| To the people in Europe who view this Blog, this must look like "Circus from Mars". On the subject of foreign Bloggers, I'm surprised at the lack of interest in Russia. Maybe if I bought two baby elephants and named them "Cy" and "Beria" it might increase viewership. |
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Rudy Bros. Circus 1969 #20
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5 comments:
If I may add...and since the emphasis was on the promotion instead of the production the production became diluted over the years and many (not all) circuses became an insult to the industry.
I attended a show where friends were booked; the manager told me the phone room did well over $60,000 (in the 1980'S) for a one day stand that had three families doing three acts each, an announcer (the manager who also ran the canned music} and a workman dressed as a clown. There were 37 people in the audience for the first show and the second show was canceled because nobody showed up.
In my opinion the "phone rooms" did more harm than good. The public should want to attend the circus rather than send a check to keep the local cops happy.
There are exceptions -- Vargas had a very strong talent line-up. The Gardens in Canada have an immaculate show and is packed with top talent. Both of these have/had phone operations. Yes, there are exceptions, but many a phone room has brought unwanted and negative attention to the circus.
Full disclosure: I own the Yankee Doodle Circus, 2009 will be our 24th season and I have never used phone promotions. The best acts in the business are on my tour, and you can ask them about the capacity crowds that fill our showplace.
This year's show sells next year's tickets.
A possible reason that your blog lacks readers from Russia is: most of the Russian performers are not in Russia anymore.
At one time the American-born acts were protesting the newly-imported European acts, then the Europeans were disgruntled about the South of the Border acts taking work and working cheaper. Now the South of the Border acts are complaining about the Russians and in turn the Russians are complaining about the Chinese.
The Chinese are confused because they don't know who to complain about next.
They should go to Washington DC because Washington will bail out anybody these days.
There was a pretty English language website four or five years ago that reported on Russian Circus. A bit like a "Circus Report" for the old Soviet Union -- who was working where, who was available, what new acts were up and coming. And there was an active comments section from fans. In a sense I think that because circus is still a vital entertainment form in Russia and many of the former Soviet Republics, there's less discussion of circus history and more discussion of current happenings. It's certainly true that many eastern European performers work abroad, but all those circus buildings in Russia and elsewherearen't standing empty.
I do believe Mr. Naughton is ever so correct.
In my opinion the "phone rooms" did more harm than good. The public should want to attend the circus rather than send a check to keep the local cops happy.
While not all phone promotions are bad, for a generation some owners and promoters made a profit while thinking little about both the performance and more traditional advance. Why bother to bill post a date when the money is in the bank before the doors open? And as Mike points out, the folks writing checks buying tix for "widows and orphans" weren't actually attending a circus. Phone operations became a bit too much like crack cocaine, and by the time that restrictions on phone operations, do not call lists, etc. did their damage -- there were shows that had forgotten how to actually fill seats.
Unfortunately the follow-up "plan" has been the free kid ticket. Not bad in theory, but in practice free kid tickets have alienated even more circus-goers shocked to discover that an adult admission is $25. Ironically the show may be well worth that, but when a family of four arrives at the box with thirty-five dollars and finds that they don't have enough to get in -- even with those two free kid tix, either they leave and the show makes nothing off them, or one adult attends and grudgingly spends that other ten on corn. When it's all over they're in no mood to attend again next year. The same family might have attended and had a great time if they'd known in advance what the whole thing would have cost.
In the current economy there won't be any room for "surprises."
Last night at 2 minutes to 9, I had a boiler room call with a pitch for some charitable org and I told him what he should do with his phone and to take me off his list.
I have asked at my former business if the caller was getting the usual 25% and there was dead silence until I stated that I was sorry that they were only getting minimum wages.
The other scam is that they are calling for some charity and don't know a 501.c3 is.
When I ask for the last 3 years of their audited statements, I am told that they would send it, but, so far, i have not gotten any statements.
Bob Kitto
PS. There are some very fine phone crews that I have worked with, that gave no heat and actually helped the shows.
Bob Kitto
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