Word hazzit that the German has been disqualified from the elephant display. Possibly in a dispute over who gets to wear the Bello wig. |
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Latest News Flash from the Incredible Shrinking Show!
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22 comments:
I've worked with many of the top names in the business for over 10 years, from the top to the bottom and they are NEVER happy. The Bello Costumes on the performers actually bring out the best to be honest. The anonimity of not knowing who is who brings out some great energy. It's how Cirque achieves it's results. How many times have you worked with a group of flyers from Europe who just don't want to dance or clap - they are above that, or so they think. The bigger issue 99% of the people who view this blog should be concerned with is the Riducule of the Great Wonder of the Asian Elephant by the adornment of the silliest looking head piece I have every laid my eyes on. The elephants look like Don King Dolls to be honest. What happened to adorning these magnificent animals with beautiful blankets and headpieces. If you go to MySpace and Flickr, you can see everything I mentioned. Guess security isn't working either.
I don't question your opinion that wearing anonymous costumes in a production number can be entertaining.
But the finale is a tribute to the artists overall accomplishments.
I remember some of the lady performers like Chela Gaona wearing something special in finale for a very good audience as a "Thank You".
Performers don't spend their lives perfecting their trade to become anonymous at the whim of unknowing, untalented production people. Just when I get my keyboard clean another barffable artical appears. Xmas cookies recycled are not a pretty sight.
Conformity in general is highly overrated.
Nobody really likes to make finale unless you can be so recognized as to your part in the show and many performers [woman especially] do like to fix up for the finale. To ask them to portray a chorous part in finale is demeaning. That is what they have showgirls and general clowns for. Some of the great circus stars of yesteryear had in their contract no parade, no production numbers.
We can see why you sign as "anonymous". If you had 10 years with top names, the question is, in your own words, "to be honest", why don't you have a name of your own?
The best is never brought out in any performer made to assume the appearance of another. Not with the Clown College Finale with the rubber noses, certainly not with such professional suicide as wearing anything suggesting Bello.
If a performers' contracts call for their presence in Finale, they deserve to appear representing themselves, as Buckles notes was done by Chela Gaona. To understand this, as Rebecca notes, you have to understand the work behind professional achievement resulting in presentable acts. Arrogance which disregards achievement results in seething resentment that serves only to undercut the spirit of any performing company.
In a season long ago, I knew a man who came on with us for his first circus tour to great happiness and high expectations. In Winterquarters, he was stood up and dressed in dreadful wardrobe that would have humiliated anyone. I sympathized with him, and encouraged him to simply defy the owners, and show up in wardrobe appropriate to the act, but the other performers laughed at him. He was made to look like a fool, and went in the ring feeling like a fool. In mid-season, he quit in disgust.
To those who read this site, my comments need a disclaimer stating they are not necessarily those of Buckles or anyone else. But: should you be so embarrassed, so outraged by what non-circus people do to your persona, your act, your dignity, your hard-won professionalism...break your contract, walk out, quit on the spot.
Fix flats behind a gas station in Podunk, flip hamburgers at McDonald's, but don't let people like this denigrate who you are and what you've worked hard to become. Not the Felds, not anyone.
Our "Anonymous" indicates you "think" you're above it. You certainly are. You always have been.
"Anonymous", here, is right where anonymity belongs. Without a name.
Well said, Roger.
Well, I happen to have what seems to be a very unpopular opinion.
No matter how long and how hard an actor works to develop their act or acts,untill they put YOUR name on the Marquee,I believe that you are part of an ensemble,a member of a performing company.I've only heard of a couple performers names who had ANY drawing power at the box office !
And It may not be a popular opinion but I consider it a part of paying dues.And I, although not born in this business,have made my living as a circus actor for the past 33 years.
fix flats?flip burgers ?
I enjoy going "Alley Hoopla !!"
Tim Holst has a saying that he frequently uses: "Around here we like Team Players!"
Which simply means, if they get their way, you are a team player and if they don't, you're not.
The ringling show now is driven by production and concept, not talent. Somewhere I read a comment by Feld saying along the lines of "nobody comes to see perfomers anymore, it's the draw of the name."
But one would think you still have to deliver more than pretty lights and loud music.
I will start by saying that I am in No Way referring to Bello Nock, he is a very talented young man.
We all know we are referring to an organization where any show of individuality, any spark of possible "star" quality shown by individuals, is immediately supressed, and forced into anonymity. This goes all the way back to the Ed Sullivan Show when Otto Griebling was visibly, physically, pushed into the rear to promote Emmett Kelly,(who don't get me wrong, was a great clown promotion wise), but he was no Otto Griebling.
