SNIFFINIG OUT CIRCUS A LA CARTE IN BITS AND BOTS: ARE YOU READY FOR VIRTUAL?

  Cirque Italia Water Circus 

A recent article in Bandwagon declaring 2024 “A Year of Revival for the American Circus,” works overtime to include anything that incorporates circus acts, either at the center, or in the shadows of experimental. The writer, Rodney A. Huey, is remarkably charitable in admitting into his feel-good survey practically anything that drops or alludes to the C word at the ballyhoo — and even some, like 7 Fingers, that technically don’t. But then, neither does New Ringlng.  

In olden golden days gone by when circus was circus, big tops awesome and little tops charming joined the April parade of gilded caravans down sawdust trails, throwing up fresh white canvas, sending giddy banners galloping gaily into  the wind. Red wagons convened onto open fields where canvas was spread, laced up, and raised skyward. And a magic city was born.  A city of amazing acrobats and animals, rowdy clowns and blazing spectacle.  Bring it back, you know who!

 Cirque Ma'Ceo

 

Being there in the middle of it all was a unique sensation.  We went in guilt-free, no pickets at the marque shaming what we were about to be thrilled by, and came out hopelessly addicted to the likes of Francis Brunn, the Cristianis, La Norma ...  

 Cirque Paranormal promises vampires and creepy clowns

And once upon a better season, they all gave you a circus, period, and you know exactly what I am talking about    At one time in this hyper competitive nation, even the smallest shows laid claim to three rings.  

Now today, a show may rig its aerial trappings from the wings of a theater, spot the props in public parks or on cruise ships, even at concert halls, purpose being to draw some kind of a crowd.  These specialized adventures are what some call boutique circuses.

Le Grand Cirque

 

Seven Fingers Passagers 

Full menu circus sill thrives in  Russia and parts of Europe.  Italy still loves the animals, and the Monte Carlo Circus Festival still celebrates the best of them with Gold Clowns.  In the  UK, all but two or three shows are now all-human. A few circuses stateside (Culpepper, Hanneford,  Loomis) still dare to feature exotics.  Some take a middle road with domestics, like  Zoppe Family Circus, which does not draw protesters to its collaboration with dogs and horses.  

 Cirque Ma'Ceo

Among the animal-free  shows, some can’t resist parading the banned in the safer, more cowardly form of costumed performers ---or bots.  Ringling’s insertion of a small robotic, mutt, conveys a promising insecurity at the top.

Here is where the Bandwagon story rumbles down the runs and then, instead of heading for an open field, chases a wide-ranging array of amusements (cerebral to carnal) that use circus primarily as a draw. Huey  brings on  the word “fusion’ in order to grant these entities the making of a grand revival. But the word feels like a strained euphemism in order to cast a wider net for triumphal image-building.    

In fact, “circus” as we have known it, was invented as an act of fusion, when London horse rider  Philip Astley added rope walkers, clowns and acrobats to his equestrian exhibitions in an open field.

Cirque Kalabante

Huey places the new Ringling acrobatic show at the center of it all, reporting on its “resounding success” (his source, Feld Entertainment) The article was published before New Ringling shut down to spend the greater part of a year planning its next edition. Given the near impossibility of our ever knowing what sort of business Ringling actually did, there is the rather bleak image of angry Yelp Reviews, averaging 1.5 stars, and of Reddit threads revealing skimpy crowds, i.e. "Recent tour stops seem to be struggling to get people in the door, especially for evening shows."  I find this plausible given a call I made to  the 20,000 seat Crypto.Com arena in L.A, where the show played, and was told that the average attendance had been between six and eight thousand per show. Like all the fan magazines, in this instance, Bandwagon can’t bring itself to function beyond a press release.

In the meantime, what I mostly see is circus a la Carte, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  It gives you more options to consider.  Hard core circus fans prove themselves to be, at least in public posturing and feel-good reviews, quite willing to gratefully embrace what still parades as a circus

It could be worse, I suppose.  The insane rise of AI will not doubt one day bring about the first  virtual circus show. Are you ready? Don’t throw away your tapes and movies just yet. And stay tuned to dog-loving America’s Got Talent on TV. First episodes usually push circus acts. Wonder why?  
 

 Old Ringing, 2017

SUNDAY MORNING OUT OF THE PAST: Little Big Top Bits ...

From the first year posting ...

All quiet down the sawdust trail? Counting em’ up — we’ve got two little bigs — Big Apple and UniverSoul and ... is Kelly-Miller a little big? ... Circus Chimera is a little big- plus ... How about Giants? Carson & Barnes, on a diet, too, leads the diminishing pack, still clinging to a trio of rings .... Please consider California, Barbara Byrd, before you too go solo.... John Pugh’s New Cole is — or was — another ringless affair, he having apparently started the trend even before Kenneth Feld gave up on the circus’s most enduring stage set ... In 2005 on the Willow Grove, PA lot, I saw Pugh’s tenter reconfigured into an amorphous oblong performance area ... Beware of rearranging the deck chairs ...

How amusingly topical, and this from Big Bertha dreamer, Craig Johnson: You might know that Randy Concello, a practicing attorney in Sarasota, is the son of the late Arthur. Wonders Craig, what if John Ringling North II hired Concello to represent him, would that be a true North-Concello return? Why not, the scene is crazy with historical reverberations. ... We might witness an eerie replay of the Ringling family wars leading up to John North’s 51% conquest in late ‘47 ... Jim Royal is awfully quiet these days .... He may be breathlessly watching it all play out precariously. Jim, welcome to the Ringling rangling ‘40s. Be prepared for the in-and-out, the on-and-the off of ever-changing big top power ... You could end up working for, who knows, Nichole Feld — or even , let's see ... Patricia Buck Ringling.

