New season, new acts: Circus World ready to entertain
Eddie Monserrate performs on the Wheel of Destiny. The 32-foot spinning contraption is a new part of the Circus World performer’s act this summer
by By Annie Getsinger, News Republic
from: wiscnews.com
May 18, 2013
Jumping rope is hard enough for some people. Eddie Monserrate does it while balancing on a spinning steel cage high above the ground.
The perilous feat is all in a day’s work for Monserrate. He and dozens of performers, workers and volunteers are ready for the start of Circus World Museum’s summer season, which opens Saturday.
Circus World, a 54-year fixture in the community, will put on 10 live shows daily, including a big top show featuring unicyclists, clowns, monkeys, dogs, an elephant, a singing ringmaster and a contortionist — Kevin the human pretzel.
Harold Burdick’s handshake would seem to suggest he is the circus’ strongman, but that’s not his official title. The wagons and facilities superintendent, who goes by “Heavy,” was busy this week getting all areas ready for the public.
Burdick, who has been with Circus World for nearly 40 years, said the process wouldn’t go smoothly without his dedicated crew of maintenance workers and volunteers, who have been hard at work washing wagons, sweeping floors, mowing the grass and putting up fencing around performer areas.
“I’m not an ‘I’ guy,” Burdick said. “I’m a ‘we’ guy.
Eddie Monserrate performs on the Wheel of Destiny. The 32-foot spinning contraption is a new part of the Circus World performer’s act this summer
by By Annie Getsinger, News Republic
from: wiscnews.com
May 18, 2013
Jumping rope is hard enough for some people. Eddie Monserrate does it while balancing on a spinning steel cage high above the ground.
The perilous feat is all in a day’s work for Monserrate. He and dozens of performers, workers and volunteers are ready for the start of Circus World Museum’s summer season, which opens Saturday.
Circus World, a 54-year fixture in the community, will put on 10 live shows daily, including a big top show featuring unicyclists, clowns, monkeys, dogs, an elephant, a singing ringmaster and a contortionist — Kevin the human pretzel.
Harold Burdick’s handshake would seem to suggest he is the circus’ strongman, but that’s not his official title. The wagons and facilities superintendent, who goes by “Heavy,” was busy this week getting all areas ready for the public.
Burdick, who has been with Circus World for nearly 40 years, said the process wouldn’t go smoothly without his dedicated crew of maintenance workers and volunteers, who have been hard at work washing wagons, sweeping floors, mowing the grass and putting up fencing around performer areas.
“I’m not an ‘I’ guy,” Burdick said. “I’m a ‘we’ guy.
Monserrate, who hails from Sarasota, Fla., said his Wheel of Destiny thrill act, in which he balances inside and atop a spinning, 32-foot contraption, is new for this year’s show season.
“It’s like a big exercise treadmill type of thing,” he said, adding that he was intimidated at first by the height, openness and the element of danger involved.
He climbs in and out of the cage atop the Wheel of Destiny, jumping rope, balancing and even donning a blindfold.
“You just have to practice, practice, practice, practice,” Monserrate said. “ ... The whole part is to just black that out and just concentrate on what you have to do.”
He said he looks forward to getting the season started.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “ … I want everybody to just come and see the whole park.”
Monserrate’s wife, Jaheida, and kids, Joseph, 13, and Grace, 10, assist with the act and also are involved in the Kids’ World Interactive Circus and the Circus Skills Adventure.
Illusionist Tristan Crist is in his eighth season at Circus World. His magic theater, across from the museum’s wagon pavilion, was constructed before last season.
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