POPOVICH

A circus for rescued cats and dogs at Kent Tusc


By Dan Kane, staff writer
from: CantonRep.com
Mar 08, 2013
With a prominent Russian accent, Gregory Popovich recounted the simple origins of his Comedy Pet Theater.
“I start with one kitty, one puppy,” he said. “Every year keep visiting to shelter, pick up one or two kitty and puppy. Now more than 30 pets in our show.”
Not only have Popovich’s canine and feline companions been rescued from uncertain fates in shelters, they’ve also found showbiz prominence.
 Headquartered most of the year at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater has toured across the U.S. and internationally. On March 20, the show will be presented at the Performing Arts Center at Kent State University Tuscarawas in New Philadelphia.

Popovich’s performing animals have been featured on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” the Animal Planet network and an Arm & Hammer Carpet Cleaner commercial.
 Judging from a promo video, the show is action-packed and very funny, with cats, dogs, geese, a parrot and even white mice in all sorts of antics.

 

“The cats and mice are working together — but only on stage,” Popovich noted in a telephone interview. “In real life, everybody has private place. We have big custom-made trailer.”
read more:
http://www.cantonrep.com/topstories/x1959351984/A-circus-for-rescued-cats-and-dogs-at-Kent-Tusc

RETRONAUT

~~BACK IN THE DAY~~


1953 : President Dwight D Eisenhower Lassoed during his Inauguration
from: Retronaut.com

1950's
 

 

1957 : Miss Atomic Bomb
from:  Retronaut.com

SHRINE CIRCUS

Moolah Shrine Circus Parade takes to the streets Saturday

 

from:  newsmagazinenetwork.com
03/08/13
St Charles, MO--The 2013 circus season is about to kick off with the Shrine Circus Parade in historic St. Charles.
 The parade will start at noon, Saturday, March 9, as police move out on the parade route, heading south on N. Riverside Drive and ending at the parking area for Lewis and Clark Boat House and Nature Center at Boonslick Road. The parade promises to have more than 100 parade units from two states.
 The parade is a prelude to the 71st annual St. Louis Moolah Shrine Circus. The circus will be held from March 21 through March 24 at the Family Arena located at 2002 Arena Parkway in St. Charles. Show times include 7 p.m. on Thurs., March 21; 7:30 p.m. on Fri., March 22; 10 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Sat., March 23; and 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Sun., March 24.
 Before, during intermission, and after the show, visitors will have a chance to ride an elephant, ride a pony, take a picture with a white tiger or 15-foot-long snake, or ride the children’s train. There will be a bounce house and face painting by the famous Moolah Clowns.
 Tickets cost $12 for general admission, $17 for reserved, $27 for VIP, and $35 for executive VIP. A $3 facility fee will be added to all ticket prices. For more information, call 314-878-6301.

Magic Meets Mystery in Temecula with Circus Vargas’ ‘Magikaria’
Circus Vargas will run for four days in Temecula.

 

Circus Vargas is coming to Milpitas Aug. 30.
Credit Courtesy of Circus Vargas
from: temecula.patch.com
By Christine Domingo
March 8, 2013
Temecula, CA--What happens when you combine magic, mystery and music? You get Circus Vargas’ latest show Magikaria.
The live musical production will showcase illusions, death-defying stunts and the art of acrobatics and aerial silks.
Magikaria will take the audience on a fantastical journey where magic meets mystery.
The show will kickoff at at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday April 4 at The Promenade and will run through April 8. Show times vary per day.
Meet and mingle with the cast for an interactive experience 30 minutes prior to showtime.
Tickets prices range from $20 to $65.
For more information and to purchase tickets, circusvargas.com.

CASPER: Carson & Barnes Circus

  

from: trib.com
(Casper, WY, Star-Tribune Online)
March 8, 2013
The Bar Nunn Fire Department presents the Carson & Barnes Circus, coming to the Casper Events Center in May. Tickets go on sale today.
For four generations, the Carson & Barnes family has toured North America with the most traditional of American Big Top Circuses, according to a release.
Each year, Carson & Barnes Circus searches for the best acts from around the globe and presents them along with their world famous animal acts, to produce the World’s Biggest Big Top show.
It will stop in Casper for two days and four performances.
If you go ...
* When: 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. MAY 28-29
 * Where: Casper Events Center
 * Tickets: $12 adults, $6 children in advance; available beginning today, at 307-577-3030 or www.CasperEventsCenter.com. Tickets go up to $16 adults, $10 children at the gate.