Speaking of which, yes it’s a story that just keeps on giving. — About the simmering ill-will at Feld central over North II’s daring to show his name on Kelly-Miller trucks, I chatted this out with an attorney friend. While she did not dig into the law books to render an exacting position, it was her informal (I stress informal) feeling that she would side with North. "But," I asked her, "is he not using his name to lure people into the tent?" Answered she, "Sure, but it’s like he is saying, 'John Ringling North II recommends Kelly-Miller.'" She, not a circus fan, stressed rationally, it’s not as if North is calling it the Kelly-Miller and John North circus. She did caution that the word "presents" might be tricky. ... In casual summation, attorney pro bono for Showbiz David said the point is, will the public be confused into thinking it is patronizing a Ringling Bros circus? Points on or off point to ponder, kids ...

Another great blog down memory lane: Have you seen Bill Strong's wonderful Yesterday's towns? I have a link to it on this revived midway, about which, details follow below, and please read ... Strong has thrown up some photos of Clyde Beatty Circus 1952, a show I saw and loved as a kid. Even helped set up the seats and got ducats for my own hard sit in the blues. So moved am I in recall of that magical day in Santa Rosa, It informs one of the chapters in my forthcoming, Fall of the Big Top.

About this blog, please make note that I might be moving over here soon. A number of reasons make it very appealing -- as much as I have liked the typepad people, on whose lot I currently play. One reason is that it will give more visual prominence and clarity to comments and to the names of those who post them .... I believe those who take the time to contribute deserve better attention. After all, this is a blog, and I value your input ...

And that’s a little big wrap!

first posted April 15, 2007

SUNDAY MORNING OUT OF THE PAST: Photos and Words ... In and Out ...

Some recent images that charmed my fancy, or fancied my charm, along with whatever random musings muse up my mind ...


From the new Kelly-Miller program magazine. I was very saddened to learn on Steve and Ryan's blog of Steve taking a very nasty fall. What a trouper this guy is, still going on with the show. I wish you a speedy recover, Steve. And please, insert a touch of caution into your domestic flights of fancy ...


Here's a photo, circa 1938, I saw of JRN in his bustling prime. Found it in Wikipedia, surely the finest on-line source for circus history. Heck, it was this website who gave the world likely the fullest account of the life of the great Barbette. BTW, you Texans, Sir Harry at the forefront, may know that Mr. B. hails from Rock Round -- or is it Round Rock? I know I got it wrong in my book Behind the Big Top.


The man you can thank for my being here this very moment. The man you can thank or blame for my open-ended mouth. The man possibly responsible for all the books I wrote and luckily got published. The man who published me in my precious fourteenth year: Walt Hohenadel, then editor of the White Tops. Never had seen what he looked like until I came across this shot in an old Cole Bros. Circus program. It was he, whether he intended to or not, who gave me permission, merely by publishing intact my first review, to tell it exactly as I found it.


Jack Ryan forwarded me this wonderful picture. Nice to see two trapeze titans (easy alliteration, I know) sharing a warm moment. Whatever friction there may have been, I like to think they have come to appreciate each other. Go Tito! Smile, Miguel!


Grandma plays the Shrine! Yes, Barry Lubin recently accepted a Shrine date. Not sure what that means. I was touched, although maybe his security at Big Apple Circus is a bit wobbly, and he's opening up new options. Why not a triumphal return to Ringling-Barnum, from whence he came? I might pay for a better seat to enjoy Grandma, double the tariff if he promises to sing in the rain ...


Scene from Chimelong Circus. This is one show Boyi and I did not get to in China, likely the most un-Chinese of all the circuses there. As tempting as it is, I refuse to offer a suggested review because you've got to see these things in person from first blast to final finale to see how the acts roll. It does impress, okay, theoretically ...

first posted 5.16.10

SEND BACK THE CLOWNS! The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of The Re-imagined Ringling, from REDDIT

I'd never gone to Reddit before for reviews to quote, but to my surprise,  under a thread headlined  The Good, the Bad, and The Ugly of The Re-imagined Ringling, I found a slew of even-handed comments by people who, for the most part, seemed neither aggrieved  circus fans or the PETA crowd, itself never missing a chance to spread more anti-traditional circus hate. These  voices reveal much that we have only been able to speculate about. 

So I am posting these here for a few days, and will then move the post down deeper.          

Highlight Quote:

"The robot dog Bailey was met with mixed reactions. I have never witnessed hundreds of people mass-discussing something all at once, which was bizarre."

u/Skater73 avatar
Skater73 6mo ago

I'm deeply concerned with the lack of audience showing up for these shows recently. I saw the new Ringling back in March, and the audience was quite large on a Saturday night. However, recent tour stops seem to be struggling to get people in the door, especially for evening shows.

I have seen a lot of advertising on TikTok, YouTube, and local media outlets but not much in the way of physical billb live in a mostly rural state with an older oards, fliers, etc. This is a major mistake for our area, as we population that likely won’t see much of it.                                               
    
hexualattraction
4mo ago

I was working at a stadium and Ringling came through. I didn't get to sit and watch the whole thing like a normal patron, but I did see quite a bit. I believe Equivokee - the three guys doing physical comedy are in fact clowns, like trained as clowns, but I believe since the US has such a bad association, they had them pare down the things that folks associate with clowns.

For example, even board games from Europe that feature clowns get stripped of them with localization, in order for the American market to engage/play/buy them.

All this to say, I think if Ringling performed outside of the us, clowns would be more apparent,and that it's kind of an American thing that they've been stripped out.

I did find the competing acts to be strange, it felt like so many talented people were sort of shoved off to the side, I think to try to keep peoples focus somewhere, but it felt pretty disrespectful to the performers.   

r/circus icon
Go to circus r/circus•
6 mo. ago

 The robot dog Bailey was met with mixed reactions. I have never witnessed hundreds of people mass-discussing something all at once, which was bizarre. I will personally miss the animal acts, but I am interested to see what can be done with similar technology as Feld Entertainment has used puppets and animatronics in other shows.

The Bad: For a show focused on human talent, it’s incredibly disappointing to see the removal of time honored roles such as arena clowns and ringmaster. There are several show guides and physical comedians which were entertaining in their own right, but it mostly felt like a hollow attempt to distance the new show from its past.

