Is that Bette Davis in the Jomar?

John Ringling North, to her right, thrived on entertaining famous guests late night in his private car on the circus train.

Shrine Dallas Producer Nixes Wild Animals, Citing Modern Attitudes; Critics Claim a Conflict with Animal Suppliers is Really Why

NewsFix out of Dallas was none to happy when Shrine Circus producer and operator of Fun Time Shows, Bill Cunningham,  announced that, henceforth, his show will no longer contain wild animals.  He stressed getting in step with changing public attitudes over this increasingly contentious issue.

According to the report, several Shriners were not pleased with the decision.

Cunningham's reasoned stand, published in the current issue of Circus Report, states  "There has been a rapid mood shift in public sentiment."  Shrine circuses, he believes, need to implement a  "model of circus entertainment that is in alignment with today's modern families and can help sustain the Shrine Circus for future generations."

He said his show will continue presenting dog and horse acts.  But according to NewsFix, at the three-ring circus in Dallas in early September,  "there wasn't a single animal in sight."

Cunningham told NewsFix, "No lions, no tigers, no elephants. Our stars are the human performers that  are willing participate and dazzle our audiences."

He sees corporate funding, down in recent years, in time rebounding.

Countered Dallas Shrine president Doug Terranova,   "If he doesn't want to include animals, that's fine. But it's very disingenuous for him to use PETA as a ploy when the simple fact is he's had an ongoing battle with the animal suppliers.”

A very interesting story.  The ongoing  battle is sure to escalate in the wake of Ringling-Barnum about to retire its elephant force from the spangled parade.

10.1.15

At Circus Vargas, Alex Acero Mines Clowning Gold

Who is he, this scampering little rascal of mischief currently holding court at Circus Vargas named Alex Acero?  Whomever he is, in his best moments — wish there had been more — I thought I was watching about the best damn circus clown in America.  At the moment. 

Big Apple, anybody back there listening?

During a full and fabulous trampoline workout against a high wall, Acero worms his way into the routine like a sly invading pixie  —  grabbing audience attention with amusing  body animations laterally and off angle — his legs and arms twirling like those of a Warner Bros. carton character.  

Such a perfect pleasure!  So unexpected!   How I wish I could have seen more of him, and him alone in the ring, instead of his recurring excursions into the house to recruit volunteers for another you-know-what.  

Back a little later, after being run out of the ring by show host Jon Weiss,  Acero steals another moment atop the ring curb, taking a tiny little hoop in hand and spinning it around the tip of his pointed hair extension, itself resembling the protruding bow of a ship.    Loved it.  Pure genius.

Bello, you've got competition!

His one big misstep is to insert his acrobat talents, sans comedy, into the opening of the flying trapeze display.  The clown disappears from view.  It would be like your favorite comedian coming back between monologues to seriously recite Shakespeare.  Or the Bible.  And clearly not for laughs.

And then, it dawned on me. I think I saw this Acero a few years back on Carson & Barnes,  and didn’t think much, blame it on his soon spending more time with audience volunteers.  He does here at Vargas, too, but before those excursion bloom into humdrum filler, I witnessed a a world class funny face at work. The above picture is from Alex's C&B days.   

Give me a circus in which Alex Acero is ordered to say out of the audience. To stay put in the ring.  He is a ton funnier on his own.  Know what might happen?  The audience might get a ton larger.

Anything wrong with that?

Big Apple Circus in Meltdown? Show Owed Boston Big Time at End of Date ... Turmoil at the Top ... A Short Season Ahead Rumored ... PR Vets Dien and Thurston Out ...

BIG APPLE CIRCUS OWES BOSTON $100,000
 --- rang a headline in The Boston Globe last March.  Overdue rent and other costs cited.

Okay, now that I’ve got your attention, are all seven of my visitors present?  Okay, let’s go.  Call this post How to Run a Circus Into the Ground, Big Apple Style.

This one was pilot-lit by Don Covinton, in response to my post below, e-mailing me that the show  "had to cut its staff significantly to survive."  Gone, as one troubling result, are long-time publicists Joel Dien and Phil Thurston

A shock upon hearing that. And yet, I should not be so surprised.  The show has apparently displayed a particular ability in recent seasons to fail in thrilling the customer. More of this as we go on.  Some random  thoughts:

* Declining patronage.  Show continues to cut back on personnel and dates.  Big Apple has long been rumored to be on the brink of don’t-say-it, one source for this dire scenario being retired founder Paul Binder himself.

* Ineffectual showmanship, two editions in a row.  I saw them both — the first in New York, the latest on the big screen at a movie house near where I live, last November.  Some good acts, a few terrific, but the wavering direction failed to achieve dynamic pacing and  power.  Some of the blame must fall on new artistic directer Guillaume Dufresnoy, whose initial offerings included the brilliant Dance On!  

* Thus, this voluntary Memo to BAC: Stick to dance directors, avoid theatre types.  I feared that Dufresnoy might steer the show in a more Cirque-like direction.  The theatre-ness in this last season's opus seemed to slow down the show, at times, to a near standstill.  Maybe in Paris.  Not in Paris, Texas.

