The Circus previously known as Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros is finally up and at it, valiantly mired in shorthandedness but moving ahead with long suffering spirits — stars pitching in to drive stakes and lay out canvas. Said Renee Storey to Rosa Ramirez of the Daytona Beach News, the show is still short by about 30 workers, the brown hands waiting for green lights from U.S. immigration officials.
The article, shot my way by Jack Hunter, makes clear what most of us have observed over the years: Performers tossing aside egos between acts to dig in and rig up. “We help them so they can help us, too,” said teeterboarder Oscar Julia Preciado. Bravo, Mr. Circus Everyman!
Joked VP Renee Storey — a lady who, from what I gather, has sawdust in her spine, or spine in her sawdust — she might have to make the cotton candy. Reminds me of the song from A Chorus Line, “What I Did For Love.”
What they do for the big top. I imagine Johnny Pugh up there somewhere on the nerve-wracking advance, facing down iffy city council members hounded by two or three PETA screamers, all for the humiliating cost of a lot license. A trouper to his bones is Sir Pugh of the world-class “with it and for it" class.
Covington Connected: Don sent me a fine New York Times endorsement (I guess) of Ringling’s latest, making it sound like a fast moving spread of this and that. My only wonderment is if it’s another random Feld smorgasbord, although those sprawling samplers sometimes do the trick. This edition sounds like a fast blast.
When liberals embrace animal acts, watch out, World! During a conversation with two ex-New Yorkers here in Brooklyn West (a.k.a.: Oakland), the woman, a self described atheist from Queens, shocked me by sharing what a joy she considers circus animal acts to be for young kids. The Brooklyn man, at his wits end over some law that prohibits him from having or harboring a house cat up in the Oakland Hills, is also seeing the light. But boy, did those two dash my stereotype. They, not I, raised the issue. She, not I, went on and on about the “wonderment” of the circus world to a child. And this from the most liberal region in the country? I only listened, grinning inside. Speaking of delightful four-legged show stoppers, there’s this...
A photo not for your eyes, PETA: We know you can’t tolerate watching an elephant dash your stereotype of what it, according to you, should be up to in the wilds. Well, here’s a Michael Jordanesqe pachyderm in Thailand, 2006, going for the hoop. World travelers Angelina and Noel Andreoni, playing basketball basketball in the lovely country previously known as Siam, watched with delight as Orachi the elephant “dunked their ball,”so reported by the paper still known as the New York Times.Johnny Pugh: The more I think about your telling me of the time when your big bulls were yelping it up to be back on a lot they hadn’t played for years, well ... well ... the more I think you were not pulling my trunk.
And that’s a Cherry Pie Wrap.
First posted April 7, 2008
7 comments:
does anyone know what kind of performance lineup the cole show has this season?
If you had asked me four months ago, I'd have guessed that Cole would have fewer labor problems...because the show was a late adopter of Visa crews. I thought perhaps they were better suited to recruiting the old fashioned way. The next real big SHOCK comes when carnival open, equally understaffed. Getting the big rides up this year will be a nightmare. We're into our sixth week now and have enough labor to get it up and get it down without compromising, but we'd certainly sleep easier with another 4-5 guys. Ironic that all of this happening during a recession with rising unemployment. But it's always been that way.
Ben
Ben, regarding your last sentence, is the problem that you can't find workers for minimum wage? What must a circus owner pay, do you think, to attract locals? I'm curious.
circus owners traditionally pay as little as possible -- even the big shows (I've known several great performers who wouldn't work ringling in the last heyday- the 70s-because they couldn't afford the cut in pay from shrine and other free-lance dates) while each owner has had exceptions -- usually contracting agents, publicists and favored assistants -- they all seem to want to pay the men who actually get the show up and down the least. without knowing the cost of importing working men from other countries, i wonder if it justifies american working men being paid so little, yes, you get a lot of 40 milers and drunks -- but some of these same men will make your show their home if you treat them with a little respect, give them 3 decent meals, a warm bed, beer, cigarette and wine money -- and a pat on the back when they have to do two people's work. and ben, as much as i respect your opinions, you usually offer depth and insight beyond what i've thought about in my old age, i have to disagree. it hasn't always been that way. the 60s corporation shows seemed to always have enough help to get the shows up and down and from town to town, usually with nobody but the butchers doing cherry pie. they were usually short a couple people but not a drastic shortage. (for time reference, this was when johnny pugh was part of the wallabies trampoline act and then when he was starting out as frank orman's assistant)
Showbiz,
I need you to do me a favor and set that hot cup of tea down for a moment, and step away from it. I'd like to tell you something with all due respect.
A photo not for your eyes, PETA: We know you can’t tolerate watching an elephant dash your stereotype of what it, according to you, should be up to in the wilds. Well, here’s a Michael Jordanesqe pachyderm in Thailand, 2006, going for the hoop. World travelers Angelina and Noel Andreoni, playing basketball basketball in the lovely country previously known as Siam, watched with delight as Orachi the elephant “dunked their ball,”so reported by the paper still known as the New York Times.
Johnny Pugh: The more I think about your telling me of the time when your big bulls were yelping it up to be back on a lot they hadn’t played for years, well ... well ... the more I think you were not pulling my trunk.
Dave, animal welfare groups are not all bad. Yes Peta is an exception. Many were first organized in the mid 1800's as a necessity.
What stereotype were you assuming would be dashed with this picture? The stereotype that a "free elephant" in the jungles of Thailand, is actually in an elephant camp "shooting hoops" in the jungles of Thailand? The stereotype that an elephant stands on it hindlegs as a natural behavior? Recent scientific studies have proven, that an elephant raises up on it's hindlegs, momentarily 3% of its entire life to get food/leaves out of it's reach. Those same studies showed that, because of an elephants weight/body structure, standing one its hindlegs for extended periods of time, through its life time will cause ruptures, and hernias, in the case of males, of which this elephant is.
I also suggest Mr. Pugh was goofing on you. You have to be careful of pulling on your trunk. Those sames studies showed that it will lead to paralysis, or "trunk lameness" as it is now called.
I suggest the elephants were just happy to be getting out of the truck. They all react like that when they arrive. Although I know better then to give an animal human emotions, the best way to explain it is, It is like children arriving at Grandma house after a long drive.
Regards,
Wade Burck
Showbiz and Henry Edgar,
When I suggested that one of the main reasons there were no more big acts left was because of salary, everybody ran and hid, and as you saw didn't care to address it.
I believe the suggestion that "being with and for it" should be adequate compensation was offered, plus the appreciation for the effort.
The problem of no big acts was solved with smaller acts/smaller shows. Now we have the same problem, no working men and we can't replace them with "no working men", so now we are wondering what is a fair salary/compensation? I don't get that thought? What I do get is that it, is not an issue that can be skirted any longer. Not if we want this thing of ours for future generations. You might ignore it, but you can never again say you were not aware of it.
Wade Burck
Big cage man
The cost of low wages... new book Saving Anne the Elephant reveals the Romanian groom filmed hitting Bobby Roberts' elephant in 2011 was being paid just over half the UK minimum wage. The circus claim the groom was bribed to hit the elephant and set them up. But if such a poorly paid worker did take a bribe... would Roberts have anyone but himself to blame?
On the subject of trunk lameness, same book says AR campaigners claimed Anne was suffering trunk paralysis as a result of mistreatment. But her new owners at Longleat safari park proved it was more "trunk laziness." She'd got used to always eating off the ground and lost the ability to lift her trunk. After being given food at various heights she quickly got used to using her trunk again as she would in the wild.
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