Brad Pirkl, clown & concessions
Janos Dubsky, dogs
Christina Dubsky, dogs
Linda Herrmann's horse trailer
15. Linda Herrmann's truck
ALL PICTURES BY BILL PRICKETT
3 hours ago
CIRCUS NOW OPEN!
2014 Convention
SAVE THE DATES
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Barry "Grandma the Clown" Lubin hangs up wig (and red nose) after 25 seasons in the Big Apple Circus
Longtime funnyman will now entertain and delight children of all ages in Europe
Barry "Grandma the Clown" Lubin leaves the Big Apple Circus tent after his last performance Sunday By Lore Croghan / NEW YORK DAILY NEWSSunday, January 8 2012
A beloved clown who kept a generation of New Yorkers laughing made an emotional farewell appearance Sunday at the Big Apple Circus.
The crowd beneath the blue tent at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park cheered for star clown Barry Lubin in his final city performance as Grandma the Clown.
Lubin, 59, is leaving after 25 seasons as Grandma, a lovable old lady in chalk-white makeup, a red dress and black sneakers — and a longtime fan fave.
He gave it his all in the ring, making the crowd erupt with laughter again and again. But he was feeling bittersweet about leaving New York.
“I love the audiences; they have been so generous,” he said from his backstage dressing room before the show began. “Last night, I tossed and turned a lot about this show, worrying I was going to fall apart.”
Under the big top, the crowd loved him, whether he was teaching a volunteer to spit water like a human fountain or running around dressed in a cow suit.
“I’m verklempt she’s leaving,” said real-life grandma Beth Segal Sussman, 62, of Flushing, Queens — who brought 10 family members to see Lubin.
At intermission, a receiving line formed in the aisle after the clown slipped into a seat.
“She always makes time for the kids and parents — she puts the audience first,” Sheila Santiago, 42, of Murray Hill, said of Grandma.
Lubin — who grew up near Atlantic City and created his clown character based on his own two grannies — will head to Europe for appearances as Grandma this spring and summer in festivals in Germany, Austria, Belgium and Holland. He’ll live in a suburb of Stockholm with his girlfriend. In August, he’ll become a shipboard professor with the University of Virginia’s Semester at Sea.
After a standing ovation with bouquets tossed to him from the audience, Lubin blew kisses and left the ring.
“It was very sweet,” he said when it was over. “I spent the entire show trying not to cry.”Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/barry-grandma-clown-lubin-hangs-wig-red-nose-25-seasons-big-apple-circus-article-1.1003129#ixzz1j3YLj5J9
A beloved clown who kept a generation of New Yorkers laughing made an emotional farewell appearance Sunday at the Big Apple Circus.
The crowd beneath the blue tent at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park cheered for star clown Barry Lubin in his final city performance as Grandma the Clown.
Lubin, 59, is leaving after 25 seasons as Grandma, a lovable old lady in chalk-white makeup, a red dress and black sneakers — and a longtime fan fave.
He gave it his all in the ring, making the crowd erupt with laughter again and again. But he was feeling bittersweet about leaving New York.
“I love the audiences; they have been so generous,” he said from his backstage dressing room before the show began. “Last night, I tossed and turned a lot about this show, worrying I was going to fall apart.”
Under the big top, the crowd loved him, whether he was teaching a volunteer to spit water like a human fountain or running around dressed in a cow suit.
“I’m verklempt she’s leaving,” said real-life grandma Beth Segal Sussman, 62, of Flushing, Queens — who brought 10 family members to see Lubin.
At intermission, a receiving line formed in the aisle after the clown slipped into a seat.
“She always makes time for the kids and parents — she puts the audience first,” Sheila Santiago, 42, of Murray Hill, said of Grandma.
Lubin — who grew up near Atlantic City and created his clown character based on his own two grannies — will head to Europe for appearances as Grandma this spring and summer in festivals in Germany, Austria, Belgium and Holland. He’ll live in a suburb of Stockholm with his girlfriend. In August, he’ll become a shipboard professor with the University of Virginia’s Semester at Sea.
After a standing ovation with bouquets tossed to him from the audience, Lubin blew kisses and left the ring.
