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Friday, March 10, 2006
Circus #1
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35 comments:
This is the Evansville Shrine Circus last November.
Even with no on performers on the scene, the picture gives chills and thrills for what we know is about to happen. I think there was an arena for the Tigers.
When I enlarged the photo I made out the arena. Another great new Tiger Act from Richmond.
Buckles,
I've read about the 10 ring show produced in Texas Stadium(s). Have you ever seen it before and if so, how many acts were actually involved in producing a show of that magnitude?
Bob
Thank You Sir ;
If I have to even go to a Circus I would prefer the tickets to " this SHOW - # 1 " ! ( The other show is certainly # 2 ; if you can relate to where I'm coming from ) Maby I could learn something about the business from the experience !
Today must be my lucky day.
Thank You Again,
Ken If
Ken, We call it POOP on this blog. We don't mince the words. You can call Shit, Shit and this photo is that. What Baby Kay does in the potty is #2
I got so flustered at the #2 photo that I commented on it on #1.
Bob,
I'm not familiar with the Texas dates you refer to but when we were with the Polack Show we played the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and a lot of extra equipment and acts were brought in. One of the additions was Ted DeWayne's chimp sitting on a bull tub and threading a needle.
Another date like this was Tom Packs Circus in Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
They actually set up five rings on each side of the field. A lot of the ground acts had to do the same act twice, on one side during the first half and then switch over in the second half.
But Rebecca, what do you really think of Picture #2?
ps: Even Baby Kays Potty has better music. Thought I might as well throw that in for a free bee.
I believe the show bob cline is refering to was the annual circus done in the Cotton Bowl Stadium during the fair, produced by Gil Gray, I couldn't begin to tell you how many acts were involved but they all worked at once, all over the field, including aerial acts. Side Story---one year we set up during the day, did the show that night, tore down and left. The next morning the grounds crew discovered two feet of water in the stadium, we had hit 7 water lines. You can bet the following year they had the water lines marked.
Which reminds me of a real stupid thing I did a few years back. While on a walk with one of the pets I saw all these little yellow, red, blue flags stuck all over the bulavard. I pulled them up to use as markers for my Field Trails on a dog show. OOOPS
Bill, Did you know Gene Garner?
For rebecca, you may already know that the Cat Act in Evansville was Wade's new White Act.
I did not know Gene Garner.
If you have never seen Paul Kaye's Evansville Shrine Circus, you should really take the time to do so. I have had the priviledge of performing there sine 1988 and I just retired there this past November. My trapeze is hung underneath that giant chandelier and I was surrounded by 6 other trapeze girls and 12 web girls front back and side track.
Bill, JC was very excited about the new Tiger act. Because of the bad storm I was not able to see it. He always tries to have the best. I do wish he would do something about the wardrobe. It is just too ordenary for such beautiful animals. I think he does not want to detract from the animals. The women look like they could be doing WEB in some of those outfits. All beautiful women that need classier wardrobe to show them off to. The circus is really in dire need of FOOTE to do the cage acts.
If you look at all the female cage act performer and other performers from the good old days, no butts or boobs are uncovered. I am seeing more net then material on the costumes[?] today. Real Class never goes out of style. Especially for an old time real circus with all the glitter and glamor. The only improvement I have seen is the footware. How I hate those majorett boots worn back then. The tall shiny boots look very nice.
Hmmm... I'm always in favor of boobs and butts, but there's a time and place for everything and in a cage act, at least in theory all eyes are on the cats and that exposed flesh is just wasted. Besides, with PeTA painting naked ladies as tigers I think more clothes, not less might be in order.
The St. Louis date Buckles refered to was the Shrine date at the former Public School Stadium -- basically a football field with a track around it. With the exception of the big aerial acts and a few others everyone worked twice. About 1969 they moved to the downtown ball park. When Paul Kaye had the date he used nine rings. A show might open with Pat Anthony and Tarzan opening the second half, seven sway poles, two flying acts, Diano elephants and at least two more elephant acts. There would be several nine ring displays, acro, dogs and ponies, bear and chimps. The close was Dave Merrifield's helicopter trapeze and fireworks.
Top that Ken and Nicole
Anonymous you made more sense then I did about wardrobe. If you are wanting to show off your beautiful animals, why put a half naked female in the cage with them? A dark haired female dressed all in white would really be neat. A white surong[?] with a short skirt all jeweled up in gold. The men like British military. I can dream can't I?
I have to correct myself regarding the Cotton Bowl show during the fair, we did a regular show, spec & all. It was during half time shows when all acts worked together.
jim a. you took the words right out of my mouth re: public stadium. To get technical, Paul had 5 rings & 4 stages
I was proud on the Vargas Show when someone relayed a remark Vargas made that Trudy was proof a girl could be sexy in the ring without her _ _ _ hanging out. Barbara is another great example of that, as was Gala Shawn, Strupi, Lee Kimris, and many others, along with sexy though comes the word "class".
