THE BALLOON MAN

Clown, aerialist reveal life in Cole Brothers Circus

Big top show comes to Denville this weekend

Flying high

Aerialist Xan Kaplan, originally of Philadelphia, performs her show at Cole Brothers Circus, coming to Denville on Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24.

from: newjerseyhills.com

By ANTHONY LUSARDI CONTRIBUTING WRITER 

May 22, 2014

DENVILLE - The shows of the Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars start off with roars from their white tigers.

And for 130 years, the tents have been popping all along the east coast from Maine to Florida, sometimes as far west as Louisiana, bringing performances to generations of American families since 1884.

No one knows this better than circus clown Julius Carallo, a.k.a. “Chips,” who travels with the Cole Bros. and also performs at birthdays, school shows, and corporate events.

Chips is just one of the dozens of attractions that the Cole Bros. Circus has to offer to Denville on Friday, May 23 and Saturday, May 24, at the St. Clare’s Festival Grounds, located on 22 Pocono Road.

The shows will begin at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 1:30, 4:30, and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Originally from Brooklyn, N.Y., Chips has been a clown for about 20 years. Before this, he had been a printing manager until he went to a local magic store in 1995 and put on make-up for the first time, thus finding a new calling.

Today at age 67, Chips lives on the road with Cole Bros.

“We are strong and courageous to do this type of work,” said Chips. “But we do it for the love and magnificence of this wonderful show.”

Chips explained that he and his fellow performers practice skits and plan new ones every day. They work for nine months of the year doing two or three shows a day, with no scheduled days-off, moving from place to place along with the circus all the while.

The performers are lucky if they get two to three hours of sleep, Chips said.  “Sleeping becomes a job because you gotta maintain your strength.”

read more:

http://newjerseyhills.com/the_citizen/news/clown-aerialist-reveal-life-in-cole-brothers-circus/article_6b9496f4-e1c1-11e3-ac32-0019bb2963f4.html