“It was very sweet,” he said when it was over. “I spent the entire show trying not to cry.”Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/barry-grandma-clown-lubin-hangs-wig-red-nose-25-seasons-big-apple-circus-article-1.1003129#ixzz1j3YLj5J9
The Big Apple Circus Offers Big Top Fun for Little Ones
BY Elizabeth Takacsfrom: www.kids.baristanet.comFriday, Jan 06, 2012
The circus has come to town, but it won’t be here much longer as this weekend marks the final performances for The Big Apple Circus’ Lincoln Center run. There are still seats available, ranging from $25-$175, but if that’s a little too short-notice for you then you could consider catching one of their Bridgewater, NJ performances running from March 33 through the 18 or Queens, NY in May. Otherwise you’ll have to wait until the holiday season rolls around again.
Growing up in the metro area I always heard of the Big Apple Circus but never had an occasion to attend one of their shows nor did I really know the Big Apple Circus and what they were all about. Then a couple of years ago I happened to catch a series, Circus, on PBS where a film crew trailed the Big Apple Circus for a year. They began in upstate New York where the show is developed and rehearsed. Then they joined them on the road as they took their show from state to state, ending finally with their Lincoln Center run. I was hooked. I loved that the Big Apple Circus is a not-for-profit organization that sponsors a number of community outreach programs. They send clowns to children’s hospitals and mount vaudeville performances in elder care facilities. They sponsor after-school programs in clowning. Also to their credit is something they call Circus of the Senses, a circus performance specially designed for children with hearing and vision impairments as well as other challenges.
So this was the year we finally felt ready to take our children to the big top.
We have a four year old and an almost two year old (children under three are free though they must sit on a lap), and The Big Apple Circus is especially suitable for younger kids. It’s a one-ring circus in a rather intimate setting (there are only 16 rows and you’re never more than 50-ft. from the stage so there really isn’t a bad seat in the house), kids can easily focus on and engage in the acts without too many distractions– even the toddler was riveted, no kidding. Also, the show is very interactive, there’s a fair amount of audience participation. And it truly is a big-top experience, the crew brings their tent from venue to venue, mounting it even on the plaza at Lincoln Center. However, fear not, it may be a tent but that does not mean it lacks modern comforts like bathrooms and heat. It’s also completely wheelchair accessible and totally stroller friendly. Be warned, though, there are no diaper changing facilities.
Clowns are a major feature of the show. They don’t wear a lot of make-up (another plus, especially for younger audience members) and their clowning is a combination of site gags and pantomime. Grandma the Clown is perhaps the Big Apple Circus’ most well-known act, and this season marks Barry Lubin’s final spin as the lovable octogenarian before hanging up his wig. We actually got to meet Grandma as we were arriving, and I have to admit, I felt quite star-struck.
The show changes from year to year and always centers on a theme. This year’s “Dream Big” show features acrobats, jugglers, aerial acts including the flying trapeze, horses, dogs even a porcupine, pig and capybara. It was a fun time and may very well become an annual tradition for this family. According to one four-year old attendee, “It was really, really, good.”
Growing up in the metro area I always heard of the Big Apple Circus but never had an occasion to attend one of their shows nor did I really know the Big Apple Circus and what they were all about. Then a couple of years ago I happened to catch a series, Circus, on PBS where a film crew trailed the Big Apple Circus for a year. They began in upstate New York where the show is developed and rehearsed. Then they joined them on the road as they took their show from state to state, ending finally with their Lincoln Center run. I was hooked. I loved that the Big Apple Circus is a not-for-profit organization that sponsors a number of community outreach programs. They send clowns to children’s hospitals and mount vaudeville performances in elder care facilities. They sponsor after-school programs in clowning. Also to their credit is something they call Circus of the Senses, a circus performance specially designed for children with hearing and vision impairments as well as other challenges.
So this was the year we finally felt ready to take our children to the big top.
