THE BALLOON MAN

CLOWNING MOMENT: Tegge's show a culmination of 50 years of mirth



Tim Tegge applies his clown face outside his Baraboo home Monday. Although the process normally takes 1/2 hour, Tegge will try to complete it in a matter of minutes on stage during his show Friday at the Al. Ringling Theatre.
BY   By Tim Damos, News Republic
from: wiscnews.com
Baraboo News Republic
June 12, 2012
Tim Tegge is a clown on a mission.
After 50 years dishing out laughs on circus tours, he finally has gotten a show of his own. And he hopes to make it go the distance.
Clown Around — a collage of routines that includes audience participation-based comedy and a revival of the “Victorian clown” — will make its debut Friday night at the Al. Ringling Theatre in Baraboo.

Tegge wants to take people back to the days when clown performances were more intimate, before they moved to large venues and used more silent, prop-based, comedy. In those days, the clowns talked more and even told jokes.
“My passion for clowning and for circus history got me thinking it was time to take a step or two back,” Tegge said. “It was time to revive — if not just for pleasure’s sake — that classic Victorian clown.”
The show not only gives the audience a glimpse at a historic form of clowning seldom seen anymore, it provides a behind-the-scenes look at the classic art form.
During the first portion of Tegge’s show, he transforms on stage from ordinary man to clown. The process typically takes a half-hour, but Tegge has whittled it down to a 7-minute segment that includes unexpected twists.

 

Although there will be plenty of laughs for children, most of the humor in Clown Around is geared toward adults, Tegge said.
The show will feature Baraboo teen performer and juggler Mercury McCarthy, who recently served as Tegge’s assistant in a magic show that toured the Midwest for two weeks with the Jose Cole International Circus.
Also featured will be Andrew and Lynette Baerlocher of Baraboo, who will debut their magic routine.
Tegge said he has a passion for helping others realize their performance dreams.
“It’s very infectious,” Tegge said, adding that his goal is to take the Clown Around show on tour. “It can bite you, and if it does, you start looking to chase circuses. You become very intrigued by it.”
Al. Ringling Theatre Executive Director Brian Heller said he’s excited about the one-night-only performance.
“It sort of harkens back to the early days in the theater when Vaudeville was around,” Heller said. “It’s sort of reminiscent of that era.”
Send email to tdamos@capitalnewspapers.com.