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Tuesday, August 10, 2010
CIRCUS SMIRKUS...
Female Clowns Flourish At Circus Smirkus
But clowning remains a male-dominated field. Lots of male clowns dress as women. Barry Lubin became famous for his character "Grandma the Clown." But wipe off the white make up, take off the big nose and shoes, and most of the clowns making people laugh between acrobatic and animal acts are men.
That's not the case this summer at Circus Smirkus, Vermont's touring youth circus.
(Clown) "I take the bait and then I give it to her and then she gives it back..."
(Lindholm) Earlier this summer in Greensboro, the Circus Smirkus clowns practiced a gag where two characters are bested by a Sasquatch for their upcoming Big Top Tour.
(Lindholm) As the group crafted the scene for maximum laughs, a careful observer might have noticed that this clown troupe looks a little different than most. Nearly half of the performers are girls. At eighteen years old, Frances Tiffin is one of the senior clowns in "Clown Alley" this year, Circus Smirkus's group of clowns.
(Tiffin) "There are not very many girl clowns. And there is a kind of, not discrimination but...if you tell a circus person that you're a clown they'll go "oh, girl clown, cool." And I'm like, yes, there haven't been a lot of girl clowns but I don't see the relevance in why that's important to me being funny. I don't want to be the "girl clown" because funny is funny."
(Lindholm) Tiffin began her circus career three years ago, thinking she would be an aerialist. But a shoulder injury brought her back down to earth, and led her into clown alley. Tiffin says initially she didn't think she was funny, but now clowning around is her life.read more:http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/88613/
MONROE COUNTY FAIR BREAKS RECORDS
The 63rd annual fair did just that — barely — Saturday when 20,758 people came through the gates on the final day of the seven-day fair. That brought the total attendance for the week to 179,109, which is 22 people more than last year's 179,087.
Fair board members attribute dry weather throughout the week for setting another record. A total of 52,369 people visited the fair on the last two days, pushing the count over the top.
"Friday's and Saturday's weather is what made the difference," Stan Diroff, head of the parade and grandstand shows and a board member for more than 20 years, said Sunday.
It rained just one day — on Wednesday when it sprinkled during the early afternoon. The 2009 fair had a downpour on only one day — Saturday, which reduced attendance that day to 13,904. In fact, there has been little or no rain at the fair for the past four years, shattering the myth that it "always rains during fair week."read more at:http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100809/NEWS01/708099997
Clay County Fair was named 1 of ‘10 Great Places for Blue-Ribbon County Fairs' in USA Today.
In the Travel section of the August 6th edition, the story focused on 10 fairs that feature unique and historical aspects of the traditional county fair.
Other fairs featured in the article include Tillamook County Fair in Oregon, Chautauqua County Fair in New York, Vernon County Fair in Wisconsin, Adams Agricultural Fair in Massachusetts, Elberton 12-County Fair in Georgia, Johnson County Fair & Rodeo in Wyoming, Merced County Fair in California, Deltana Fair in Alaska and Fayette County Free Fair in Indiana.
The 2010 Clay County Fair runs September 11-19. For more information visit www.claycountyfair.com or call 712-262-4740.
Northwestern Michigan Fair Celebrates its 102nd Year
Posted: 8/8/2010-- Benzie, Leelanau and Grand Traverse counties have come together for the area's largest summer fair.
The 102nd Annual Northwestern Michigan Fair kicked off this weekend just south of Traverse City.
The three county fair will run through Saturday and has a schedule full of events including professional FMX freestyle motorcycle shows and Tough Trucks stunt shows.
Today's events focused on the 4-H Club as the day's schedule consisted of rabbit and goat shows with dozens of different animals on show for the public.
County fairs are known for the shows and the rides but the Northwestern Fair has a bit of a different agenda.
The carnival rides and games will officially open tomorrow evening at 5 PM.
FROM THE PAST...
Rhonda's View Rendezvous:
Old-Fashioned Big Top Circus Coming
Klark Byrd
Published: Tuesday, August 10th, 2010
SIDNEY – The last day for low-priced advanced tickets to an old-fashioned big top circus on Aug. 11 is today, according to circus sponsor Cheyenne County Chamber of Commerce. The circus is slated for two performances, 5 and 7:30 p.m., in Legion Park near the T-ball fields.