The stage direction is somewhat confusing. During the BMX stunts, a Chinese pole act was taking place on the opposite side of the arena. As someone else recently mentioned in this subreddit the circular overhead screens were missing, which would have been nice as I could barely see it even from the lower level.

The sound was a bit muffled, which often confused the audience resulting in lukewarm responses. I have no experience with entertaining but I imagine that can be a real confidence killer

Other notes: I attended Sunday’s performance midday and some friends attended in the evening, the arena was less than half full on both occasions. Historically our city has produced a good turnout. I am unsure if this decline in attendance is due to the retirement of traditional acts, loss of relevance, cost, or other factors. The show will be in town this weekend and the following with approximately two shows daily Friday-Sunday, so maybe the others will fair a bit better.

Our friend’s six year old daughter was attending for the first time and lost interest several acts in, they did not return after intermission.

r/circus icon
Go to circus r/circus•
6 mo. ago

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of the re-imagined Ringling 

conclusion: Like many others I am left feeling a bit mixed. The performers were excellent, but the show itself needs work in several areas.

Ringling may have a difficult time living up to the expectations of longtime fans and retaining first-timers after the revival tour. I will be returning when and if it is renewed, but my friends and their daughter may not.

Needless to say, it is vital for Feld Entertainment to be receptive to feedback if they hope to remain relevant and continue turning an audience. 

ccb621
6mo ago

Aside: Why not post this after you’ve seen the show and have more to contribute to the conversation?

The animals will never come back. They are public relations and logistical nightmares.

I attended a show in Oakland, CA. The arena was not very full. The tickets were about $225 after fees for my family of three. We’ve paid more for Cirque du Soleil and far less for Monster Jam (for almost the exact same seats). 

Cirque remains the pinnacle for me. Ringlimg isn’t there. The show was too kinetic and distracting. There were screens with performers’ names and countries glaring just at the performances were beginning. This would be fine if there was one act; however, at one point there were three separate acts happening simultaneously! I had no clue who to watch.

This was barely okay for aerials. I think they had straps in the center with two folks on silks to the sides. This was downright insane when they had an aerial performance and folks jumping through hoops. 

I felt like they were trying to toss in a buinnch of acts to make folks feel they got a good value. In reality it felt cheap—quantity over quality. I recall at one point wondering why the show hadn’t ended because it just felt so long. 

I don’t think everyone needs to follow Cirque exactly, but it might help to learn a bit from their model. A story or through line connecting the performances would greatly help the flow and progression feel less frenetic.

I hope they make it work. I saw one of the last performances of the old company in Providence, RI, and it was quite good, so I know someone can help write a better show.

 No-Commission-242
4mo ago

I won't waste my money again.  I knew that there would be no animals,  but didn't know that there wouldn't be any clowns.  I've got my memories from when I was a kid and I'll have to live with that.  It's bad that I built it up to the grandkids and had to look at the disappointment on their faces.  All of the people around us felt the same.  Take them to Chuckie Cheese and everyone will be a lot happier,  plus you can get them much better souvenirs.

SUNDAY MORNING NOW: The Show Must Go On ... or Must it? ... Big Top Ballyhoo Shuns the Old ... Circus Reviewer Reveals Crowd Size ...

12,557 page views on 5/6 - my most popular post ever

RINGLING IN RETREAT? - One bot mutt for sale? Has appeared with the Greatest Show on Earth.

What is happening to Ringling? To Circus or not to circus? That may be the pressing question dogging Kenneth Feld for the next ten months while he  creates an  “all new’ edition.  How new? How different from the first? Does he need ten months in hiatus to figure it out?  Thriving entertainments usually have next year’s model in the works, ready to take up the parade when the current cast leaves it.

Seems severe to me. As I understand it, when a company closes down for an extended period of time, usually the reason is too re-invent itself or its product line – in order to stay in business.  Ringling closed down mid-way in the 1956 tour when John Ringling North struck the big top for good and made known his plans to move it indoors. Some fans hoped he would change his mind.  No luck. He had foreseen a more viable future ahead.

If the Felds have been reading the outcry of unhappy Ringling customers on Yelp (average 1.5 stars), they  can’t ignore the enthusiasm most Americans still evidently feel for animals and clowns. When you take away two of the three staples of circus, up goes a roar from the masses. The last to cry ‘no!” on Yelp:

Thalia H.

Norfolk, VA  Mar 22, 2025

"I've never been so humiliated in all my life I'm going to the circus in New York City at Madison Square Garden for many years as a child every year I never missed a circus there were animals and clowns I don't know what Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus is doing now with these acrobats nobody wants to see acrobats a circus is not a circus without animals and clowns it was a waste of my money I am so disappointed I don't know what in the world to do I will never attend another Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus again without the animals and clowns."

"Humiliated" That's a new one. From AI? 

I have no idea what their business has been. I only know that when Ringling played the 18,000 seat Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, according to an inside source at the arena who took my call to inquire about business, they were drawing between six and eight thousand per show.  

Strategic blundering?  Even the smartest of showman can make big mistakes: When  Feld removed the elephants from the show, winning high cheer from animal rights hysterics and their fawning media acolytes, I was left dumbfounded by his not having at the same pivotal moment also removed the big cage act as well.  This gave PETA sanction to continue harassing customers outside the arenas.  Give them a dog and pony show, and they'd come off looking like fools.

And then, six years later, when Feld unveiled his comeback edition., I was left equally baffled by his wholesale elimination of clowns and animals.  Will ten months in circus rehab give him pause  to consider a more fulfilling outcome?

What to expect? At the moment, even Keneth Feld may not know.  But he has plenty of time to bring off perhaps the most spectacular comeback in show business history by reinstating the dazzling  totality of what Ringling once stood for.  It is not irrational to imagine dogs and ponies and horses and kitty cats, among other domestics, bringing back a major part of  “the greatest show.”  When I saw the last old-school edition around 2017, a pig coasting down a slide nearly stole the show . 

The circus that no longer dares speak its name needs to come back.

