Soft and gentle -- don't rock the ring: CavaliaTyping away without notes, Dot Dot Dot, it's a random stack, and here we go! ...
Did ya know that the Ringling Bros., of the state of forward thinking Wisconsin (no, this is not being composed by a Super Pac), once offered 25 elephants to the war effort in Cuba, back around 1898? Bob Cline, who puts out, now and then, News & Views, for the Circus Historical Society, knows, and, now, so do you ...
Stupid Me! Right here, back around, what, 2005-2006,I predicted that a lovely through cerebral horse show named Cavalia would likely, like other equine efforts, fade away after a season or two. Well, it hasn't. Exciting me recently about it was just the right TV promo linking the words "acrobats" to "horses." Ah, yes, Little Kids with Big Memories, that WAS how our modern day circus, what's left of it, began, back there in London Town, on the back of a steed ridden by Philip Astley. When his dazzling ring displays lost novelty and the crowds waned, Asltey imported, yes, tumblers and jugglers, and other assorted acts of agility to lure back the fickle public. And it worked. Cavalia, created by one of Cirque du Soleil's thousands of co-founders, may have a future, still. Yes, I'm still acting stupid, but I think the show needs to be edited way down (too long when I saw it years ago, and others say the same thing), too cerebral, or so it was. If only they'd bring it to a vacant lot near me ...
Ringling-Barnum 2050?(count me out)
Olympic cutting edge, new circus, on the dull side: I watched a total of maybe an hour of the Olympics, long enough to spot some lovely ladies merging ballet with a little acro and waving intrepidly controlled ribbons. Rather fetching -- might this be a new maturing of what seems to want to be circus ballet, and would you, would I go? Not so sure. Thrilling still looms high on my list, and I'm not talking pedestrian self-promoter Nik Wallenda and his laborious long sky walks on the wire. Not much at all to watch after you observe the first few steps. The Great Wallendas once had seven of them up there, nicely uniform and walking the steel thread to music, a warm up to the Big Tricks that astonished and thrilled. Let's look somewhere else ...
Big Apple Circus to uncork their latest, a thing called (sounds like a strained title thought up by the Feld of Felds)-- Legendarium. Not bad, not good. On paper, lineup looks strong and vibrant, dynamic and diversified. What grabed my respect was news that the band will be playing "history's iconic songs." YES to that; how long since we've had a great songbook of popular favorites at the circus? More to sing about: costumes by the gifted Mirena Radna, who bathed the show's brilliant Picturesque (2004-2005) in radiant hues. Acts from places named China and Russia, Bulgaria and Hungary, Canada, Argentina. From France and the Netherlands. And oh how I love dropping those names because of my respect for their Great Global Gifts to these shores. From the U.S., too, that would be The Acrobuffos, a husband and wife clown duo, and, returning with animals, the marvelous Jenny Vidbel ... Pitches a BAC press release, "You will experience the nostalgic thrills of historic Big Tops and get a first hand view of Beauties, Daredevils and Clowns from another era!" ... How I envy those within an easy commute to this rare and wonderful operation, YOU are lucky whether you know it or not. Go repeat a thousand times ..
Olympian Gold-Medal Goof Off: Usain BoltWhat a showman this show of is: He's Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, a gold medal cut-up at the London Games who, at 30 meters to go, stopped to make phone calls and order a macchiato, whatever that is. Next sprint for this character: I see Dancing With the Stars. And then, and then, I might watch.
Sayz Chuck Burnes, in the pages of Circus Report, some tent-bits: In Amsterdam, an elephant was fitted with contact lenses -- oh that pachyderm vanity! ... Ancient Romans, reports Chuck, had the big brutes walking tightropes. Don't believe such a thing? Check out a You Tube, shot in the Thailand of today, by clicking onto "Elephant walking tightrope" And I wondered what I'd be doing tonight ...
Exit twirling typos and mirthful misspellings. Happy to report that my book, Inside the Changing Circus: A Critic's Guide, has been exorcised of these annoying little distractions. Future copies will roll cleanly off the press.
And that's a Saturday wrap at 6:15 PST.
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