The musical score, performed live by six musicians and two singers, combines classic Indian melodies with the sounds of Andalusia, Africa, and Central and Western Europe.
The theme of Dralion draws on Eastern philosophy and its quest for harmony between humans and nature.
But that’s really beside the point. The story hardly matters, it’s just a backdrop for letting the performers defy the laws of gravity in all sorts of amazing and entertaining ways.
In addition to the jugglers and rope-skippers, Dralion incorporates aerialists on trampolines, an acrobat who performs on towers of stacked chairs, an aerial hoop act, an intertwined couple flying over the stage in an aerial pas de deux, men balancing on bamboo poles, a hand-balancer, and a hoop-diving troupe. And, of course, clowns. But not of the greasepaint-and-wig variety.
Cirque du Soleil's "Dralion" will take the stage at Van Andel Arena at 7:30 p.m. January 12-15, 3::30 p.m. Janaury 14 and 15, and 1 and 5 p.m. Janaury 16. Tickets range from $80-$35/adults and $65-$28/children 12 and under. Premium seats also are available. Visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/drailon or call 800/745-3000. the Van Andel Arena is located at 130 W. Fulton St
Friday, January 7, 2011
Harriet Albina Say had passion for wild animal circus acts
She started with her father's circus, built act with her husband.
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.
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/
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 HorrorsMark 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.comTUCSON - 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
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
Thursday, January 6, 2011
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/
Circus Flora teams up with St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
BY CALVIN WILSON • calvinwilson@post-dispatch.com • www.STLtoday.com Thursday,January 6, 2011It'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.
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.
"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:
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
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
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/
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 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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