PICADILLY-CAPE MAY

Wildwoods Convention Center to Host the Piccadilly Circus

 

from:  capemaycountyherald.com
Fri, 03/08/2013
WILDWOOD – Circus America presents the fun and exciting Piccadilly Circus at the Wildwoods Convention Center on Tuesday, March 26.

It’s an entertaining show for all ages featuring agile acrobats, motorcycle madness, comedic circus clowns, Cossack Riders for the first time in America and much more! The circus unveils the best in human ability, strength and beauty, combined with the finest in animal nobility where man and beast come together in perfect harmony.

Show times are 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Ticket prices for the night of the show are $28 for adults or $38 for VIP; children are $8 or $18 for VIP. Doors open an hour before each show time and tickets will be available at the door.

For additional information about the Piccadilly Circus, call 941-552-9952 or visit www.TheFunCircus.com.
 For additional information about the Wildwoods, visit www.WildwoodsNJ.com or call 800-992-9732.

  

Nicolette Fornasari Cloudswing Cirque Italia Winter 2012

Published on Jan 7, 2013

Performing with Cirque Italia Winter 2012

RINGLING GOLD--SALISBURY, MD 03.07.2013

WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

 

 

Elliott's Amusements

From the happy tunes of the Merry Go Round, the twists and turns of the Cortina Bobs, to the tummy tickles of the Sea Ray, our attractions will please the smallest of patrons to thrill seekers of any age.. Sugary Elephant Ears, Buttery Popcorn and Spicy Sausage are always on the menu.

For over a decade, Elliott’s Amusements has served the state of Michigan at many varied events. We specialize in providing family entertainment in a safe, clean and exciting atmosphere. The midway has something for everyone. Our goal is to provide fun for the whole family... memories in the making. We hope to see you at one of our many fun-filled events. The Fun Starts Here!

Circus coming to Intrust Bank Arena

 

Picasa/Courtesy photo
Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey is bringing “Fully Charged” to Wichita's Intrust Bank Arena May 30 through June 2.
from: kansas.com
By Lori O’Toole Buselt, The Wichita Eagle
March 7, 2013
Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey will present “Fully Charged” at Intrust Bank Arena May 30 through June 2, the venue announced Thursday morning.

Tickets — $10 to $45 — go on sale at 10 a.m. on March 13 through www.ringling.com, Select-A-Seat outlets, www.selectaseat.com, by calling at 316-755-7328 or at the Intrust Bank Arena box office.

Show times are 7 p.m. May 30; 7 p.m. May 31; 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. June 1 and 1 p.m. June 2.

The show, which kicked off in December, will be a one-ring European-style circus, said Jillian Kaplan, publicist with Spotlight Event Marketing. It will be a more intimate show, with seats close to the action, she said.

It will feature traditional circus performances — clowns and high wire, knife-throwing and aerial acts — as well as nontraditional elements, including a laser display, Kaplan said.

Animals will include elephants, dogs, horses, miniature ponies and camels, she said.

Read more here: http://www.kansas.com/2013/03/07/2705595/circus-coming-to-intrust-bank.html#storylink=cpy

America’s favorite old-fashioned big top circus is coming to town!

 

