The new big top. Photo by Steve Copeland, off his blog.
Here's a happy wish, that it's a good season ahead. Trucks fancied up in new artwork. Brand new big top rising, we assume ("we" is really I), proud and tall. Brownsville, TX hosts Day 1. A great new season ahead, naturally a reason to sing a happy song, and may there be no sorrow tomorrow!...
John Ringling North II on the lot, supervising the whole thing. Jim Royal nearby, dispensing good cheer and counting ticket stubs.
Cast working on music cues. Clowns Copeland and Combs polishing off new giggle gags on the company and drawing laughs (for a clown, the oxygen of life)
And why am I trying to write this in 1940s three dot Broadway gossip style? Cause it's fun, I suppose. It's my inner Walter Winchell dot dot dotting ...
I keep telling North and Royal, please bring your act out my way. (Will somebody show them a map of the West Coast? At least the way to L.A.????)
North the Sequel and Royal the Original sharing a look at my little blog. North II bumping into more than one shamelessly self-serving pitch for a certain book about the changing circus (available on Amazon.Com, in case I forgot to tell you) .. . And North II chuckling out, "and he complains about the peanut pitch!" Sayz Royal in sending it along, "though you might enjoy that."
I kind of laughed. I sent those fearless dudes a copy of the book, in thanks for their letting me use K-M photos. My inscription expressed a wish that we might sometime crack Peterson Peanuts together (not my idea, North II broached it in a letter to me from Ireland last year) ... Yes, I said that. I keep reminding myself of how Paul Horsman proudly defends the old gritty show-stopping grinds; in fact, he is quoted in The Big Book [Note to myself: Give it a break. DLH! You and your incessant ballyhoo are pathetic! End of note to myself -- but it works ...]
Where there is PR, there is hope. Well, at least, momentary self-delusion. What would life be without our wonderfully feel-good fantasies? Bring on the jugglers, the clowns and the elephants!
Though you might enjoy that.
So Ringling has dragons, Kelly Miller pirates. Big Apple, pigs and parakeets. Carson and Barnes, Byrds for you? (I'm laughing, pardon me). May you all be blown over by big crowds, swamped at the concession stands, and spared those embarrassing late-night attachments (not the hot number who gave you the eye, no, the sheriff).
No comments:
Post a Comment