CIRCUS BALLYHOO --- FACE OF A BARN TO FACEBOOK

Long gone are the days when splashy 24 sheet lithos covered half the town. When was the last time you spotted circus imagery on a billboard?  Across the Big Pond, some Brit circuses are now almost exclusively  marketing on  social media, and gradually giving up on  newspaper ads pushing discount coupons. As covered by Douglas McPherson in The Stage, show owner Zippo revealed that he has  stopped running them because nobody appeared at the ticket window with one. That is, while there was a ticket window. Heck, even the red wagon is disappearing over there  as Paulos and Circus Zyair are shutting theirs down. 

But not so fast, argues Julia Kirilova of the Big Kid Circus:  “Posters still have a big impact. People still expect to see them. We are a business which depends a lot on feelings and nostalgia. Everyone knows circus and has a distinct memory of it. Our job is to find a way to make them remember that feeling, whether that is through a short video clip on TikTok or a poster.”

(I guess I was a dinosaur a few years ago, when I picked up a coupon offered in a Vargas newspaper  ad, took it with me to the show and tried getting a resistant lady at the ticket window to honor it. She nearly scowled, claiming never to have known of such a thing.  I let it go, feeling like a stool pigeon from a long lost world.)

Zippo told  McPherson that everyone buys on-line tickets on their phones as they enter the midway.  No need for cash and tickets.  And Sir Douglas rues a day walking the grounds where only yesterday, billowing tents had adorned it.  “There won’t even be a discarded leaflet or ticket stub in the grass to prove it was over here?"

Well ... maybe with luck, a loose nut from a bot mutt?

REVOLUTIONARY CIRCUS REVIEWING LISTS CROWD SIZES

Also over there in Brit land, get this:  A reviewer for the Circus Diaries blog, Charlie Holland, is listing crowd sizes.  Recent disclosures:  300 (about one third of the tent) at Zippos; 500 (half a house) at Big Kid.   That's quite refreshing, although yes, I can imagine that many fans would rather not know. But this does not surprise me. I often see those kinds of turnouts when I go to a circus.

Still, it's nice to see a reviewer taking the time to address both parts that make up a circus performance, the show itself and the audience.  A trend?   Don't bank on it.

SUNDAY MORNING NOW: A Challenging New Day at the Greatest Show on Earth: Hyperactive Set Design, Feeble Direction Suck the Life out of an Ageless Delight

 from 7.15.24

Acrobatic Circus Review
Ringling Bros / The Greatest Show on Earth
On You Tube at Columbus, OH, 8 months ago

Preface. I had imagined being lyfted out to the Oakland  Coliseum, right up to the arena.  No, I would have been dropped off at a gate on the edge of a parking lot along one of the town’s deadliest streets. No thank you.

Once, again, as with Vargas last year, I am left muddled in a dizzy dichotomy between the acts and the production. So, let us take them one at a time:
        
THE ACTS

On balance, they are a sturdy, sufficiently accomplished  lot — when not hooked to lifelines, falling into nets, or grabbing hold of rigging between tricks. To my (jaded?) eyes, only a precious few rang my WOW bell.   Most of the action favors the customary staples: teeterboard, webs,  hand balancing, contortion,  juggling, flying trapeze, high wire, double wheel, Rola-bola, and the human canon.

The show lifts off now and then, and I wished there could have been more of the show-stopping mastery produced by two absolutely terrific risley acrobats. A+ in my book.  In fact, for me, the highlight of the program. 

Other notable high points include two criss-crossiing trapeze acts, which marks a refreshing interlude from the norm.  And there are two double wheels instead of one, offering a tad more tingle to what is regularly expected. These riders worked overtime.

In addition to the staples, show offers gaucho dancing and young bike-riding daredevils up and down ramps. 

At the top: America’s own Wesley Williams, who has a talent for being human, something this show could use a lot more of, scores big time with his sky high ride on a 35-foot high unicycle. I felt a genuine thrill even though he was life-lined; without which, a crash landing over the audience could spell catastrophe.  His act has been split into parts performed at intervals. A shame, but the show benefits from his ingratiating recurring presence.  Indeed, what is lacking the most in this strange antiseptic comeback is a personality.

Where was the robot dog? I might have missed him during Wesley's turn. The you Tube I saw appeared to contain the entire show from start to finish.

A couple of kind of charming clowns take up little space inconsequentially.

THE PRODUCTION:

As for Ringling’s over the top set – stay with me here --- I saw three hills (or platforms), roughly spaced as in the old three-ring layout. On and around them, the performers tend to look smaller and diminished, like ants lost in a maze of flashing light patterns that grab our attention, in effect dissipating the action. In effect, disrespecting the artist. Whatever was Kenneth Feld thinking?  Does he have so little faith in his talent pool which he claims to be world class? 

On the  outer two ant hills of Ringling, other acts endeavor  to snare a little attention, one of them, a group jump-roping troupe that may go four-high.  I would love to have seen more of them.

Spectacle?  Dancers and hand clappers circle the arena periodically in an effort to rouse the audience, which can feel somewhat hollow and obligatory. 

A trend not worthy of the “Greatest show”–  The insidious invasion of mechanics are of no help here. These tell-tale safety wires can render the user a lazier, less skilled artist, no longer needing to rely on exacting technique in order to avoid a plunge. Thus, they now can get away with being sloppier, less tautly disciplined.  The performance suffers.

Music: An amorphous recorded soundscape with a cold  heavy beat left me in a fog.  Totally unmemorable.  This, from the Greatest Show on Earth?  This from a billionaire  circus owner?  

At the  very end of the performance, Wesley alone, in street clothes, comes running across the set -- a touching human image closing out a cold, impersonal enterprise.

All of the above notwithstanding, the crowd was large and responsive. For all we know, the show may be cleaning up, in which case look for more of the same to continue.  But why do I still see widespread hostility in Yelp Reviews, still  averaging 1-1/2 stars?  (Vargas is drawing 4).