Then how come I was always CLASSY? Never SEXY The School Marm. Lord knows I tried. Barbara tried to help also. No Sex appeal what so ever. I never had boobs to hang anywhere. In or Out. Built like a boy Do you know what that does to a young girls self esteem.? I will say I was covered with jewels and a lot of material.
You need to go back and look at the picture "Duchess" #1, and read the comments, School Marms don't draw compliments like that.
Tavana, even with all those other Trapeze Girls I am sure all eyes were on you.-B.J.
Buckles: The answer is "none of the above." The best choice would be a circus under the big top (aka a "mud show") as God intended.
AMEN to that!!!!
The first thing my greedy wife spotted in the Shrine Circus picture was the elephant ride platform.
Barry, Do you still have a job? I really like how you write from the behinds scenes. I have learned a couple of things that never occured to me before. Its a shame none of us have the funds to recreat a REAL OLD FASHION MUD SHOW CIRCUS. Just one season on the road the way it used to be. None of us could perform the way we did, but could teach the younger performers how it was done.
Circus # 1 gets my vote!!!!
Rebecca, I'd probably argue that the Hugo based shows are still legitimate mudshows. Certainly much has changed, but the soul is still there. The compromises have more to do with things like insurance rates and fuel prices than they do with Feld-like attempts to reinvent the circus. I'll bet there was a part of you that felt right at home when you stepped onto the Kelly Miller lot last year and you'd feel even more at home on the Carson & Barnes lot. Somethings just never change on mudshows. Every day is too hot, too cold, too wet, or too windy -- except for those God blessed days that turn out perfect.
Ben Trumble
I love the Hugo Circuses. When I visited Kelly Miller last Summer there was not one person I knew. After I introducted myself to The Manager, my friend and I were treated like old friends. I had no idea I once played a Summer with the manager on Fairyland. They wanted to give us everything free. But like a true Circus Fan I insisted on paying our way. I believe in supporting the Circus. Roy Wells would not take the fee for the elephant rides we took and as he was bigger then me I let him get away with it. These Hugo Circuses are great. I would just like to take a Circus out with input from all of us Elderly performers, etc. Just for one Season. We would each have an act to care for. I get goose bumps when I hear Circus music. We would have to have a live band also. So many sequines and beads it would blind us. The arial ballet with at least eight beautiful costumes women. Yes my heart and soul will always be in the MUDD.
When I was a first may on the L E barnes show. I learn a lot from the Elderly performers. Like Dave Hoover, Roy Houston, Walter & Mille Stimax and Ralph Gifford. I learn something from each person on that show in someway. The bad part about is I get to see how the old way and new way have to work side by side. Because they don't, the show close fast. Like LE Barnes did. Yes, it true the live band help you feel like you are steping back to the time of old mud Shows!!!
The MAIN reason Circuses are going out of business is because they [the audience] think they are paying good money to see an OLD TIME CIRCUS. What they are seeing instead is something they can see on stage shows. You only have to burn them once. You lose your audience, you lose your Circus.
Rebecca. One of things that I really like about circus history is the "big picture," circus in context. What amazes and delights me is that in terms of real numbers there are probably as many shows today as there were in the late 1950's. Certainly they're smaller shows, and the audience for circus is smaller, but there are still millions of circus tickets sold every year. When we lament the decline of the circus sometimes we overlook bright spots like successful Hispanic shows that go virtually unnoticed outside of specific communities. I can think of 14 mudshows that will be open a month from now. I can think of six small indoor shows, three medium sized indoor shows, and four larger indoor shows open now, and that's before I consider Shrine producers or anything with a name that sounds French. And I’m sure I’m missing some. There are ongoing issues that make for a tough business. Insurance, workers comp, fuel prices, and the difficulty in finding CDL drivers who will work for circus wages can all be show killers. Can’t move it, you’re dead. Constantly changing regulation, animal activists, etc. add another level of complexity. In terms of marketing the demise of highly efficient phone sales can't be overlooked -- though very targeted direct mailing may be working at least in some markets. My guts says what happened over the last fifty years is pretty simple. There was a baby boom that reached its peak in time to put a lot of small truck shows on the road in the 60's and 70's. Then came a fall off. There was an economic boom in the 90's that saw another business spike, followed by a fall off. I tend to think for a long time to come there will be a base audience for a certain number of tent shows, and a certain number of indoor shows. I also think that there are some specific areas where things have genuinely improved in the outdoor amusement business. Using workers with temp Visas certainly beats the heck out of scrounging for working men in shelters. (That’s one area where I get a bit tired of hearing non-Spanish speakers complain and talk about the “way it used to be.” The way it used to be wasn’t all that good all of the time. ) Equipment is much improved. Attendance last year during the traditional outdoor season seems to have been up, and cuts this winter should allow shows to make money again after the insurance crisis of 2005 that really hurt bottom line. There might be some room for cautious optimism at least this year. (Hope always springs eternal before the season starts.) You’re right though. If the audience comes for circus they want circus, not something they can barely recognize. Give 'em a good show at a fair price and they'll come back. Bad show that costs an arm and a leg and it becomes all that much harder for the next guy who comes to town.
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