We have a four year old and an almost two year old (children under three are free though they must sit on a lap), and The Big Apple Circus is especially suitable for younger kids. It’s a one-ring circus in a rather intimate setting (there are only 16 rows and you’re never more than 50-ft. from the stage so there really isn’t a bad seat in the house), kids can easily focus on and engage in the acts without too many distractions– even the toddler was riveted, no kidding. Also, the show is very interactive, there’s a fair amount of audience participation. And it truly is a big-top experience, the crew brings their tent from venue to venue, mounting it even on the plaza at Lincoln Center. However, fear not, it may be a tent but that does not mean it lacks modern comforts like bathrooms and heat. It’s also completely wheelchair accessible and totally stroller friendly. Be warned, though, there are no diaper changing facilities.
Clowns are a major feature of the show. They don’t wear a lot of make-up (another plus, especially for younger audience members) and their clowning is a combination of site gags and pantomime. Grandma the Clown is perhaps the Big Apple Circus’ most well-known act, and this season marks Barry Lubin’s final spin as the lovable octogenarian before hanging up his wig. We actually got to meet Grandma as we were arriving, and I have to admit, I felt quite star-struck.
The show changes from year to year and always centers on a theme. This year’s “Dream Big” show features acrobats, jugglers, aerial acts including the flying trapeze, horses, dogs even a porcupine, pig and capybara. It was a fun time and may very well become an annual tradition for this family. According to one four-year old attendee, “It was really, really, good.”
Zoppe Family Circus brings true family fun to our area
Zoppe: An Italian Family CircusZoppé:An Italian Family Circus hosts shows at noon and 4 p.m. today at Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. Additional shows continue through Jan. 2, 2010. $15-$35 per person. (480) 782-2680 or chandlercenter.org.By Allison Hurtado, Ahwatukee Foothills Friday, January 6, 2012I come from a very close-knit family, but even I don't feel close enough to any member of my family to climb a pole balanced on their head, do back flips off their feet or let them shoot me off of a swing into a net.
But these things are all everyday occurrences for the Zoppe family.
Since 1842 the family has been touring Europe and, eventually, America performing their family circus. Since Dec. 29 they've been here in Arizona at the Chandler Center for the Arts.
Giovanni Zoppe, a sixth-generation performer who plays Nino the clown during the performance, says circus life is all he knows. Now 45, Zoppe says he's been travelling and performing with his family all his life.
"I don't know what it's like to not have circus around me," Zoppe said. "I think it's the greatest life in the world. I would not change my childhood for anyone else's, but I know a lot of people feel that way about their childhood. It's all I know and it's all I ever want to know."
I asked Giovanni if there's a prerequisite to join the family. Seems like you'd have to be pretty committed to spend 24/7 with your in-laws and trust them to catch you during life threatening acts. He told me the only prerequisite is a love of life. His own wife already had some circus experience in her past, but he met her when she was working a "normal" job in Chicago.
They dated for a few years before they were married and she went back on the road with him. His sister's husband travelled with the family for about a year-and-a-half before they started dating, and another two years before they were married.read more at: http://www.ahwatukee.com/tukee_talk/article_72382c4a-37fb-11e1-bb79-001871e3ce6c.html
But these things are all everyday occurrences for the Zoppe family.
Since 1842 the family has been touring Europe and, eventually, America performing their family circus. Since Dec. 29 they've been here in Arizona at the Chandler Center for the Arts.
Giovanni Zoppe, a sixth-generation performer who plays Nino the clown during the performance, says circus life is all he knows. Now 45, Zoppe says he's been travelling and performing with his family all his life.
"I don't know what it's like to not have circus around me," Zoppe said. "I think it's the greatest life in the world. I would not change my childhood for anyone else's, but I know a lot of people feel that way about their childhood. It's all I know and it's all I ever want to know."
I asked Giovanni if there's a prerequisite to join the family. Seems like you'd have to be pretty committed to spend 24/7 with your in-laws and trust them to catch you during life threatening acts. He told me the only prerequisite is a love of life. His own wife already had some circus experience in her past, but he met her when she was working a "normal" job in Chicago.