from:  kxii.com
March 07, 2013
Thanks to the sponsorship of The Tom Bean Fire Department, Culpepper & Merriweather Circus, America’s Favorite Big Top Circus is coming to Tom Bean, Texas on Saturday, March 23rd at the Tom Bean High School Parking Lot with two scheduled performances at 2:00 & 4:30 p.m. Now in its 29th edition, C&M Circus has become internationally known for quality family entertainment. This authentic One-Ring, Big Top Circus has been featured on National Geographic’s Explorer TV series, Entertainment Tonight, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, Arizona Highways Magazine. It has also been featured on the A&E Special: Under the Big Top and most recently, On the Road with Circus Kids, a Nickelodeon special featured on the Nick News Program.
Bring your friends and family out circus morning to watch as a familiar place in your town is transformed into a bustling Circus City. Activity swirls around the grounds as animals are unloaded, the Big Top is erected, and rigging is prepared for performances later in the day. Enjoy the magic and tradition of the American Circus with your family and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. so come watch the raising of the Big Top, then stay for the FREE Tour. This presentation offers a unique face-to-face opportunity for families, schools, and interested community members to meet and learn all about the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus family and includes a walking tour of the circus grounds. Learn interesting facts about our performers, the history of our show and the different species of animals in our Circus Family. In this presentation we will also address topics such as hygiene, grooming and the veterinary care all of our animals receive.
In recent years the Tent Raising and Morning Tour has become a popular program for families and interested community members. It is presented in a way everyone, young and old can learn many interesting facts about the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus Family and now we have a brand new tent! This is a special part of Circus Day that should not be missed.
On circus day, our performers bring the magic of the circus to life in each 90-minute show. This year’s lineup includes an All-Star group of performers and entertainers that include: Miss Simone and her amazing single trapeze, Miss Paulina’s proud prancing ponies, The Arlise Troupe on their wild and crazy unicycles, Natilie’s American Eskimo Escapades, The Ayala’s with unforgetable foot juggling, a rediculas Rola Bola and certainly a hair raising Hair Hang! But, lets not forget our favorite performing Jungle Cats, Soloman, Delilah & Francis, presented by Mr. Trey Key, that will certainly have you on the edge of your seats! All with original music written by the talented, Matt Margucci from Los Angeles, California. Our performers are sure to amaze, delight and entertain the audience members of all ages beyond your wildest imagination. The costumes alone are certainly of Los Vegas quality.
SAVE MONEY by purchasing your tickets in advance. Advance tickets are available at: The Tom Bean City Hall. Prices for advance tickets are $6.00 for children ages 2 to 12, children under 2 are always free, and $10.00 for adults. On show day tickets will be $13.00 for adults and $7.00 for children. Buy your tickets early and save.

"SQUIRM BURPEE CIRCUS"

 

BPAC performance to showcase theater, circus arts
from:  commercialappeal.com
By Mark Jordan
March 7, 2013
Cole Schneider of the Colorado-based theater company Handsome Little Devils promises Mid-South audiences have never seen anything quite like the group’s current touring production, “the Squirm Burpee Circus,” which plays at the Bartlett Performing Arts & Conference Center Friday night.

“It’s definitely unique,” says Schneider of the show, which comes here after recent stops in Macomb, Illinois, and Columbia, Tennessee. “We had a huge audience and very mixed crowd in Macomb. There were lots of families, and it seemed to be well received.”

Brothers Mike and Dan Huling founded Handsome Little Devils as their street performing name in 2000. In 2006, the group took the act indoors with the creation of “the Squirm Burpee Circus.”

Schneider describes “the Squirm Burpee Circus” as a “Vaudevillian melodrama,” a term which doesn’t come close to encapsulating the wide range of theater and circus arts on display. The outward form of the production will be familiar to anyone acquainted with old silent movies or even the 1960s cartoons of Jay Ward, including Rocky & Bullwinkle and Dudley Do-Right. At its heart is a story featuring good guys (Mike Huling, Dave Clay), a damsel in distress (the Lovely Little Lola, usually portrayed by Schneider who will be taking the night off Friday to stage manage while Lara Chamberlain fill in on stage), and a mustache-twisting villain, the Baron Vegan von Hamburger (Brett Alters).

“When we decided to expand the company we wanted to do a show that had a story line,” says Schneider. “We wanted it to still be vintage and different, and we didn’t want it to be too dramatic or serious. So the format that just seemed to naturally evolve was the melodrama, partly because it’s so cartoonish and our show is like seeing a cartoon in real life.”

The theatricality, however, is mere set-up for a show that combines the best parts of the musical theater and the circus in one. Besides lots of singing and dancing, “the Squirm Burpee Circus” features chainsaw juggling, slapstick comedy, paddleball and unicycle tricks, a human cannonball, and audience participation, all presented in a very stylish manner.

Since its debut, “the Squirm Burpee Circus” has enjoyed an off-Broadway run and recently was featured in the Cleveland Children’s Festival. The Handsome Little Devils are also currently working with the New York theater company Cirque Innosta to develop a new show that combines comedy music called, “Conjure.”
read more:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2013/mar/07/bartlett-performance-to-showcase-theater-circus/

Leo Jackson ladder act 2010- 2011 (circo price)

leoequlibrista

Uploaded on Mar 3, 2011

performance of ladder free at the CIRCO PRICE Christmas...an unforgettable experience with superb colleagues...

BATMAN---

 

FROM RETRONAUT.COM

muskegon shrine circus

L.C. Walker Arena in downtown Muskegon prepped for 28th Annual Shrine Circus


Workers prep the floor of L.C. Walker Arena in downtown Muskegon for the 28th annual Shrine Circus. The event will take play on March 8 and 9.
from: mlive.com
By Jon Garcia
March 07, 2013
MUSKEGON, MI – Workers spent Friday finishing L.C. Walker's transformation from a hockey rink to a three-ring circus.
The 28th Annual Shrine Circus will take place this weekend on Friday and Saturday March 8 and 9. Friday's show times are 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday's show times are 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tickets are $9.25 in advance or $9.75 the day of the show.
For more information about the circus, visit www.lcwalkerarena.com or call (231) 726-2400.

