From Richard Flint #3

Gold elephant, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. Gold unit elephant act I was able to see the new Gold unit on Monday in Salisbury, Maryland, and, with most of the audience, was absolutely wowed by Patty Zerbini's elephant act. From the act's excellent entrance with the elephant appearing out of the fog as the portal curtain opens to the act's close in reverse as the elephant backs away through the curtain and into the fog, I was completely enraptured. Patty Zerbini does a number of acrobatic turns on the long and crossed tusks of her massive elephant who moves steadily and almost slowly to great effect. As impressive as it is, much credit also must be given to Linda Hudes who composed the superb music that is almost haunting yet most appropriate for this awe-impressive number. For many years Linda Hudes did the Big Apple show music and now she's done several compositions for this edition of the Gold but her elephant composition makes this act a standout. Note, also, such enhancing details as a more ornamental pattern on the elephant tub and the wondrous blue lighting of the ring along with the star patterns that slide along the elephants back as it lumbers about and are created by the gobos in the spotlights. There is a lot else to praise in this delightful one-ring show such as the comedy of cyclist Justin Case who makes several appearances as well as two Russian clowns, Vincenta Pages tigers, and some Russian tumblers who work on a "fast track" executing, among else, a variety of double forward somersaults (with a pirouette, three performers at once, layout, etc., if I caught them all correctly since they were executed in rapid succession as I tried to make notes!). The video of the performance sold on the show is a good reflection of what is seen except a zebra and second elephant were not in the act as presented yesterday. The slim program booklet is a return, thankfully, to one with a modicum of more informative text than some others of recent date though still no formal listing of displays. Dick Flint Baltimore