“WE HAVE EVERYTHING THAT A CIRCUS MUST HAVE" -- Marvin Spindler

“WE HAVE EVERYTHING THAT A CIRCUS MUST HAVE" -- Marvin Spindler
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Monday, July 12, 2010

Ringling Reopens Clown College -- Or At Least the Name; Auditions Offered ...



This was a surprise, and belatedly I report. The Big Show appears to be re-opening Clown College, or cleverly alluding to it.

Eager apprentices are being offered the chance to apply for funny positions on one of the units. From a promo put out on the Ringling website, candidates who pass muster will attend a performance of the circus, then fill out a "more detailed" application. This could lead to more talk and "an intensive training session."

Both sides will eye each other to see if they've got "a mutual fit."

Upon correctly tickling Feld officials, the lucky will "likely" be offered a one-year contract.

A college? I doubt that. An audition, most certainly, with the learning to take place, I'm speculating, in much shorter doses at a location yet to be made known.

Strange; for a moment, I felt a touch of the old Irvin Feld spirit; whatever it was, he played it to the hilt.

8 comments:

Amy Shmamy said...

Dave!
This is inspiring! Just last year we were talking about the lack of good clowning around in Ringling I do hope that this remedies that. Hoping to see Funundrum, not sure if it will happen as funds are tight this year due to my little accident on thanksgiving morning. Wish I had the talent to audition for this. Would be a dream come true!
Hope all is well and you have been seeing many shows since we last spoke!
Amy Scott

Showbiz David said...

Nice to hear from you, Amy

You're working on a teaching degree, good for you, might be a more viable future than the Ringling clown alley. A nice dream if you can chase it for a season or two, but the turnover must be depressing for those who sign on. So many joined on, so few remained for very long... That's big top biz!?!

Amy Shmamy said...

I am almost done with my pre-reqs to get into the program for fall '11. Did do alot of volunteer work in a middle school last quarter which answered some questions I had ultimately about where I eventually want to end up.
Anyways, they have been advertising this alot on television, was wondering if you had heard anything about it?
http://www.pacsci.org/circus/
Amy Scott

Showbiz David said...

It sounds very interesting. I've heard nothing about the place. Seems like a sophisticated extension of the Ringling all access pre show events. High wire for you?

Amy Shmamy said...

Highwire?
heck no! lol I wanted to be a clown, not a trapeze artist. I may just go an check it out, thing is, I am sure it is more geared towards the kiddies...and I don't have any to take with me.

Amy Shmamy said...

Just remembered, I wanted to ask you a question about America's Got Talent. Not sure if you have checked this season out at all, but there was this acrobatic act involving a climbing wall. Quite beautiful and the pair were phenomonal. If you have seen it, do you think that some of the shows out there might start incorporating this into their routines?

Showbiz David said...

Amy, the climbing wall you describe, I did not see, reminds me of a phenomenal new kind of acrobatic action against a wall that Cirque du Soleil brings to OVO; I think they pioneered this act into their Disney Florida show. Most ingenious. Just fabulous. If you can see OVO, I high recommend the show.
And good luck in landing a slapstick slot on Ringling!

Amy Shmamy said...

Dave,
Here is a link to the live performace last week. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5Jd-2ej5Bc

Looks a lot like OVO's wall, but as I have not seen it, I can not tell.
:)