Chance Kagerer, 18, of Flint, makes cotton candy in the halls of L.C. Walker Arena while it is prepped for the 28th annual Shrine Circus. Kagerer works concession and has been with the circus since he was 14. The event will take play on March 8 and 9.

 

read more:
http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2013/03/lc_walker_arena_in_downtown_mu.html 

RBBB-COLUMBIA, SC

Columbia circus fans: Rain? Who cares?
There’s an elephant in the street


Elephants featured in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus stroll through USC’s Greek Village Tuesday morning.
FROM:  thetandd.com
By ERIN SHAW, USC School of Journalism
March 07, 2013
It’s not every day a 10,000-pound animal walks down your street.
Despite morning showers and delays, crowds assembled Tuesday to watch circus elephants and horses march through USC’s Greek Village en route to the Colonial Life Arena, where they will be performing in the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey show this weekend.
Around 9 a.m., only a few people were meandering up and down the tracks beside the four Ringling train cars, which had come to a halt behind the Gamma Phi Beta sorority house. The cars rocked slightly back and forth as elephants moved around inside.

The circus train holding the elephants parks behind the Gamma Phi Beta sorority house Tuesday morning.
By 9:30 when the traditional walk to the arena was expected to start, the crowd had grown. By 10, none of the animals was in sight and the crowd was bigger, wetter and more impatient.
“What’s taking so long?” groaned Leola Kendall, 4.
“The elephants are just having a hard time waking up,” said her grandmother, Doris Kendall, who had brought Leola and her twin sister, Lucie, to see the animals.
The girls are going to see the circus this weekend with their parents, but Kendall said she wanted to let them see the elephants “up close and personal” first.

More than half a dozen horses parade behind the elephants on the way to the Colonial Life Arena.
Nearby, two Columbia natives were sporting serious-looking cameras and readying for the event. Robert Marley and Robert Weston are both members of the Columbia Camera Club and passed the time debating the superiority of Cannon or Nikon cameras. Marley had two Cannon cameras on him, while Weston adjusted his large Nikon with zoom lens.
When it began to rain, Marley pulled out a plastic bag from his pocket to protect his camera, saying, “I’m like the Boy Scouts, always prepared.”

 
The five Asian elephants all wear headdresses during the walk.
While some had umbrellas or took cover under Greek house awnings to avoid the on-and-off drizzle, third-year biology student Callie Cousins stood just behind the rope that separated the animals from the crowd. She craned her neck in the rain for a better look as the elephants began to disembark.
Cousins admitted she was missing two classes to come watch, but the future veterinarian said it was worth it to see the animals she hopes to work with one day.
“All my life I’ve just loved animals,” Cousins said. “The exotics really attract me, especially since a lot of them are endangered. Elephants are my No. 1.”

 

The Asian elephants like the ones that perform in the circus have been on the endangered species list for 37 years. There are fewer than 33,000 of them left on the planet, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
At 10:30 a.m., the elephants rumbled out of the train cars while members of the crowed started pointing and snapping pictures. The five elephants all wore headdresses and held onto one another’s tails as they walked briskly beside trainers toward the arena.
In less than a minute  — much faster than you might expect for an elephant — the convoy had disappeared down the road. Five minutes later, Cousins stopped a friend in a passing car to explain what she had seen.
“The elephants were just here!” she said excitedly. “It was awesome.”
http://thetandd.com/news/local/columbia-circus-fans-rain-who-cares-there-s-an-elephant/article_6af4ace2-86e2-11e2-b5f5-001a4bcf887a.html
.
 

At the circus, ringmaster, animal trainer control all


Cathy Carden is a seventh-generation veteran animal trainer and presenter. / submitted image
from:  delmarvanow.com
Written by Josh Davis
For Go! Magazine
Mar. 6, 2013
SALISBURY,MD — They say the circus appeals to “children of ages.” With Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s latest traveling spectacular, performers of all ages have taken the center stage.
Two of the show’s most important players are rookie ringmaster David Shipman, and seventh-generation veteran animal trainer and presenter Cathy Carden.
Carden called growing up in the circus a “fun childhood.”
“My mom raised baby elephants, and I helped her with feeding and raising them,” she said. “That was pretty cool. We had a very close family, and we all worked together seven days a week, and we all traveled together.”

