| I was 13 when I saw this show and remember it as tho it were yesterday. |
Thursday, January 03, 2008
The Greatest Show on Earth 1948
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36 comments:
To avoid confusion, in 1948 the Ringling Bros. initial season of 1884 was the reference point.
Today the 1871 P.T. Barnum date is used.
But did the dog reinvent chasing the frisbee? Were there three rings of frisbees?
Last night on the elevator was a mom and her kids. I asked...did you like the show? She replied with a somewhat sheepish apologetic smile well, not really. I didn't think the circus was supposed to be a musical. Too much singing...It sure has changed the last few years...
It sure has.
Denny Gilli
The show ran 2 hours and 17 minutes, if you eliminated the drag queen, the dog show contest, that God awful "stolen Ringmasters hat schick" and a couple of those Big Apple clown numbers, then open with the big Chinese number and close with the motorcycle globe, you would have a pretty good 1 hour and 45 minute show.
I think this is what is called a "no-brainer".
Was there anything working in a cage, besides motorcycles?
I've never quite figured out all that singing, exactly who it's supposed to entertain? Certainly there's a rich history of singing ringmasters. Or way, way back even singing clowns like Rice. But songs were only one of Rice's weapons. Perhaps if I was a bigger fan of musical theater I would see things clearly. As it is, during the overtly Broadwayesque portions of any RBBB performance I notice kids squirming in their seats. Somehow the context doesn't translate. I would love to hear somebody sing Patty Griffin's alt/country alt/folk song "Trapeze" during an aerial act, I think it could be haunting. But then the context would be clear. As it is too often on the RBBB shows the musical production numbers seem to segue into acts that deserve a more exciting build-up.
2 hours and 17 minutes. The 105th Bicentennial Edition ran a full 3 hours(and I'm sure the 108th edition did, too, and that one opened with Charly Baumann and his tigers.) As Smokey would say, "What a joke."
Blogmeister: Thanks for this image. This was my first circus ever, saw it at the old MSG. I was only six, but I do remember alot. I remember particularly visiting the menagerie and the Side Show. WOW! The wonderful smells, the huge crowds, Gargantua, the souvenir painted turtles, the chameleons and the buttons (don't see them much anymore...think they were deemed too dangerous.) The Doll Family selling their Bibles not much bigger than a postage stamp, the Giant selling rings, Sealo autographing photos and of course feeding ALL those elephants.
The show itself spellbinding in
"all its splendor"....Thanks Showfolks, Thanks so very much and thank you (in her heart) Circus Fan Grandma Louise for taking us to The Greatest Show On Earth this first time and many times thereafter. I only wish I had known about CFA back then.
Paul G.
Daniel Raffo with 8 tigers was about as deliberate as it gets.
Not near as impressive as the Lance Ramos act with the Ken Unit.
hey Casey!!!!yes there were 8 tigers and they were beautiful !And the elephants worked amazing !!
There were frisbee dogs.yipee
A bunch of horses, lots of ponies, a porcupine,a piggie,goats,some barnyard critters...
A live band .. wow what a concept( note sarcasm)some of the music was gggreat and some was kind of not so fabulous.
2 darling clowns who played music and were funny funny funny................Fresia fav was the umbrella glow in the dark girls ..
The led lights on the truss were pretty neat.
There were some chunky monkeys dancing which kind of surprised me...
We loved the second half.
at one point Fresia said ,"mom you know why this is the greatest show on earth?,because it is, nothing can compare" so true! it is .
Buckles: Can you say anything about how Jenny Vidbel is doing and do you know how long Al and Joyce will be on the road with her? Paul G.
How many Elephants?
Jenny's ponies was the best animal act in the show, good troupers too.
The prop crew brought in what appeared to be a black snake but turned out to be the ring curb.
While being inflated it writhed and wiggled and finally wound up in a somewhat elliptical shape, similar to a football.
Undaunted the first six little ponies bumped into it and by the time the second six came in they had pushed it pretty much into a circle.
So does the ring curb double as a moon bounce during the preshow? Enquiring minds want to know!
There were seven elephants and of course with no ring curb they worked around the tubs and did what they could.
Surprisingly there was a display with three contortion acts placed around the arena and an aerial contortion overhead. It was very effective, too bad there weren't a few more of those.
I rather suspect that the Felds would much rather own a controlling interest in and be producing the Big Apple Circus with its intimate, 1-ring performance venue, no tigers & elephants & PETA to worry about, a long and prestigious engagement in Lincoln Center, the adoration of New York’s politically correct intelligentsia, etc. Whenever the Felds’ production people visit the Big Apple Circus, I’m sure they are under orders to look for ways to “morph” the GSOE into a similar format.
I still don't understand the logic of no ring. Are there big Disney on Ice type production numbers that need that big of an open space? Or is it the attempt to further distance themselves from the dreaded 'circus' word. Apart from the Gold Unit, I haven't seen GSOE in many years, so it's an honest question.
HM
PS Did they actually have a drag queen in the show?
They sure did and a tasty thing to set before the King, she was.
She did a comedy trapeze act about 10 feet off the floor and after a prat fall to a pad, concluded her act in panties and bra.
even the drag queen's not a new idea. in the earlier part of the century, many "female" performers were actually female impersonators, which is the 50 cent word for drag queens. the legendary barbette began his career as a "female" aerialist.the only surprise is a drag queen in light of the major homophobic attutude of the show in recent years in relation to the past when ringling welcome gay performers, staff and particularly creative personnel.
Henry, please don't lecture me on this subject. My wife has long been regarded as one of the circus world's leading "fag hags", one of which willed us $10,000 following his death from AIDS.
I was a personal friend of Vander Barbette and feel confident he would be spinning in his grave like a lathe had he seen the act in question.
