Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Evansville last week #1 (From Josip Marcan via Jim Cole)



Carson & Barnes Elephants.

I chatted with Mr. Marcan on the phone last night and he told me about his facility in upstate Florida and the animal shows he sends on the road.
I had forgotten that he once worked elephants, we talked about his years with Tijany in Mexico.Posted by Picasa

Posted by Buckles at 11/28/2006 12:03:00 PM

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The only "Diamonds" on the floor should be those painted on ring curbs!

Three rings of elephants, and I understand a live band played circus music, It dosn't get any better!

28 November, 2006 12:17
Anonymous said...

Now that's a circus!

28 November, 2006 12:46
Anonymous said...

I don't get it. Carson and banres can clearly provide 3 rings of elephants to Paul Kay and the Hadi Temple but doesn't have 3 rings of elephants on it's own tour

28 November, 2006 13:05
Anonymous said...

It's called "Econimics 2006" The show can make more money leasing out the other elephant acts, than if they kept them on the show.

28 November, 2006 14:25
24-HOUR-MAN said...

A 15 piece band at that.

One time a visiting Circus Chairman from another temple asked Doc Standring how many pieces were in the band, when Doc told him 15, he said we only have 5, and it sounds just as good. Doc replied,"it doesn't to me"!!!!

28 November, 2006 15:54
Anonymous said...

If you blow up the picture it shows three big rings, and all being used! Notice the audience is filled too??????? Most of America still knows what a real circus is!

28 November, 2006 17:49
B.E.Trumble said...

RE: Miller Elephants. It really is economics. The cost of taking four or five elephant trucks on the road, jumping 100 miles a day when diesel is $3.15 a gallon is difficult to justify when the "average" audience is just as happy with a 3 act or a 5 act in the center ring. Personally I'd probably argue that quality trumps quantity anyway. We had three rings of elephants when Carson & Barnes opened under the tent in Arlington, TX this year, three for the indoor date in Tulsa three weeks ago, three in Little Rock, and I think we'll have three rings of elephants in Mesquite this weekend closing the season. Three rings looks really impressive. A true long mount looks impressive. But is it necessary to the character of a traditional circus? Not if it doesn't pay for itself or fill the seats. Historically there were certainly a lot of great circuses that never carried more than half a dozen bulls.

Ben

28 November, 2006 18:42
B.E.Trumble said...

I should say a bit more to clarify. I do love watching three rings of elephants. And I loved watching five rings of elephants. But if I could turn back teh clock and had a choice between seeing five rings of elephants again, or seeing Buckles with his elephants in the close confines of the BAC tent, it isn't five rings that I'd choose. Three rings or five rings, even if every one is great makes a broad kind of a big impression. One great act close up leaves a clearer more personal impresssion that I can conjure up just by closing my eyes.

That doesn't mean that a single ring of elephants is a good idea in a big indoor space. Sometimes if you want to leave any kind of impression at all on the people in the nosebleed seats you better have a whole world of elephants in those rings, or diamonds, or triangles, or pentograms or whatever the circus world has on the floor next year

28 November, 2006 18:58
Anonymous said...

I understand that economics are the issue, and I respect that. My question is with Carson and Banres coming to Minnesota next year, Ben how many elephants can I expect to see and does that include Obert?

29 November, 2006 00:48
24-HOUR-MAN said...

I see something in the next post about color, this is color!

I think Evansville & Garden Bros. probably the prettiest indoor shows I've seen.

29 November, 2006 08:47
Anonymous said...

Way too early to even speculate on how many elephants will be on the road with the show next season. I don't think that decision will be made before February. I'm sure that Barbara nd Geary and Traci and Krisitin will think that through after Christmas. If I was just guessing -- and I am just guessing -- I'd say the likely numbers are four, six, or eight; the same numbers that were floated last winter. In the end with those numbers it would come down to (1) a three act in the ring or a five act in the ring? (2) do the Africans come along for the ride? Then there's always the issue, where are other Miller elephants going for the season? Intially this year there was talk of adding the Africans to the connection once the show hit the midwest, but with fuel prices in July well over $3.00 adding a truck would have been pretty hard to justify.

Haven't got a clue on Obert.

29 November, 2006 11:24

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