Let me close with a recent Yelper from Brian, Willow Grove, PA, May 29:

 "Save your money. The American circus is officially dead. There is no Ringmaster. There are no clowns. There is no pageantry. There is no National Anthem. You cannot buy a pennant. There are no programs sold. They won't even say: "May All Your Days Be Circus Days." They lamely announce: "May All Your Days Be Ringling Days." This costs hundreds of dollars a ticket?"

 My Rating:

Acts B+

Production values: D

May all your days be better than this one.

First published 7.14.24

MIDWAY FLASH! ... Surprise! Guess Who's the New CEO of Circus World?

When I learned last year that Scott O'Donnell had resigned his CEO post at Circus World (it sounded more like he'd been eased out), it did not make any sense at all, so I thought of the decks being cleared for a big name in the museum's history.  One name that came to mind:

Parkinson.

I was half way there. The other half?

Julie.

Down the Covington Chute comes a press release from Circus World:

"Following a national recruitment, the Wisconsin Historical Society is pleased to welcome Julie Parkinson as the new site director for Circus World in Baraboo."

I wonder how really really hard a time they had in reaching this decision? 

In my year end wrap, I had written about O'Donnell: "A big big loss in my outsider opinion.  A new CEO yet to be named.  The selection might tell us about the split.  Watch for a big name insider."

Sadly, it all makes sense.  Entitlement rules the day.

MIDWAY FLASH! MIDWAY FLASH! Scott O'Donnell to Leave Circus World ... Dave Salutos, Another Exit ..

from 8.28.24

updated: 9:21 AM

The sudden exit of CEO Scott O'Donnell from the ringmaster's desk at Circus World took me by total surprise.

News of his exit came through a Don Covington link.  Naturally my first thoughts where, why? Had he been let go?  So I called CW this morning, to inquire, and they put me through to Scott, which marked the first time we have ever spoken. 

Was it his decision, I asked him?

Yes, he answered. 

Why?

He said he does not share a new vision held by  the state government, which now owns Circus World Museum. For most of its  existence, CW operated as a virtual private enterprise.  But that changed about four years ago, when the Wisconsin State Historical Society came in with much needed funding and assumed  greater control.   Evidently, they now want more power at the Top.  Or were they hoping to effect a "resignation"?

Momentous achievements on the job, not good enough?  A press release from Circus World overflows in citing O'Donnell's "countless transformative contributions," including preservation of Ringlingville, creation of a master plan "that will enhance the visitor experience for generations to come," and the "driving force" behind the Society's acquisition of the Al Ringling Theatre.  This and more, in but eleven seasons?  Something is wrong with this picture.   

I asked Scott if he will miss being there, and his answer sounded more like one reluctantly leaving.

"I put my heart and soul into Circus World" he answered. Clearly, as I heard him speak, the job meant a great deal to him, and yet he is leaving without rancor, ready for an "encore" somewhere else.

Scott's departure will be in tandem with Dave Salutos, who is  retiring at the end of the current season, following a 40 year run.  Ominously, this adds another layer of implicit intrigue to a back story.

Sheer speculation on my part, we may find out what was really going on when we learn who will next assume the CEO desk.

There are some things in life that just don't make sense.  This feels like one of them to me.

 Sad to see you go, Scott. 

posted 8.28.24

AI Goes to the Circus and The Clowns of Misinformation Have a Field Day

Artificially meeting up with AI for some Q&A, here are some samples I threw its way and how it responded to each.   HI stands for Human Intervention, myself.

Where can I find the lyric for the song, Come to the Circus from the movie The Greatest Show on Earth?

AI:   The song "Come to the Circus" from the movie The Greatest Show on Earth doesn't have a specific song title or lyrics. It's a musical piece used in the movie's soundtrack, and it's part of the musical score, not a song with specific lyrics. (HI, it did have lyrics)

Who invented the three ring circus?

The three-ring circus was invented in 1871 by P.T. Barnum and William Coup,  founders of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. This innovation allowed for multiple acts to perform simultaneously, creating a more dynamic and entertaining spectacle.  (HI, make that 1881, by Barnum and Bailey)

Who moved Ringling from big tops to hard tops?

AI:  Irvin Feld is credited with moving Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from outdoor tents to indoor arenas. He purchased the circus in 1967 and made the transition to permanent venues like sports stadiums and arenas. This shift significantly impacted the circus's profitability, transforming it into a successful enterprise. (HI, it was John Ringling North and Art Concello)

I heard the show closed in 2017, but then returned to the road in 2023?

AI:  In 2023, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey did return with a new show, but it was not a touring show and was only performed in one location. (HI wrong)

Let's take on the still-contested triple somersault on the flying trapeze. Who was the first to accomplish it?

Two answers.  Who knows, there may be more.

AI:  The first circus performer to successfully execute a triple somersault on the flying trapeze was Lena Jordan, a Russian-born trapeze artist. She accomplished this feat at the young age of 12, although the first officially recognized triple somersault was performed in Australia in 1897.

AI:  The first aerialist to consistently perform the triple somersault on the flying trapeze was Alfredo Codona. He was a member of the famous "Flying Codonas" family and achieved this feat in 1919. The New York Times and BnF / CNAC reported on his accomplishment.  While Lena Jordan is credited with performing the first triple somersault in 1897 in Australia, she did not achieve consistent performance of the trick like Codona. Wikipedia notes that Jordan's first triple was recorded in Australia, but she also performed it in the US in 1896. Alfredo Codona, however, is known for perfecting the triple and making it a part of his regular act

But what about Ernest Clark? 

AI:  Yes, Ernest Clark is generally credited for completing a triple, though there have been others like Lena Jordan, who have also made claims. While some circus old-timers say that Clark tried it infrequently and wasn't always successful, his accomplishment is a significant milestone in trapeze history.

And what about claims that Antoinette Concello was the first  woman to throw a  triple? 

 

AI:   Yes, Antoinette Concello was the first woman to successfully perform the triple somersault on the flying trapeze. She was a member of the legendary "Flying Concellos and was known as the "Greatest Woman Flyer of All Time" for this achievement. Britannica and other sources confirm this.  (HI Jordan is the correct answer)

 

Why are there so many conflicting claims around this subject?  Even YOU contradict yourself. 
 
