A Note: Last year I stated on this blog that were I to review any circuses in ‘09 that I had seen in ‘08 and given less than three stars to, unless my ‘09 rating would be higher by at least ½ star, I would not review. Sorry to say, I have seen Carson & Barnes and I can’t give it a higher mark than I gave it in '08. So, since I have received interesting feedback on the show from two different sources, I am posting them. The first came in an e-mail, the second, a comment in reaction to my '08 review of the show.From Dave Wolowic, Oxnard, California:
The last Monday, my wife and I drove out to Oxnard to see the last show of Carson & Barnes. There was a lot to like about the circus. And some not to like. We loved the aerial acts. The two woman who do the first act are amazing and use no safety lines. It was very thrilling. The trapeze act was great. Much better than what we saw at Circus Vargas. Of course the sound system was a bit lacking and I could not understand the names of the performer. The lead flyer did an amazing dismount by swinging so high he grabbed onto the roof of the tent, and then dropped to the net. So much fun. I know your disdain for hula hoop acts, but I thought this one was really well done. The costumes throughout the show were clean and new. The clowns were OK. Alex, the world-renowned king of Comedy had a very funny trampoline act, but it could have used a little more time of him on the tramp and less shtick around it. Although we had seen the elephants before the show and at intermission, it was really impressive when the came running into the tent for their act. My biggest disappointment was the dog act. As an act, it was mediocre. But what made it worse was the dogs looked so dirty and mangy and in need of a good meal. It really took away from the act. I wrote Carson & Barnes and told them if I were a PETA person I would come after them for the dogs and not the elephants. The other odd thing which happened was during the trapeze act, they started undoing the tent from the center poles! Suddenly I see some guys head sticking out through the roof! Bad show. I realize it was the last show of the run, but they could have at least waited until the trapeze act was over, when everyone wasn't looking at the roof of the tent. We also thought that the performers weren't very enthusiastic when they had to partake in the circus parades.
We had a fun time but I think I Circus Vargas had a better "look". It seemed that everyone on the midway and ushers all had some kind of uniform. Carson & Barnes was a little more ragged around the edges. Still the show had between 500 to 600 people, and I think most of them left having had a good time.
[Dave has since e-mailed me that he e-mailed his displeasure over the dog act and the tent dismantling activities to C&B, and was impressed to hear back from them within 24 hours, pledging to address his concerns)
From Marcus Bethea in the San Diego area:
I was very disappointed in this show. This was the first time since I was little to see this show. My kids loved it. My wife and I hated it. I just came on to this site to see what other people reviewed on this circus act. I watched it in san diego, and it was as you described it [in my ‘08 review]. Many people left at intermission. Every thing is very expensive, and not worth the money paid. I spent over $200 dollars for cold pop corn, a little bag of peanuts one ride on a camel in one little circle. same on a elephant and supposed VIP seating in plastic patio chairs. I was very disappointed. But it was for my kids. But I will never do that again. I was thinking Ringling Bros or Barnum Bailey would be better but now I am scared of any kind of circus
3 comments:
Sept. 16, 2010 went to the Carson and Barnes Circus. My wife and I felt bad for the entertainers because you got a feeling that this circus was not going to be around much longer. The show was very poor for adults. My children really enjoyed it. I am glad we had received BOGO on the tickets, otherwise I would have been really disappointed. Half the show had entertaining feats, but the rest seemed to just be going through the motions. We had maybe 100 people attending. The sound system was horrible and way too loud. The only time we understood the ring master was when he was telling Alex no music. This was not my childhood circus and there is only 1 ring now.
I took my grandkids to the circus on march 15,2013. My grandkids loved it. I am 63 and remember the Carson and Barnes when they would fill the whole arena with Elephants. They had lions and tigers and everthing a circus is sopposed to have. There used to be 3 rings going at the same time. I don't know how they can continue to bill themselves as the biggeast circus under the bigtop. The stoped the show several times during the performance to sell stuff to the kids. Very expensive. It cost me 30.00 for my grandkids. to ride the elephant for 2 minutes. The reserved and premium seats were a joke. The dog and horse acts were very lacking. So sad to see a great show turn into such a sad site.
We all went as a group and we have two toddlers with muscular dystrophy and two infants we asked him if there was any preferred seating for children with disabilities and they told us we could go sit on the bleachers so that an uncomfortable climbing up there with the kids and sitting up there for a long period of time we went back down and paid for the preferred seating then they pretended that they didn't know the kids have disability after had already talk to him about it he said that he wouldn't reimburse us for the two boys with disabilities seats they didn't even have the seats that they sold us for preferred seating so they had to go back and get more they wouldn't let us sit in the seats that were sitting next to us even though that there was no one there right on man it up picking them up and taking them back as we had to wait for the other seats I got frustrated I was talking to him because no matter what I saw it was in one ear and out the other and I started to raise my voice a little and then he told me there was no need for that meanwhile I was standing there with an infant and had my older son holding my disabled son and we still had to pay for their seats because they never reimbursed us for $30 for each the seats and wouldnt give us the price for the coupons we had overall it was a very expensive aggravating time but the kids seemed to enjoy the elephants next time I'll take them to the zoo
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