Speaking of Big Apple - from their web site, it looks like the srongest show they've had in years.
I don't know how their business is, but judging from the expensive acts, they must be doing ok
Judging from the comments about this years new Blue show and the crap that the Blue show put out two years ago (the circus of dreams) it appears like the Red show has emerged as the much stronger unit. I thought the Bellobration show was pretty good, they actually had 10 elephants and it just seemed to be a good show (besides the bellobration spec which was just cheesy as hell) To all you circus folk...was there ever any competition between the 2 units back in the day? Was one ever considered to be stronger than the other??
Back in '78 the Red Unit was considered "The Gunther Gibel Williams" show and the Blue with Buckles was the GSOE! :)
I love a good singing ringmaster with a real good production number to back it up. Unlike Shrine dates with performers walking the track waving hands or flags. PATHETIC!
(Tell those foriegn acts that when leaving the arena floor the American flag is not to TOUCH THE FLOOR while the acts are rolling up the flag around the pole.)
In musical theater the songs purpose is to move the story line forward, obviously the circus doesn't have a continuos story line but it does have a story line in the production.
Ronk, Ragona, Gillet, McGuire were excellent; each had their own style and were very effective and ENTERTAINING.
I think the RED/BLUE competition was unfair; GGW always got lots of press while the BLUE UNIT had some outstanding lineups of talent. Then again the RED UNIT had some powerful lineups as well.
My opinion: it was fairly balanced. I'm not trying to start a heated debate.
A 5.6.7.8.
Much of the circus-going public is aware that Ringling has two units touring the major arenas. During the Gunther era, many would discriminate preferring the Gunther unit. If the new blue unit comes across to the ticket-buying public as a weak show yet again, then they will ask for the Bello unit. The problem will now become that instead of preferring a show they perceive as strong (with Gunther), they will be avoiding a show that they consider weak. Not a good long term trend—except for Bello who Feld will now have to keep for his associational value with a better show.
In the early seventies Hubert Castle used blowup ring curbs.
But he had the good sence to only use them on outdoor dates.
Blow-up ring curbs is the WORST IDEA since 3-show-Saturdays.
When both shows were sharing the Venice quarters, I remember being up around the ticket office and hearing a party ask if the new show was the one with the blond guy and when told that wasn't he replied that he would wait until next year.
No doubt Gunther was the man and I sometimes asked the promoters which unit they preferred to work and their stock answer was always, "Makes no difference, either one is The Greatest Show on Earth". Maybe that's what they were instructed to say.
And as The Dummy (Andrew Robinson) would say in that high pitched voice as we pulled into quarters, "Nail everything down, here comes the Blue Show!"
But be that as it may, during our brief time on the show they didn't have to hang side wall in front of unnecessary seats.
Buckles,
Bravo, that is a very accurate account of the way it used to be.
Wade Burck
To Wade Burke... I guess I'm a grown up now (28) and I have kids of my own who now love the circus. However when I was 6 years old the 116th Blue show was one of the first Ringling Show's I ever went to and I still remember to this day seeing your white tiger act. To this day I think that was one of the best editions I had ever seen, your act, the Chinese Acrobats (which I'm assuming was a new thing to the states at the time), Marco and Phillip Peters, and a great Clown Alley. As a little kid my ambition in life was to be a "lion tamer" and I even made my dad take me to a local Farm and Fleet and by me a horse whip so I could pretend in our backyard! My dream never became a reality, but just wanted to thank you for some great memories--you should be back on the GSOE again!!
Heard D Raffo was supossed to be the new Mr GG Williams, how was the cage act an old chipperfield number and was he working with the Elephants
Hey Anonymous...you and Wade have a lot in common:
You pretended to be in the cage and Wade is STILL PRENTENDING to be in the cage.
You got your whips at FARM AND FEED, so does WADE.
Wonder of the World never cease to amaze me.
Love ya Wade, you big pussy-cat, you!
Are you getting your willow twisted in Europe????
About the respect to the American flag, when I traveled with C&B, I told the performers in the finale to not let the flag touch the ground because their audience regarded this as an insult. I did not have to tell very many of them again.
Bob Kitto
Wade,
Word of advice....
Not necessarily from experience...
Don't go getting your "willow twisted" down there. The "zona roja" may seem like a bargain (bout the same price as a cotton candy at RBBB) but just like the souvenir hat you get with the cotton candy and can keep for ever, you could receive a gift that keeps on giving.
Just looking out for a friend,
Oh...
and stay outta Cowboys/The Cadillac, unless you are just signing the guest book.
Anonymous,
Thank you for the very kind words. Fan appreciation is the greatest reward in my profession. The 116th edition was one of the best, and I am proud to have been a part of it. The Feld Corp. apparently felt the same way, as many of the spec floats and costumes are on permanant display at Circus World Museum in Baraboo. I had to leave the ring, as all the whips were gone at Farm and Fleet, and they couldnt keep them stocked. If we could work out a purchase/lease plan for the one you have, I may be able to arrange a "triumphant return." Be safe, and my very best wishes.
Wade Burck
Wade Burck Fan Club,
The only thing my willow got in Europe was "knotted", not twisted, but thank you for asking.
Wade Burck
Casey,
Made a trip to the Cowboy/cadillac yesterday. First thing I see is an autographed picture of you over the bar. That I could tolerate. But when that big fat senorita, starts telling me that is the Jefe of all Subjugators, I had to leave. No way was I going to get her to understand what a "Larry" was, with that kind of advance publicity.
Wade Burck
Anyone have any new pics of the new Blue show? What was the set like? Did they use the same set as the circus of dreams show or did they follow suite with the square ring curbs.
Also, do the shows still winter in Venice?
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