AI:  Conflicting claims about the first triple somersault in circus history are likely due to a few factors: the difficulty of verifying historical feats, the use of safety harnesses, and the evolving definition of what constitutes a "first" successful performance. Several performers, including the Clarkes and Alfredo Codona, have been credited with achieving the trick, sometimes in practice sessions rather than official performances.  Here's a more detailed breakdown:
 
 Verification Challenges:

    Documenting circus performances, especially from the early 20th century, can be difficult. Accurate records of practice sessions and the specific details of safety harnesses used might be incomplete or lost to time.
    The Role of Safety Harnesses:
    Some claims involve performers like the Clarkes using "mechanics" or safety harnesses to assist in the triple somersault. Whether these harnesses count as a true accomplishment is a matter of debate.
    Defining "First":
    Some claims refer to the first successful triple somersault in a practice session, while others focus on the first time it was performed in a public circus act. This distinction adds to the confusion.
    Alfredo Codona's Legacy:
    Alfredo Codona was a highly regarded aerialist known for consistently performing the triple somersault in the 1920s, even after a deadly fall, making him a prominent figure in circus history.
    The Clarkes and Miguel Vazquez:
    The Clarkes are credited with achieving the triple somersault in a performance of the Publiones Circus in Cuba, and Miguel Vazquez is known for successfully perfoing it and the quadruple somersault, though not in a live show.

 

End of interview.

  

Aside from too many sloppy and  conflicting answers, I was impressed by the last section under Verification Challenges. So maybe AI is better at analysis than facts?

MIDWAY FLASH! ... MIDWAY FLASH! ... RINGLING HEADS FOR BARN ... PROMISES "BRAND NEW EDITION" IN JANUARY ... RESIGNS CACERES, AUDITIONS ACROBATS ...

 UPDATED  HEADLINE from Alex Smith in the field.

 I tried linking onto the "Sign Up" page for updates, and this appears: 

Hmm. We’re having trouble finding that site.

Ah, What Unmitigated Joy It Was, When Circus Ruled the Hearts of America! ... Here's John Ringling North's 1951 Opus at Madison Square Garden, Opening Night Galla for the Heart Fund ... AI Botches Big Top History! ...

Updated below, 3.20.25

Movie Star to Circus Star!  Is that you, Celeste?

Thank you, Shutter Stock!

Yeah, Jimmy, high nose it!  I can feel your joy. That's the greatest Greatest Show up, down, and all around!.

I'll take greatness in grainy any day over schlock in pixels. 

How I would love to have attended one of those Opening Night Galas at Madison Square Garden, when the arena could be drenched in famous faces.

 

 

Do you see any faces wreaking of issues?  Looks to me like a totally embracing crowd

 

There Goes Otto, back into the audience that he can't stay away from!

 

Weary Willie, what are you thinking?  To clown or not to clown?

Serendipity tossed these dazzling mages my way.  The year is 1951.  We're at the circus, opening night at Madison Square Garden ---  a benefit performance for the Heart Fund.  Do I see celebrities riding the floats?  Is that Celeste Holm on the elephants trunk? (Marilyn Monroe rode one in 1955)  My favorite is of Jimmy Durante lapping it all up on the sidelines.

This was the show being filmed by Cecil B. DeMille for scenes in his his epic film The Greatest Show on Earth.  The cameras rolled in Sarasota and would be rolling once again when the show hit the canvas road in Philadelphia.

********* updated:

PS I wanted to sign off by quoting some lines from "Come to the Circus" from the GSOE, so I googled in vain for the lyrics, and got this from the latest advance in digital domination:

AI Overview
Learn more
The song "Come to the Circus" from the movie The Greatest Show on Earth doesn't have a specific song title or lyrics. It's a musical piece used in the movie's soundtrack, and it's part of the musical score, not a song with specific lyrics.  

Artificial Idiocy anyone?

From AI to DC: 

Came an e-mail from a friend to this blog, not the first time he has offered valuable corrections or missing facts needed.  DC for Don Covington, referring me to  a record I already have and was only listening to a few weeks ago! Okay, maybe I preferred pushing how impossible it was googling up the lyrics (never had trouble finding any song before) over re-listening to Harold Ronk's highly entertaining A Seat at the Circus with "Mr. Singing Ringmaster."  A record I highly recommend to all.  So I put the record back on my turntable.  Ronk opens the show on a high note:

Come to the circus!  See  the circus!  If we're not very careful life can overwork us!  So take today, and make it gay, for there are too many tears along the  way ...

One for DC. None for AI.

Thank you, Don.

Legendary Breakthrough at the Circus--- Dancing At Last Holds Its Own

How could it be?  How could a group of dancers ever hold their own against, if not exceed the talents of the best circus acts on the bill?

Mine eyes have seen a revelation. for the first time, four-star choreography in the ring.  

If you live long enough, you may be surprised in ways you could never have expected.  Over the years, I have seen many kinds of dancing in league with clowns and elephants. Some was good enough as filler between acts and prop changes. Some fairly pedestrian. Some, well, at least lively.  But not of a caliber you would expect to find in a professional venue centered in dance and ballet.

Until now. I'm almost afraid to re-watch the You Tube on which I discovered this, for fear I might have over-reacted. But let me leave that for now and ride the waves of something that deserves top drawer respect

These nimble dames are jazzy.  They're funky.  I see saucy shades of Fosse.

The acts between the footwork? Mostly good enough. Three stand outs include a cradle casting duo and a lovely low-wire ballerina who performs both softly and intrepidly well, and on her toes. But here is where the dancers, flapping large wings, messed up my sight lines.  I strained to see the star, and wanted to scream, off with their wings!

Weakest of all, ringmaster overkill. Best of all, wrapping the show with a smartly placed powerhouse of tumblers forming pyramids and individually taking turns thundering around the ring trough somersaults and flip flops. I could feel a hurricane of horses sweeping me away.