The Culpepper & Merriweather Circus, a one-ring, big top venue, has been featured on National Geographic’s “Explorer TV” series, “Entertainment Tonight”, The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune and Arizona Highways magazine. Most recently, a Nickelodeon special on “Nick News Program” featured the circus, that has also been featured on the A&E Special: “Under the Big Top”.
Between 9:30 and 10 a.m., the circus welcomes bystanders to watch the raising of the Big Top, and will offer a free tour. Facts about performers, the history of the show and different species of animals will be discussed on the tour.
“In this presentation, we will also address topics such as hygiene, grooming and the veterinary care all of our animals receive,” the circus stated in a press release.
On circus day, 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. Advance tickets, offered at a lower price than same day at-gate tickets, are available at any Cheyenne County bank, The Hangar in Gurley, The Coffee Corner, The Insurance Store and the chamber office.
For more information, contact the chamber at 308-254-5851.
Monday, August 9, 2010
BIG YEAR FOR HORSEHEADS FAIR...
Reported by: Nick Natario Horseheads - As the 168th Chemung County Fair comes to an end, officials say this year was one of the best attended fairs.
FREDERICKSBURG, VA FAIR ATTENDENCE UP!
Vadene Latino (left), Adina Watson, 9 (center), and her father, Santo Watson (right), take a look at the ducks in the animal display area of the Fredericksburg Fair yesterday.PHOTOS BY SUZANNE CARR ROSSI/THE FREE LANCE-STARDate published: 8/9/2010 By KELLY HANNON
Sunny skies and a new emphasis on local music, animals and children's activities drew more people to the Fredericksburg Agricultural Fair this summer than last year, said fair organizers.
As the 10-day fair drew to a close yesterday, attendance was up 25 percent overall from 2009, said Travis Bullock, general manager of the fair.
The higher turnout had a snowball effect. As people visited early in the fair's calendar, they mentioned the visit to others, increasing interest, Bullock said.
"They're going back and talking in the community and spreading the word we have new, family events," Bullock said.
Parker Bethem of Fredericksburg feeds a camel on closing day at the Fredericksburg Agricultural Fair.
Yesterday, reflecting on the past 10 days, fair President Bennie Brooks Jr. said he was proud the event showcased one of the fair's original purposes, agriculture, this summer.
"A few years ago we had three cattle in the barn, and this year we had 14 in just one show," Brooks said.
Other highlights were musical stage entertainment and Nojoe's Clown Circus. "He was packed every show," Brooks said. Organizers have already inquired about having Nojoe return next year.
A visit from Miss America Caressa Cameron, a graduate of Massaponax High School in Spotsylvania County, drew visitors, as did the new fair pageant categories and new food vendors from the community, Bullock said.
Katie DeBernard, 11, enjoys the Scrambler ride at the Fredericksburg Fair yesterday, the event's last day.
But Brooks was pleased to see so many "young people" at the fair this summer.
"It's coming back to life," Brooks said.
Family activities drew Vadene Latino of Spotsylvania to the fair with her 1-year-old grandson. "I like the fact they have a lot of kids' rides for the grandbaby," Latino said.
Others in her family were drawn in by fair food. "My husband comes every year for the Italian sausage. That's the biggest reason he comes," Latino said.
Taylor Hill, 15, and Kathleen Jimenez, 15, both of Fredericksburg, shared a cup of water after finishing the Viper ride, which they enjoyed but which they said made them dizzy. Jimenez took pictures of a live camel ride.
It was the first time either could remember going to the fair in years, Hill said.
They decided to check it out on the last day.
"Why not? We'll enjoy ourselves," Jimenez said.
Nancy Brothers of Stafford County watched granddaughter Anya, 3, whirl around on a carousel-like children's ride.
The only thing she'd change about the fair is something that's out of its control--the weather.
"I wish it wasn't so hot!" Brothers said.
Read originial ==>> Fredericksburg.com - Fair enjoys higher turnout this year http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/082010/08092010/567245#ixzz0w7eRxbzV
DARLENE AVA WILLIAMS...
Born and raised in the circus, Darlene Williams has performed with wild animals and wild people under the Big Top since the age of four.