* French clowning.  It may make some laugh.  Most of us, beyond the obligatory giggle to show respect, grow tired of it fast.

* Bloated bureaucracy in Brooklyn. My guess:  Way too large a non--performing payroll.  

* A Void in the Center:  Who is in charge back there? An executive-go-round that suggests a TV reality show in the making promises only never to settle upon any particular CEO.  In recent years, the  names of Dunning and Berger and Stirrip have, in succession,  held the highest post.  Now there is Will Maitland Weiss.  The board of directors numbers a staggering forty people.  Among them, I can imagine a million ways to peal an apple down to a dead core.

* The crutch of charity:  When you overplay this hand (the Clown Care Unit, and now Autism), you risk looking like a charity case yourself.  Not a pretty picture.

Death on demand?

Let’s be fair, Big Apple Circus is not the only show struggling to pull in crowds, but I can't imagine any other American circus out there needing one-fourth the Big Apple operating budget to say on the road.  

Next: Where does Paul Binder fit into all this? 

Big Apple Circus Goes on a Grand Tour, 1920s Style

On the Big Apple Circus website, general information of what is to come for the new season, to kick off as usual at Lincoln Center.

Oddly missing are actual names of the acts.

I find the production concept quite promising.

THE GRAND TOUR is a circus extravaganza set in the 1920s and featuring acts from the four corners of the globe. Ships, trains, automobiles, and airplanes will serve as the backdrop for breathtaking acts of wonder, accompanied by the seven-piece Big Apple Circus Band playing live at each of more than 200 performances. Acts will include clowns, jugglers, acrobats, and aerialists, from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America, as well as domestic and rescue animals, all creating performances that will leave audiences smiling and cheering.

The Face of Tomorrow in the Big Cage -- if there is to be a tomorrow: Featuring Ryan Holder

  Ryan Holder holding court in the Kelly Miller ring

In the UK, there is Thomas Chipperfield, with his home-made videos showing in the full light to day how he trains his tigers.

Now, over here in the US, equally impressive, we have Ryan Holder, with Kelly Miller Circus, inviting the public to watch him in training sessions with his big cats.

Here, which I just came upon, is a film made of him talking informally about the tigers.   We get to watch them lazily at play in a large spacious enclosure in the backyard.   Holder is natural, relaxed, and his manner and persona points to a future when trainers like Holder may be able to foster a continuing -- or renewed -- public acceptance and appreciation for wild animal acts.  I encourage you to take a look.

http://www.allegannews.com/allegan-news-news/kelly-miller-circus-tigers-play-cool-morning

John Ringling North II deserves credit for having Holder tutored by Casey McCoy, and for supporting Holder in the enlargement of his act. It now includes a white tiger.  In total, as many as eight charges in the ring.

I can't think of a more appealing and persuasive spokesman for a form of animal training that appears to be humane, intelligent, friendly, caring.

And I am inspired to remind myself that the circus, and I mean CIRCUS, was born on the back of an animal -- a horse ridden by Philip Asltey near London, thus giving birth to arguably the most universally shared form of entertainment the world would ever know.  A form that crosses all boundaries and cultures, that needs no particular language to explain itself.

Yes,  Holder lacks the fiery showmanship we especially associate with the old line of dramatic man-versus-beast spectacle.  It is the last thing any circus needs today.   More Baumann than Beatty, Holder's approach, which still leans toward the methodical, yet reveals a subtle flair and confident control that he will do well to build on.   His act is clearly on the ascent.

If there is to be a future in such animals acts, it will be the Ryan Holders and the Thomas Chipperfields of the world who make it happen.  

Check out the video and see if you don't agree.

Direct from the USA!  Produced at a real circus in a real ring.  Ah, now, doesn't that make you feel proud?

World Wide Circus Summit -- The Point? The Outcome? Forget About That. Just Be Glad It Happened

To read about it from the warm pen of Circus Report's Chuck Burnes, it sounds gloriously social, that great big summit up in old New England, where 800 people variously connected to "circus" gathered for shows and exhibits, symposiums and networking (aka: jackpotting)

Chuck exudes a good feeling.  And I am no longer wondering what was the purpose of it all, or what, if anything, was achieved.

This is how it feels to me: They were all together in one merry mass —  circus owners and artists to fans, and that surely made them feel a bit more emboldened in their shared passions.

They exist in near-anonymity, compared to people who labor in more booming venues from TV to the movies and pop music

Tim Tegge and Paul Gutheil

Would love to have heard what was said when Circus directors met.  Quite a forum of big top lords and ladies.  From the U.S. came virtually all the major players, all except for curiously absent Kenneth Feld.  No surprise.  Methinks he thinks himself high above the pack, which of course, in terms of dollars, he is. But he could have contributed to the discussion, whatever they discussed. Anybody know?

Lovable Johnny Pugh talked about his days under tents, so he did.  Also in evidence was the Byrd of Byrds, and even, from my own state, Katya and Nelson Quiroga of Circus Vargas.