 

David Shipman is the show's ringmaster. / submitted image
Shipman, dubbed the show’s “Mainframe Maestro,” saw his first Ringling show at age 2 1/2.
“It was actually the first show I ever saw, and I remember — even at that age — being so amazed with the lights and the performers, and all of the wonderful things that were happening around me,” he recalled. “I sat there with wide-eyed wonderment and complete amazement. It really ignited my excitement for performing.”
The performer, who comes from a theatrical background, said the show’s cast and crew have been a joy to work with.
“I was actually really nervous going into it, because I’ve never actually been in a circus before,” he said. “Going into it, you hear stories of people who have done it their whole lives — they have generations that have done it — and I was nervous about fitting in. But these people have been so warm and welcoming, and truly wonderful. It’s been great so far, and they’ve made the transition into doing it incredibly easy.”
Carden has a husband, Brett, who also works with the show, as well as children who travel with them.
For us, it’s all about our kids and it’s about our animals,” she said. “What I enjoy is training, so in between the six-minute performance, you’re caring for your animals and training your animals — having that relationship. No matter what, you have to start with that relationship.”
Shipman’s role on the show is something between host and hype-man.
read more:
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20130307/ENTERTAINMENT/303070058/At-circus-ringmaster-animal-trainer-control-all

Back to her days under the Big Top
Circus 'family' stirs performer's memories


Juggler Lanka Smaha performs. Alyce Blum, 93, and her brother were abandoned at an orphanage in Pennsylvania when she was 6 years old. They ran away and joined the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and learned to be performers. She now resides at Manor House ACTS Retirement Life Community in Seaford.
from:  delawareonline.com
Written by James Fisher
The News Journal
Mar. 6, 2013
SEAFORD — When she was a girl, Alyce Blum used to run away from her Pennsylvania orphanage every summer to join the circus.
“I climbed right out the window,” she said.
With her older brother, Jack, she hitchhiked to Florida and connected with a circus troupe entertaining crowds during the Great Depression.
Now 93, Blum lives in Manor House, a retirement community in Seaford. But she can easily recall details of her traveling life as far back as the 1920s, as a child ensconced in a world that children all over are amazed by.
“I’m never sorry I did it,” Blum said Wednesday. “The circus is my family.”
Her family paid her a visit that evening, when four performers from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus dropped in at Manor House ACTS Retirement-Life Community for a surprise session with Blum.
 

Alyce Blum, 93, and her brother were abandoned at an orphanage in Pennsylvania when she was 6 years old. They ran away and joined the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and learned to be performers. She now resides at Manor House ACTS Retirement Life Community in Seaford. The clown is Dean Kelley.
Staff at the center had planned a trip with her to see the troupe perform at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center in Salisbury, Md., this weekend. But they kept her in the dark about Wednesday’s visit right up until the moment she walked into the dining hall to find the four performers in full costume.
“We’re here to celebrate Alyce Blum!” said ringmaster David Shipman, dressed in a sparkling green-and-blue coat, as clown Dean Kelley presented a beaming Blum with a bouquet of flowers. Kelley, juggler Lanka Smaha and animal trainer Catherine Carden then performed a few tricks for Blum and the other residents.

 

A photo on display at Manor House shows Alyce Blum posing with a big cat in 2004. ALYCE BLUM PHOTO
As Blum tells it, her circus years were a wonderful way to grow up. She performed high-wire tricks, riding Indian motorcycles across the ring from a great height, and glided among tigers during shows. The motorcycles “were heavy machines, but they’re powerful as heck,” she said. “I never fell off. Never got hurt, ever, at all.” None of her exploits, night after night, ever seemed dangerous to her, she said.
“I didn’t know what danger was. Your parents taught you that,” she said. Hers abandoned their children – Blum and her brother – when she was 3 years old. “I always wanted to be shot out of a cannon, but they wouldn’t do that with me.”
She became friends on the road with Emmett Kelley, famous for the character of “Weary Willie,” the original sad-faced hobo clown of the Depression. Once she turned 9, she said, she began collecting pay from the circus, but before then, the troupe fed, sheltered and clothed her and her brother.
read more:
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130307/NEWS/303070034/Back-her-days-under-Big-Top?nclick_check=1

 

2013 DATES

 Bank Colisee
Friday, April 12, 2013
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Shows at 9:30 AM, 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM

Cumberland County Civic Center
Monday, April 15, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Augusta Civic Center
Friday, April 19, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Shows and 9:30 AM, 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM

FROM KELLY-MILLER CIRCUS
FACEBOOK PAGE

 

March 5, 2013
When journalists visit the circus they always have a fun time. During a recent visit to the Kelly Miller Circus, this Univision reporter had an opportunity to do her reporting atop an elephant.