They dated for a few years before they were married and she went back on the road with him. His sister's husband travelled with the family for about a year-and-a-half before they started dating, and another two years before they were married.read more at: http://www.ahwatukee.com/tukee_talk/article_72382c4a-37fb-11e1-bb79-001871e3ce6c.html
Eddie Cantor - The Man On The Flying Trapeze - Columbia Years 1922-1940 Circus
Uploaded by warholsoup100 on Jun 24, 2011
From Columbia Years 1922-1940
"The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", originally published under the title "The Flying Trapeze" and also known as "The Man on the Flying Trapeze", is a very well known 19th century popular song about a flying trapeze circus performer, Jules Léotard. The song was first published in 1867, with words written by the British lyricist and singer, George Leybourne, with music by Gaston Lyle, and arranged by Alfred Lee. The lyrics were based on the phenomenal success of trapeze artist Jules Léotard. The 3/4 time tune may have been based on Jacques Offenbach's Le Papillon, Act 2, Scene 1.
Eddie Cantor (January 31, 1892 -- October 10, 1964) was an American "illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter.
Uploaded by warholsoup100 on Jun 24, 2011
From Columbia Years 1922-1940
"The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze", originally published under the title "The Flying Trapeze" and also known as "The Man on the Flying Trapeze", is a very well known 19th century popular song about a flying trapeze circus performer, Jules Léotard. The song was first published in 1867, with words written by the British lyricist and singer, George Leybourne, with music by Gaston Lyle, and arranged by Alfred Lee. The lyrics were based on the phenomenal success of trapeze artist Jules Léotard. The 3/4 time tune may have been based on Jacques Offenbach's Le Papillon, Act 2, Scene 1.
Eddie Cantor (January 31, 1892 -- October 10, 1964) was an American "illustrated song" performer, comedian, dancer, singer, actor and songwriter.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
BILL PRICKETT VISITS---
THE ROYAL PALACE CIRCUS
AUGUST 14, 1995
PART I
I visited Harry Dubsky, Sr., and the ROYAL PALACE CIRCUS, an indoor show, in the Armory, in Urbana, Il. This was a very well prensented show catering to the younger partons. They semed to do a great business that day.
Harry, Jr. (Hashi) and Harry, Sr.
Harry Dubsky, Sr.
. Linda Herrmann
Louisa Weisz, front door and concessions
Sleeper trailer
Generator on flat bed
ALL PICURES BY BILL PRICKETT
Part II comming tomorrow!
COLE ALL-STAR CIRCUS
BALANCING ACT
Billy Martin’s Cole All-Star Circus is coming to Wise Middle School in Medina and Albion High School later this month. The circus, which is celebrating it’s 75th anniversary this year, features performers from Chile, Argentina, the Czech Republic and the United States. Pictured is The Amazing Jonathon balancing on an eight-tier roller balancing stack. Henderson twins performing in the Las Vegas Circus Spectacular
Jessica Ebelhar/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Green Valley High School freshmen and fraternal twins Sydney, left, and Kellie Eastwood wait backstage to perform Thursday at the Las Vegas Circus Spectacular at Orleans ArenaBy Doug McMurdo LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Jan. 7, 2012
Fraternal twins Kellie and Sydney Eastwood didn't have to run away to join the circus.
Their parents drove them there.
Kellie, a dancer, and gymnast Sydney are freshmen at Green Valley High School. This weekend the 14-year-old sisters are performing at the Las Vegas Circus Spectacular at Orleans Arena.
And while the girls' performance is for the Springfield, Mo.-based circus' opening weekend only, show business is in their blood -- and in the blood of a relative who owns the circus.
Alexandra Carden is a cousin of their father, Wally Eastwood, who hosts "V the Ultimate Variety Show" inside the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. She and her husband, George, own and run the operation, billed as North America's Original Three-Ring Circus. George Carden's family has been in the business for five generations.
The twins' mother, Heidi, is a stay-at-home mom these days, but she and Wally met while both performed in the stage spectacular "Jubilee" in 1988.
They married a few years later.
Heidi Eastwood, 43, later went on to star as an acrobat in the classic Las Vegas revue "Les Folies Bergere," a job she kept for about 10 years. She retired from performing when she became pregnant with the twins.
Wally Eastwood was born into a family of trapeze artists, but his fear of heights persuaded him to take on a less risky form of entertainment.
"He became a juggler," his wife said.
"And a comedian," chimed in Kellie. "He likes to make people laugh."
The girls inherited a drive to perform, and they've each picked an act their mother did before they were born.