A great way for people who are “with and for it” to feel joined in a stronger circle of faith and resolve.

The tents still rise, and the shows still go on – thanks to them.

Good for you, World Wide Circus Summit!

 Paul Binder, Wayne McCary, Don Covington, and James Royal

 Brooke Evans, Bob Johnson, and David P. Orr

Ringling's Gold Bites the Dust. No New Show At All Next Year?

LATE BREAKING UPDATE:  Circus Knie to Retire its  Elephants; see below

For the first time in its history, a new season may come and go without Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey producing a new edition of itself.

Reason being that, with the Gold Unit apparently being taken off the road, the remaining two units still in operation (Red and Blue) will continue presenting their same shows across a revamped itinerary of dates.  Persistent rumors have pointed in this direction.

 Circus Xtreme goes into its second season.  Legends, embarking on its third tour, opens in Birmingham, come January.

As for the elimination of elephant acts, opines Don Covington,  "Concurrently, there is no longer speculation concerning a major final farewell tour for the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey performing elephants as the current herds on the Red and Blue Units will continue to appear with the existing shows prior to retiring."

Such an idea may have been nixed by the Felds, fearing more adverse publicity from animal rights groups, who would likely seize on the historic event to push for an end to all animal acts.

Biggest Question:  Will Ringling come to California in 2016, and, if so, what show will they bring?  Of course, they could do a re-branding touch up with a new title and a few new acts, and technically call it a new edition.   

The Gold Unit reaches the end of the line this October, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Rumors about its imminent demise have circulated for years.

When Ringling folded its tents in 1956, troupers argued that, had John Ringling North taken the show out for one final farewell tour under the big top, the Big Show would have played to packed tents

But the idea of parading the pachyderms around the track for one last season does not seem nearly as wise or appropriate.   How the times have changed.

The Greatest Show on Earth, long without its big top and now without its most powerful symbols -- if we are to believe Kenneth Feld -- faces a new day of uncertainty.

The famed title GSOE was always centrally about size.  The big top is long gone.  So are three rings.  And now, the elephants.  How can it not look smaller than ever?

Update, 8/12, 4:38 PST

News in from Switzerland that Circus Knie, in 2016, will join the no-elephants parade, retiring its pachyderms, a part of the show since 1919.  Not due to protests, says Franco Knie.  The leading animal rights group in Switzerland, welcoming the move, nonetheless noted how well the Knie family has cared for its performing elephants.

Circuses Under Siege: From Creepy Clowns to Abused Elephants, What Next — Bloody Big Tops?

The collapse of the Walker Bros. Big Top at the Lancaster, NH fairgrounds last week, as a storm approached, leaving two dead, and many injured, called to mind the collapse of a section of seats on Toby Tyler Circus a number of years ago. 

The falling seats did not kill anybody, but the adverse publicity may have kept a few people away from canvas arenas.

And I wondered, putting the tragic Hartford Fire of 1944 aside, has there ever been a single circus patron killed due to a circus tent  getting knocked about in the wind, or, worst of all, loosing stakes and crashing to the ground?  I can't think of an incident. 

A week or so earlier, there was the news of a few people dying inside a falling “circus’ tent at a festival in Chicago. Circus tent. Those two words.   Yet another setback for our beleaguered big tops?

Early reports suggest careless mismanagement on the part of Walker Bros. Circus  No permit to operate on the fairgrounds. No testing of the tent prior to the shows going on.  No taking action in the face of severe storm warnings.

Given all the storms through history that have visited our nation’s big tops, it now seems remarkable that not more people have been killed under battered big tops.

And then I thought of the Carson & Barnes big top that was felled earlier this year down in Texas, and of a home made video taken, just before it happened, showing an aerialist doing her routine when, one might argue, the show by then should have been halted, the crowd carefully ushered out.

But, nobody was seriously injured, as I recall, at Carson & Barnes Circus.

It’s a pity when one show operates in so apparently reckless a fashion. It hurts them all.  The Robert Ringling run Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, when it reached Hartford in 1944,  from courtroom accounts following the tragedy was recklessly supervised and operated, key safety precautions ignored.  Two or three men went to prison.

It appears that what happened to Walker Bros. Circus should not have happened at all. That somebody was not minding the tent.

Coming Soon to a Theatre Near You: American Violence

Thank God for Netflix and TV, DVDs and streaming live, not that the sort of a movie to which I am now attracted would attract to a movie house enough young people to also a attract a young maniac armed with guns sufficient to defend himself in a call to duty abroad.

It is bloody and horrifying.  And it is, sad to say, the American way.

My only wonderment is, when if ever will it be terrible enough to effect real changes in our obscenely uncivilized  gun laws.  Ooops,  that's right.  They tell us that this is the price we must pay for "freedom."

Perhaps we need to redefine "freedom" for the modern age.

I won't linger.  This is supposed to be an entrainment blog.  And know what?   In too many depressing ways, this is all about American entertainment.