Elephants have always played an integral part in her life because of her father, Rex Williams, the number one elephant trainer in the country (Most famous elephant keeper and trainer by EEKMA members).He kept her busy learning about not only elephants but also lions, tigers and horses. At seven, she began training for circus aerial acts.
Her mother Ava Williams, a fourth-generation Czech aerialist, taught her Spanish web, trapeze, and wire walking. Darlene has performed with Ringling Brothers, Circus Vargas, and numerous other shows throughout the world. She continued to work in the circus until she was 20. She then came off the road to pursue a college degree and later moved on to work as a stunt woman in television, feature films, and commercials.
Besides her circus and aerial skills, she has worked with some of Hollywood's finest stunt men and directors including Tim Burton, Michael Mann, Ang Lee, Ron Howard to name a few. Darlene's love of live performing continues with her resent contributions to live shows such as Las Vegas' The Sirens Of TI, where she trained and choreographed the aerial and bull whip portions of the show. Darlene helped train the young and adult actors for the wire work stunts in the Cat in the Hat and was one of the circus advisors to Big Fish. She trained Reese Witherspoon in the upcoming Water for Elephants.
Darlene completed 67 episodes as Pamela Anderson's stunt double in VIP and has coordinated projects such as The John Henson Project (Nun Fights); LIT -music video; and episodes of The Big Moment.
She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and also served on the Academy's very first Stunt Peer Group Executive Committee. She is a board member of the Stuntwomen's Foundation (charity) and is one of the founding members of V10 Women Stunt Professionals an elite organization of professional stunt women.
DETROIT...
The midway at the Ohio State Fair is filled with rides and food to enjoy. The Michigan State Fair held its final fair in 2009 due to state budget cuts.August 07. 2010
Francis X. Donnelly / The Detroit News
The Michigan State Fair, the first of its kind in the United States, now has a more dubious distinction -- the first to go out of business. During a time of year when final preparations are usually being made for the fair, exhibitors and customers are struggling to deal with the loss of a staple of rural life for 160 years.
For country folk, it's one more sign that their way of life is vanishing.
"It's hard to think of Michigan without a state fair," said Alma Fisher, 78, a Marine City farm girl who was queen of the 1950 fair. "It was fun just to be there, to be part of it all."
For city children, it offered a rare glimpse of farm animals. Many kids are more familiar with exotic zoo animals than ones that figure prominently in their diet and country's history.
For both urban and rural Michigan, the closing means a loss of community.
The fair brought people from all over the state to Detroit, supporters said. City and country dwellers rarely mingle in Michigan, but they did every August at Eight Mile and Woodward.
"It was like the whole state would come together," said Mike Turner, 47, an architecture draftsman from Dearborn.
The fair reminded him of childhood summers at his grandfather's farm in Tennessee, where he chased cattle, mended fences and picked blackberries for cobbler.
Jennifer and Kevin Koski of Sturgis own two food concession stands at the Ohio State Fair, one of 47 states still having a statewide fairBob Hope and Marilyn Monroe performed in 1951. Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye appeared in 1964. The Supremes and Four Tops came a year later.
But then families began to find entertainment elsewhere.
Attendance began to fall after peaking at 1.2 million in 1966. Just 200,000 attended last year.
The $5 million enterprise began losing money, which was covered by the state. But Gov. Jennifer Granholm, facing a $1.6 billion deficit in the state budget, eliminated the state support last year.
From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100807/METRO/8070371/Michiganians-struggle-with-loss-of-state-fair#ixzz0vznvSsMs
OAKLAND -- California is still battling with the aftermath of the economic crisis, but at least the circus is still hiring.
Fourteen applicants took the unique chance last Tuesday to show up for a clown audition at the San Francisco Circus Center.
The auditions were held by the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, now in its 140th season.
At the beginning of the auditions, two circus clowns performed a short sketch to loosen up the applicants. The attendees then participated in a 1½ hour clowning workshop, where they practiced miming emotions and tested their improvisation skills. Finally, the 14 clowning hopefuls had to do their own three-minute performances. Some just choose to tell jokes, others did acrobatics or juggling -- a woman was even stilt walking.
Barnum & Bailey will decide by the end of August whether it will hire any of the applicants, of whom five have been singled out for meetings with the circus management.