Sydney Eastwood, 14, waits in the wings Thursday before performing in the Las Vegas Circus Spectacular at Orleans Arena. Her twin sister, Kellie, also is performing in the show. Jessica Ebelhar/Las Vegas Review-JournalSydney is an accomplished gymnast at the GYMCATS training facility in Henderson, where she has been a member for nine years.
Kellie is a competitive dancer at the Shine dance studio in Henderson.
Both girls hope their passions lead to careers.
Sydney's goal is to earn a gymnastics scholarship and to run her own training facility someday. Kellie will strive for an academic scholarship, but she sees dancing in her future.
As for the circus?
"It's exciting," Kellie said.
"It is," agreed Sydney, her eyes taking in the stands from the floor at Orleans Arena. "We've never performed in front of this many people before."
With two nights already under their belts, the sisters will be busy today and Sunday with show times for both days at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
BASEBALL PLAYING ELEPHANTS
Asia, a 43 year-old elephant, gets encouragement from Miami Marlins' mascot Billy, right, as she makes her way to home plate after kicking a plastic ball outside the new Marlins Ballpark under the guidance of her trainer Tabab Maluenda, center, on Thursday, January 5, 2011in Miami, Florida. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Asia, a 43-year-old elephant, attempts to bat a soft plastic ball outside the new Marlins Ballpark under the guidance of her trainer Tabab Maluenda, center, on Thursday, January 5, 2011in Miami, Florida. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Asia, a 43-year-old elephant, attempts to bat a soft plastic ball outside the new Marlins Ballpark under the guidance of her trainer Tabab Maluenda on Thursday, January 5, 2011in Miami, Florida. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus' Kyle Baker, left, assists in retrieving plastic balls for Asia to hit. Asia, a 43-year-old elephant, attempted to bat a soft plastic ball outside the new Marlins Ballpark under the guidance of her trainer Tabab Maluenda on Thursday, January 5, 2011in Miami, Florida. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFF
Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus' Kyle Baker balances a bat on his chin. Asia, a 43-year-old elephant, attempted to bat a soft plastic ball outside the new Marlins Ballpark under the guidance of her trainer Tabab Maluenda on Thursday, January 5, 2011in Miami, Florida. CARL JUSTE / MIAMI HERALD STAFFRead more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/05/2575704/an-elephant-at-bat-the-circus.html#storylink=cpy
Friday, January 6, 2012
Billy Martin's Cole All-Star Circus Kicks Off 75th Season
By: Dan Wells
01/04/2012
SALAMANCA, N.Y. — Billy Martin's Cole All-Star Circus comes to the Seneca Allegany Community Center Wednesday night to kick off its 75th year.
This is the 35th year the Olean based circus has performed in Salamanca. Kids and parents filled the gym, buying popcorn and glowing toys.
The show features acts from all over the world, including a dog act from Chile. The ringmaster says the kids love the excitement of all the performers.
"They love Roger the acrobat on the trampoline – he's a real comedian. They love the Slinkoman the cirque-style act. The little girls love the daring young lady on the flying trapeze and the high school girls like our balancer from Reno, Nevada," said Billy Martin.
Upcoming Tour Dates: 1/5 Friendship, NY1/6 Savona, NY1/7 Naples, NY and Dansville, NY1/8 Newark, NY1/9 Ellicottville, NY1/10 Troupsburg, NY1/11 Whitesville, NY1/12 Portville, NY1/13 Medina, NY1/14 Perry, NY and Livonia, NY1/15 Wellsville, NY1/16 Franklinville, NY
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Become a kid again: The circus is coming to town
Here, have some cotton candy. The Gibsonton Showmens Circus is coming to town.By MITCH TRAPHAGEN
from: www.observernews.net (Ruskin, FL)
01.05.2012
Close your eyes; think back to your childhood and listen for a moment. Do you hear that? Yes, it’s the sound of your youth — a sound from a happy time when simple things like laughter and sunshine mattered the most. Can you hear the calliope? Can you smell the sawdust? Here, have some cotton candy…
On Saturday, January 7, the circus is coming to town. For the 28th year, the Gibsonton Showmen’s Circus will take place with three shows under the Big Top that will include one of the largest circus bands to be found in the world. It is an old-fashioned circus, without electronic special effects, but with real-time thrills.