Okay, name of the circus?  Candyland 2024 from Zippos. A forty five minute show, easy to look up on You Tube.

 

Monday Morning Wake Up: Why I Will Not Read Battle for the Big Top ...

 You could never guess. 

I've known about  Lee Standiford's well received book, have skidded through a stream of consumer raves, hoping the local library would eventually order a copy.  It sounded like maybe a Big One. Not big enough for Oakland, half the town still behind masks, some on a waiting list for mask implants.

 So, I broke down and ordered a copy from Amazon. The moment it arrived, I opened it to find a form of type face insultingly small,worse yet, not clear black but half-dead grey.  And this, from a major publisher?  Great cover,  frugal interior design on life support.

The experts say that the publishing world is having a hell of a time, many books selling 0 copies, the average new tome, in a swampland of both traditional and self-publishing, selling around 300 to 500 copies.

I read many books, but I did not relish the thought of fighting my way across a grainy grey typeface terrain. Not unless the book were about John Ringling North or Rodgers & Hammerstein.

Here comes yet a bigger shock, for anybody who has a basic kindergarten knowledge of American circus history. While temporarily in possession of the orphan, I did a little checking to see how big a role Art Concello plays in the narrative.  So I looked for his name in the index.

Nothing!  

Heck, he was only to John Ringling North what James. A. Bailey had kind of been to P. To Barnum.  A big player.

I'll leave it at that, other to note that the book seems to cover a wider ground than what the title promises.

Cirque du Desperate? Show Now Touts Story Line and Paper Animals, Leaves Critics in a Muddle ...

Oh, those glorious days gone by when Cirque du  Soleil  need only post its name in suave newspaper ads, and the world would storm the phones to secure the priciest tickets.

And..........................now ......ECHO.  You may clip a discount coupon from your local newspaper, if you still have one and are a subscriber. This oddly and  odorouslly unfaltering discovery I came upon  by accident, in the Sunday edition of our local rag. Notice how the Montreal monster is not pushing the predictable slate of familiar acts, but, instead, a story line that reaches in many directions and features "our main female heroine, Future."  Music by /Wagner?

The amateur-looking ad, if you can read it, promises "a tale of relations and evolution's ... combining poetry, stagecraft, daring acrobatics, and technology... exploring the delicate balance between people. animals, and the world we share."  And only one word about circus -- acrobatics.

Having examined a couple of reviews, a recurring theme bleeds distress over a hodgepodge of action. Both give high marks to some of the acts, and yet differ over story elements, one terming them "compelling" despite dolling out only two stars. Both end up in a  muddle of disappointment, unable to sing Cirque's praises. Here are excerpts from the notices:

Joshua Chong in a 2-star Toronto Star review: "Echo feels like a dull whimper, quite literally confined to a box [and ]is far from the glorious comeback that Cirque du Soleil intended. Despite some stunning individual routines and a compelling story line, Echo is torn by competing artistic visions that prevent the show, [which] never comes together as a thrilling whole."   

Aisling Murphy in  Intermission:  "An echo of circuses past. Two creative visions come to a head in ECHO, and they don’t gel particularly well. On one hand, you have the ultra-sleek box and the treasures inside; on the other, you have a mysterious world of paper animals infiltrated by a blue little girl and her blue dog. Most Cirque du Soleil shows tend to wield a thin story, but ECHO is close to non-existent beyond the initial offer of a girl and her pet on an odyssey of some sort."

The show seems to be doing better with consumer reviews, but here we might be traipsing through a minefield of shilling. Luckily for me and this post, I came upon a 34 minute You Tube sampler ...

"The Best of ECHO" from Cirque du Soleil 

So I had a chance to see for myself what they are up to, that is, with respect only to acts, for there is no trace of the story telling pushed in the grim, grainy newspaper graphic above    The acrobatic action, house acts I suppose, is more roughly athletic than finished.  Iron jaw and hair hang, webs and risley and casting,  with teeter boarders getting the longest workout, refreshing to a point of redundancy.  They are stressing large ensembles, though by far the biggest  hit of the clips shown were two clown-like fellows competing to build the tallest stack of cardboard boxes.  A four-star  hoot.  A great build that goes a bit weak when the stack falls but does not come apart.

If that's the best of ECHO, what is the rest of ECHO?  I have to assume Shakespeare over sawdust. 

Here is what stuck me the most about this leaden opus.  It is cold. It is dark, literally dark. It is abstract and alienating.  Most of the cast have painted faces or wear masks.  I can well understand why the two media reviewers filed acute reservations . One of the Yelper raves talked up never having felt so satisfyingly engulfed in the  atmosphere. It is heavy, yes, I can agree, except that, unlike him, I wanted out.  This was not the feeling I recently got when I  viewed parts of other CDS shows in a one hour You Tube sampler. It seems that their reigning esthetic of the moment is to feature many people doing similar things, rather then giving focus to well honed world class acts.  The enchanting sampler left me open to taking in another Cirque show.  After watching ECHO, that desire is gone.  In fact, I would sooner go to Ringling than to Cirque.

About that embarrassing ad.  What next?  Cirque du phone room calling? 

MORNING WAKE UP, CIRCUS VERSUS THEATER: "Love, sorrow, fear, triumph or revenge cannot be interpreted by purely acrobatic movements." -- Antony Hippisley Coxe, A Seat at the Circus

Further ...

 "After his first wild leap, the acrobat forgot the cause, and, impressed by its effect, became more interested  in evolving physical variations than in trying to express different feelings by similar movements."

And the Winners Are! ...

GOLD  Turkmenistan’s Djiguite riders, China’s National Acrobatic Troupe, and the gravity-defying Flying Caballeros.

SILVER The Scandinavian Boards and the Martini Family’s enchanting exotic animals brought awe to the ring. Pastelito and Junior also earned this distinction, proving their comedic brilliance to be world-class.

BRONZE The Triple Breath High Wire trio, with their serene mastery of the tightrope, joined Duo Acero and Wolfgang Lauenburger in this category.