The circus will be performing at the Oracle Arena in Oakland Aug. 11-15. Two of the clowns in the show were hired at the circus' last year's West Coast audition.
The production was originally slated for Sept. 9-Oct. 5 but has been extended by 24 performances and will now end Oct. 24. Tickets for the added shows went on sale Sunday. Cirque du Soleil productions are sometimes extended based on audience demand, and the company's scheduling accounts for the possibility.
"The show is being very well received across the country," said Aba Bonney Kwawu, who manages Cirque's public relations for local performances. "Some of the feedback we are receiving is that 'Ovo' has been family friendly."
IOWA STATE FAIR GETS SET TO OPEN...
By JARED STRONG • jstrong@dmreg.com • August 7, 2010The State Fair creatures have awakened.
Golf carts buzz by. Neon beer signs flicker. And on the main road through the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Patrick Martin sells corn dogs for $4. Jumbo-size costs $1 more.
"I'm loving this weather," said Martin, 40, a Texan who has sold fair food nationwide since he was 12.
All around him, the final preparations are being made to accommodate a million visitors who will snack, gawk and people-watch at the fair, which opens Thursday and runs through Aug. 22. "It's almost like a garden that starts to grow and bloom," said Lori Chappell, a fair spokeswoman. "It's really fun to see it come together because we work on it all year long."
State Fair employees grow from 60 to 1,400 this month. A team of 15 trim the grass and whack weeds each day.
Martin and his crew were among the first food vendors to arrive, about a month ago. This is their temporary Midwest headquarters, from which they dispatch corn-dog stands and workers to a handful of county fairs in the area. They also sell food to other vendors or visitors who come early to get a sneak peek of what's to come.
Kevin McGrath II stands on a ladder as he works Friday on erecting a sign on a stand at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Ryan Saviuc assists him from above. The stand, east of the Administration Building, is owned by Kevin McGrath Sr. of Fort Myers, Fla."This is one of our favorite fairs," said Kevin McGrath II, of Fort Myers, Fla., who drives his funnel cake stand to 25 fairs each year. This is his fourth stop.
"It's the people," he said. "Everyone here loves to have fun."
Amanda Lay of Ankeny strolled among the food stands on Friday with the two young boys for whom she is a nanny. They walked past a lawn that will soon be overrun with giant pumpkins.
"I haven't been to the fair in 11 years since I moved to Texas," she said. "I'm eager for all the food."
New foods this year are the Octodog - a hot dog cut in the shape of an octopus - and the Fair Square - a $2 crispy rice bar on a stick, the proceeds of which will benefit future fair projects. Chappell said the fair expects to sell more than 16,000 of the squares.
The gates open at 6 a.m. Thursday. The opening ceremony is at 9 a.m. at the new Jacobson Exhibition Center, a climate-controlled horse show arena.
Country singer Lee Greenwood plays a free show there at 7 p.m.
When the fair ends 11 days later on Aug. 22, "everyone leaves all at once," Chappell said. "Boom. It's here and then it's gone. And then you're in withdrawal. It's really a letdown when it ends."
Nick Rainone worked on his expressions with other area residents during their audition to hit the road as clowns with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Friday. 'I can't be a cute clown, I need to be tough,' he said. Nick Rainone worked on his expressions with other area residents during their audition to hit the road as clowns with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Friday. 'I can't be a cute clown, I need to be tough,' he said. His father is a clown. His mother was a clown. His fate, it seemed, was set from the beginning.
But as a teenager, Rainone rebelled. He joined a punk rock band, got some bad tattoos and began running from his parents' influence only to find that what gave him the most happiness was the laughter of others.
He found it again Friday when he earned a chance to become a traveling clown with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Rainone, who calls himself Zerp, was one of 20 clowns who showed up for the open tryout Friday at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
"I was born a clown." said Rainone, 20. "This is probably what I'm supposed to do."
When he was a week out of the womb, his parents, John "Bonkers" Rainone, and mother, Holly "Poppy" Benner, dressed themselves and their newborn in classic clown garb. It was their first family portrait.
Rainone still keeps the photograph. In it he looks like a pale-faced doll in his parents' arms.read more at:http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-clowns_07met.ART.State.Edition1.35791c2.html
Sunday, August 8, 2010
TO ALL MY LOYAL FOLLOWERS.......
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