They pick their own stars, & we've seen times when it was not always the right choice.
Dress the performers in all the production wardrobe you want for other numbers, but finale is their "closing bow" let them be themselves.
Bill Strong
team player: our way or the highway...
Roger, I choose to be anonymous for a variety of reasons, it is my choice - I also choose not to banter on an open forum. The conclusion that everyone seems to have jumped to is that the performers take their final bow dressed as Bello, but they don't. It is only the Spec Production. This year is actually 12 years in the industry and like Mr. Dean - I was not born into the Circus. I am full Prep School and College Educated, so I had to earn any respect I have attained, the hard way, around a lot of inflated ego's. Perhaps my reply gives you no satisfaction Roger but it comes down to this, my opinions should be judged for content, accuracy and honesty, not my name or any title I hold, hence the reason I sign in as Anonymous.
Oh, don't be a kiljoy, anonymous. Banter on an open forum is what keeps the rest of us entertained, probably far more efficiently than orange Don King wigs. And just for the heck of it, I too will log in anonymously...!
Do you get a lot of respect from the performers telling them they have inflated egos? They earned our respect the hard way in the school of hard knocks, blood and tears. No fancy schools and book learning. Hours of practice, practice, practice. Self sacrifice"?" {no book learning} and a desire to entertain the circus going public. Most of them second and third generation. Seems to me anonymous you have an ego problem.
Far from it Rebecca - I ALWAYS gave credit where credit was due - which is more than I can say for many others on the Performer side I worked with. It was never a 2 way street. In this entire string only 2 individuals - Mr. Woodcock and Mr. Dean have shown any assemblance of mutual respect and conduct. Yet we have taken this from the subject matter of (a) dressing performers in costumes for spec and (b) adorning elephants with oversized sponge to ego's. Call it ego, call it self confidence, there are any number of adjectives one could use - if ego makes you feel better than so be it. You are right though Rebecca, I wasn't much liked but I was always respected and when I left, the love and admiration followed. This is the essence of true leadership. Happy New Year.
For what ever reason "ANONYMOUS" I have the feeling you just don't get "?". Guess you just have to be a performer with an "EGO" problem to really understand.
There are NO true leaders at Ken and Nicole shows. They would have better shows and at least give the impression of knowing what they are doing. It just gets worse every season. Maybe they will just give it up and the circus world can be proud again.
I note some pretty far out comments in regard to finale. In Japan I did sucker up along with Larry Dean to be cast in the finale feeling it would be a dignified march out. It was awful we were a tight group some four abreast havin to lean down and then through our hands in the air while progressing down the track. Neither of us being dancers or Kinkers and the star of this ungodly episode was the some six foot peroxide blond girlfriend of the elephant guy who got in the way styling the elephant act, but was certainly an oddity to the Japanese people. I am sorry I did it and animal trainers should definitely not be cast in anything that would constitute part of achorous. Certainly principal performers should be recognized in a finale in a dignified manner as is always the case on Broadwy, Opera, Ballet and the circus. Thats why people practice so hard to mabe some day they ca be front and center on the hippodrme track in finale to receive their just and final reward in a star studded show. If thats an ego trip, so be it and I am sure behind the scene personnel can be quite envious. But thats what show business is all about. Unfortunately this Solel thing has only chorous, there are no stars, but very well could have them and the Disney ice shows star the animated characters. No Hamilton, Sonja Heinie and such so some skater has to put the head on for finale. Not very rewarding professional.So I guess I am all for those egotitical, tempermental, necessary evil people known as performers and presenters. Like we always like to say in our defense, " They don't buy tickets to buy snow cones or candy floss".
Some of the smartest people I've worked with never attended college. Likewise, some of the most dedicated and hardest working people I've worked with were prep school/college graduates who were forced to prove themselves as being 'with it' to 2nd/3rd generation showfolks.
Not all knowlege comes from books, but not all ability comes from being born into the business.
I like to learn from both, as I enjoy reading the opinions of the named and the anonymous. Thanks for allowing both.
Not to be picky, anonymous, but in your comment to Roger you said, "...over inflated ego's." I would think that a prep school/college educated person such as yourself should realize there should be no apostrophe in "ego's". Even a dopey circus performer such as myself knows that. And as a side comment, I always thought respect should be earned- not demanded. Have a happy new year!
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