RINGLING-COLUMBIA

Flying through the circus

 

George Caceres, left, of the Flying Caceres completes an aerial stunt. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey DRAGONS opens tonight at the Colonial Life Arena. PHOTO PROVIDED
from:  thestate.com
By OTIS R. TAYLOR JR
March 7, 2013 
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey DRAGONS opens tonight at the Colonial Life Arena. There are eight shows through Sunday. One of the acts performing is the Flying Caceres, a company of trapeze artists.
The Flying Caceres perform on a double-decker trapeze. We asked George Caceres, who has been flying under the big top for more than two decades, five questions about his circus life. The interview has been edited for space and clarity.
 Your father was a well-known trapeze artist. What was it like growing up around the circus, and was it every kid’s dream? I have nothing to compare it with. I didn’t know any different. I was born into it and that was my life. I didn’t realize until after that it wasn’t normal. It was cool. I have fond memories of it. You get to see your family all the time. You’re surrounded by people all the time. As a kid not in the circus, I guess you’re surrounded by other kids. I guess the answer to the question is that I grew up a little faster.
 According to show notes, the rigging you designed is four feet taller than the average trapeze setup. How did you who come up with that brilliantly scary idea? That’s actually a misprint. It’s actually eight feet higher. When you doing anything, you want to be competitive. I was always thinking of new ways to present flying trapeze.
 The circus train has a dining car called the pie car. Is that where you eat most of your meals? I have my own kitchen. There’s also the pie car at the building. I eat there when I’m at work. At night or during the day, I usually cook in my kitchen. All the rooms don’t have it. I have my own shower, my own laundry, my own kitchen.
 Do you help design your costumes? Usually the performers are not involved in the process. Only the fitting.
 When you’re flying, what’s the No. 1 thing you can’t forget? You shouldn’t forget what you’re doing. There’s a certain checklist. There’s no moment when you’re flying when you can doze off. There’s no daydreaming.
Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/2013/03/07/2663148/flying-through-the-circus.html#storylink=cpy

FROM RETRONAUGHT

 

GARGANTUA

Bust of gorilla Gargantua, circus elephant leg bone featured at Cook's museum in Decatur
(Odd Travels)


This bust of Gargantua, a 6-foot-tall circus gorilla, was made from his death mask in 1971. It is on display at Cookâ??s Natural Science museum in Decatur. (Kelly Kazek/kkazek@al,com)
from: al.com
By Kelly Kazek | kkazek@al.com
March 06, 2013
DECATUR, Alabama – A bust made from the death mask of a 6-foot-tall gorilla named Gargantua and a bone from the leg of a circus elephant named Alice may not suggest romance to most people. But they are pivotal to the love story of John and Jo Cook, founders of Cook’s Pest Control and a natural science museum that has enthralled schoolchildren and tourists for decades.
Although John died in 2009, Eleanor “Jo” Cook still arrives regularly at her office at Cook’s Pest Control headquarters and enjoys the fact that children love to visit Cook’s Natural Science Museum, which began with training displays of bugs and termite-riddled wood and evolved into a place for children to learn about all kinds of wildlife and wildlife habitats.
The museum, which John stipulated should always offer free admission, includes a theater that shows a film of the history of the collection. Visitors can learn about nature by viewing exhibits of taxidermied wildlife, the intimidating skulls of hippos and rhinos, minerals and gems, and, of course, lots of insects.

 

Allison Fleming, who works at Cooks Natural Science Museum in Decatur, poses with a leg bone from Alice, an Asian elephant who performed in circuses. (Kelly Kazek/kkazek@al,com)
Located at 412 13th Street SE, the museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m., and from 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call 256-350-9347 for information.
In addition to the bust of Gargantua and Alice’s leg bone, two of the most unique exhibits are of a bald eagle and a golden eagle, which are federally protected birds.
A description of the museum at cookspest.com states: “Cook’s Natural Science Museum is one of the few private museums in the United States authorized by the federal government to include eagle exhibits in their collection. Rarer still is the fact that Cook’s Museum is one of the few museums in the U.S. to display both a bald eagle and a golden eagle.”
map
read more:
http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2013/03/bust_of_gorilla_gargantua_circ.html