Buckles Blog: Big Apple Circus 1988-89 #6

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Roby Gasser and "Adolf".

Anonymous said...: Adolph is a South American, or Patagonian sea lion often used in European sea lion acts. Marco Peters has the only two (females) in the U.S. now with his excellent travelling sea lion show.

I remember the first time I saw a tape of the Gasser act thanks to Jimmy Hall. It was amazing finishing with Roby's one-armed stand on Adolph's nose.

I heard that Big Apple wanted to bring in Roby's sister's sea lion act (3) but couldn't get around APHIS regulations. We may never see the likes of them again.; 27 July, 2006 07:40
Buckles said...: Immediately following this act they did a silly little clown number with an elephant wearing butterfly wings.
I would wait outside with "Peggy" then enter the tent quickly as soon as Roby and "Adolf" had exited.
On one occasion I was in the darkness, hurriedly trying to attatch the wings when Roby returned to get his jacket he had forgotten with "Adolf" at his heels. For some reason that big shark barked and "Peggy" jumped up, trumpeted and went into the "waltz and rear" that horses do, completely clearing out the backstage area.
Roby later told me that "Adolf" set the all time sea lion ground speed record getting back to his tank.; 27 July, 2006 08:05

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