“This is a year-long project,” said circus organizer and former International Independent Showmen’s Association president Lee Stevens. “This is our 28th year and we’re fortunate that most local merchants know us now. They are very accommodating when they see us coming with posters.”
This year, as with all past years, the Showmen’s Circus will donate all profits to charities — most of which are in this area but some are of national concern. Children in need have traditionally been a big focus.
“We have a committee of 24 people. We sit down and decide who needs what — maybe someone needs more this year than last year,” Steven said. “We’ve had years with 15, 16, 17 charities. Most of them are in the area.”
All of the performers, including Stevens as master of ceremonies, donate their time and talents to this circus. While virtually all performers want to take part, economics sometimes come first and that has made lining up acts an ever-present challenge. According to Stevens, however, this year’s circus will have an abundance of talent.
“The performers all really want to be in the show, but this time of year there are a lot of holiday shows and they have to make a living,” Stevens said. “This year there will be a lot of young people, so there will be a lot of second, third and fourth generation kids that are continuing on with their family’s traditions. They are still in the business. We have an abundance of acts this year, which is great. We have lots of animals, pony rides and a midway for kids of all ages. We’ll also have the circus models here, which is really neat — it is amazing to see.”
According to Stevens, the circus also involves an “army of back people” working in the parking lot, selling tickets and even making cotton candy. Few people can appreciate how many people and how much work is involved in organizing such a large-scale event and that, he said, is exactly how it should be. People come to the circus to have a good time.
When he walks out to open the circus on Saturday, Stevens is looking forward most to two things: seeing the kids in the audience and seeing people who have come from Sun City Center.
“The people in Sun City Center…I always start the show asking them to raise their hands,” he said. “They come here and feel like they are 10 years old again. They love the tents and the seats and the smells. They are so much fun to have here. It is wonderful.”
The march of progress has changed everything in America and around the world, and the circus is no exception. Even Gibsonton, formerly almost exclusively the winter home of circus performers, has changed. Once the town of giants and little people (the post office was once the only office in America with a counter tailored for dwarves), it is becoming more suburban as the years pass, although happy and unexpected sights still can lurk around any corner.
“It’s kind of bittersweet — there were a lot of circus people in Gibsonton at one time but many of them have passed away,” Stevens said. “Times change and it is a very hard business — and there are more and more rules and regulations. You have to be pretty self-reliant.”
But for those who remain, there are rewards that cannot be counted exclusively in terms of dollars and cents. Stevens is excited about having younger people take part in this year’s circus because he knows all too well the talent and dedication they have to their work and to their families.
“The young people are really impressive,” he said. “The education they have, with a sense of worth and self assurance that a lot of kids don’t grow up with. For most people, if you have both parents working, kids go to daycare or after school programs. The circus is just the opposite — you are together 24 hours a day. The kids work with their parents. And a lot of them are accustomed to walking out in front of 20,000 people to perform.”
The Gibsonton Showmen’s Circus isn’t mere virtual reality — it is the real thing, including chills, thrills and laughter, all playing out just feet away from where you sit. As the aerial ballet artists soar above you, the clowns will make you laugh, while the circus band brings forth the sound of youth. Reach down to touch the sawdust, have some cotton candy and for a few hours, simply enjoy being a kid again. Arrive an hour early to enjoy the midway with rides for children, a petting zoo, and plenty of food (including cotton candy, of course), along with the large and amazing display of circus models. There is something for everyone, of every age — the circus is just magic that way.
The Gibsonton Showmen’s Circus will take place on January 7 with three shows beginning at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Advance tickets are available at the Paradise Pet Salon in Riverview, The Observer News office in Ruskin, Fish 4 U in Gibsonton and the Showmen’s Club in Gibsonton. Free tickets for kids under 12 are available in this edition of The Observer News, SCC Observer and Riverview Current, the Great Wall Chinese restaurant in Ruskin as well as at all merchants listed above and other local businesses.
The midway opens one hour before show times. The circus will take place at the Showmen’s Club at 6919 Riverview Drive in Gibsonton. For further information, call 813-677-3590.
On Saturday, January 7, the circus is coming to town. For the 28th year, the Gibsonton Showmen’s Circus will take place with three shows under the Big Top that will include one of the largest circus bands to be found in the world. It is an old-fashioned circus, without electronic special effects, but with real-time thrills.