The Rise and Fall of North and Royal on Kelly Miller

When I think of the circus they ran together. I think of a happier time in my circus-going  days. Three reasons made the show special:

It was  owned and produced  by the House of Ringling , in the figure of  John Ringling North II. During its better, early to middle years, the acts ranged from moderately pleasing to outstanding. Show was very attractively costumed, and well ringmastered by the strong, clean, concise intros from John Moss.  Musical scores were mostly good.  Occasional Imports from abroad  –  top of the pack, a ball bouncing ladder juggler from Etheopia, Abrham Gebre,  added gold to the mix.

Another Big Plus: During those days, we were luckily given a rare insider view by  blogger Steve Copeland, who with his partner Ryan Combs, zealously infused the programs with inventive clowning. Steve’s hopelessly honest postings (actual crowd sizes and audience response, etc.) were daily must-reads.  Was he revealing too much?  The House of Ringling said, no, this is a free country, let him blog.

Don Covington photo / Bandwagon

In the middle of all this stood the imperially tall James Royal, above, general manager. America born, Jim was stricken by the bug at the age of 12, blame it on Polack at Medina Shrine in Chicago.  And seduced by Henry Ringling North’s great book, Circus Kings.

A rarity it seems, Royal would spend his years under tops big and small on both sides of the big Pond. He worked for and with some of the UK’s top circus lords, in various configurations, co-owner to marketing man. Over here, he had started out the Hoxie show, transferred to  Kelly Miller, and then ringmastered for the five rings of Carson & Barnes. From there to production unit manager for Big Apple Circus. 

Just in time to be ready for a call from John Ringling North II, wanting to buy Kelly Miller Circus, up for sale, and asking Jim to become a virtual partner. The two had been friends for twenty years.  Royal was then as best employed as he would ever be, Big Apple Circus giving him a year around salary and benefits. It gave him grave pause—give up all that?  But when the House of Ringling calls, who can say no?  

The following is largely drawn from Lane Talburt’s excellent  two-part piece in Bandwagon.  In the article,  Talburt writes that during Jim’s last two years with Kelly Miller,  “fissures were developing between the owner and his general manager.” Royal specified “disagreements about routing and front end of the show.” He left the show at the end of the 2015 tour. The two have not spoken since.  

The exquisitely agile Mongolian Twins

Naturally, this revelation caught my attention, without which, this post might not be. Not spoken in ten years?  Thus was I stirred to  email Jim, asking him if he could elaborate on the issues separating them.  He declined to comment, except to correct the record, that, in fact, he had spoken briefly with John on the KM lot in Hugo at the opening of the 2018 season, and that, moreover “Ours was never an acrimonious relationship.”

Okay, to the ever-touchy subject of attendance,  rarely raised in circus circles unless conducting a formal interview while a lie detector test is running. I can only speculate, based on photos of people in the seats over time, that at some point, business began taking a rather ominous dive. This may have had something to do with an arguably diminishing quality of the later shows. I have the DVDs for all them from 2011 forward,  thanks to John for sending me one each year, along with a bag of, what? Yes, Peterson Peanuts! A humorous reference to my complaining about peanut pitches being crassly inserted between acts, rather than confined to intermission.

Of the first three shows, I saw one in person, in Brewster, New Jersey,  and  was left reasonably impressed. So Let’s argue that 2012 was the best show they put out.  Here in my view are indisputable highlights, acts I would very much welcome seeing again.

RYAN HOLDER TIGERS - Masterfully accomplished and  presented in a steady stream of maneuvers. A rarity.

FRIDMAN TORALES    Rolla bolla -- riveting

PIRATES OF THE KELLYBEAN Involving several acts, this work was  John's most enchanting production. 

CAROLYN RICE DOGS --  Flat out sensational. Damn, I haven't been this swept away since the Sephenson's dogs!

JUGGLER RAUL OLIVERAS -- Clubs, hoops, balls and hats in dazzling perfection.

ARMANDO  LOYAL ELEPHANTS -- Delightfully charming ... and, dare I say, cute?

STEVE AND RYAN CLOWNING, For creativity and dedication. My eyes brightened whenever they appeared, wondering what might come next.  And they didn't drag in the audience for hula hoops and pin the donkey.

MUSIC The two piece band of Marshall Eckelman and Michael Haerber was a marvel of sound and  contrast, delivering one of the best big top scores I’ve  heard in many years.  Bravo!

FINALE --  We are in darkness, illuminated objects are flying all around, when suddenly the lights come up and there stands the entire cast!  Bow wow showmanship of the highest order.

Okay, back to reality. After John Moss and Steve and Ryan left, what you got was a weakening product slowly slipping away.  

As recalled by Jim, the show had a "disappointing" 2016 season, and 2017 was "even worse." He lays the blame on "the lack of a good front end operation."  North closed the show at the end  2017, and in 2018, granted James Judkins the right to use the tile. Judkins recruited  Royal to the campaign.  Jim was now spreading his skills between a scaled down version of Kelly Miller and his regular position with Culpepper and Merriweather  The two hung in there for two hard years.  Business for 2018,  in Jim's words, was OK, but 2019  "wasn't good.”

Looking back on his days with John II, Jim shared this: “He is a gentleman and a very kind person ... When he was on the show, he would be in the tent watching the show at nearly every performance, and I do mean watching it. (that's him in the hat, below). This was something that the artists on the show appreciate ... He invited ideas from others for possible use in future shows. He defiantly has the ‘Ringling touch.'”
 

“John and I worked to make sure that everyone with Kelly Miller felt that what they did for the show was valued."  Which brings to mind an Al Ringling quote on the subject,  which I am paraphrasing, to wit, that nothing can so dispirit  a circus performer as a lack of appreciation.  Al had heart.  I think John II would have loved talking about the nuts and bolts of circus performance art with his great uncle Al Ringling, for whom the show itself was his greatest passion.

Most things in life come to an end.  Johnny the Sequel loved the  elephants, and, without them. hadn’t the will to go on.

Cry, Jumbo, Cry.