“This is a year-long project,” said circus organizer and former International Independent Showmen’s Association president Lee Stevens. “This is our 28th year and we’re fortunate that most local merchants know us now. They are very accommodating when they see us coming with posters.”
This year, as with all past years, the Showmen’s Circus will donate all profits to charities — most of which are in this area but some are of national concern. Children in need have traditionally been a big focus.
“We have a committee of 24 people. We sit down and decide who needs what — maybe someone needs more this year than last year,” Steven said. “We’ve had years with 15, 16, 17 charities. Most of them are in the area.”
All of the performers, including Stevens as master of ceremonies, donate their time and talents to this circus. While virtually all performers want to take part, economics sometimes come first and that has made lining up acts an ever-present challenge. According to Stevens, however, this year’s circus will have an abundance of talent.
“The performers all really want to be in the show, but this time of year there are a lot of holiday shows and they have to make a living,” Stevens said. “This year there will be a lot of young people, so there will be a lot of second, third and fourth generation kids that are continuing on with their family’s traditions. They are still in the business. We have an abundance of acts this year, which is great. We have lots of animals, pony rides and a midway for kids of all ages. We’ll also have the circus models here, which is really neat — it is amazing to see.”
According to Stevens, the circus also involves an “army of back people” working in the parking lot, selling tickets and even making cotton candy. Few people can appreciate how many people and how much work is involved in organizing such a large-scale event and that, he said, is exactly how it should be. People come to the circus to have a good time.
When he walks out to open the circus on Saturday, Stevens is looking forward most to two things: seeing the kids in the audience and seeing people who have come from Sun City Center.
“The people in Sun City Center…I always start the show asking them to raise their hands,” he said. “They come here and feel like they are 10 years old again. They love the tents and the seats and the smells. They are so much fun to have here. It is wonderful.”
The march of progress has changed everything in America and around the world, and the circus is no exception. Even Gibsonton, formerly almost exclusively the winter home of circus performers, has changed. Once the town of giants and little people (the post office was once the only office in America with a counter tailored for dwarves), it is becoming more suburban as the years pass, although happy and unexpected sights still can lurk around any corner.
“It’s kind of bittersweet — there were a lot of circus people in Gibsonton at one time but many of them have passed away,” Stevens said. “Times change and it is a very hard business — and there are more and more rules and regulations. You have to be pretty self-reliant.”
But for those who remain, there are rewards that cannot be counted exclusively in terms of dollars and cents. Stevens is excited about having younger people take part in this year’s circus because he knows all too well the talent and dedication they have to their work and to their families.
“The young people are really impressive,” he said. “The education they have, with a sense of worth and self assurance that a lot of kids don’t grow up with. For most people, if you have both parents working, kids go to daycare or after school programs. The circus is just the opposite — you are together 24 hours a day. The kids work with their parents. And a lot of them are accustomed to walking out in front of 20,000 people to perform.”
The Gibsonton Showmen’s Circus isn’t mere virtual reality — it is the real thing, including chills, thrills and laughter, all playing out just feet away from where you sit. As the aerial ballet artists soar above you, the clowns will make you laugh, while the circus band brings forth the sound of youth. Reach down to touch the sawdust, have some cotton candy and for a few hours, simply enjoy being a kid again. Arrive an hour early to enjoy the midway with rides for children, a petting zoo, and plenty of food (including cotton candy, of course), along with the large and amazing display of circus models. There is something for everyone, of every age — the circus is just magic that way.
The Gibsonton Showmen’s Circus will take place on January 7 with three shows beginning at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Advance tickets are available at the Paradise Pet Salon in Riverview, The Observer News office in Ruskin, Fish 4 U in Gibsonton and the Showmen’s Club in Gibsonton. Free tickets for kids under 12 are available in this edition of The Observer News, SCC Observer and Riverview Current, the Great Wall Chinese restaurant in Ruskin as well as at all merchants listed above and other local businesses.
The midway opens one hour before show times. The circus will take place at the Showmen’s Club at 6919 Riverview Drive in Gibsonton. For further information, call 813-677-3590.
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