Monday, February 15, 2010

1962 Grotto Circus #14


Wallendas, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 2/15/2010 05:38:00 AM

5 comments:

Chris Berry said...

This Cleveland performance came less than a month after the seven-man pyramid fell at the Detroit Coliseum on Jan 30 killing Deiter Schepp and Richard Faughan and paralyzing Mario Wallenda. Although the seven-person pyramid wasn't performed again for several years, some of the troupe returned to the wire the following night. Eric, do you recall whether the Wallendas performed at that matinee in Cleveland? Chris Berry

15 February, 2010 08:59
klsdad said...

I had the thrill of seeing the Wallendas perform with the Royal Hanneford Circus at the Westchester Center in White Plains, NY on Saturday afternoon (Feb 13, 2010)!!
Yes.. they performed the 7-person pyramid after Billy Martin's wonderful introduction and request for "TOTAL SILENCE until the last member reaches the safety of the platform at opposite end of the wire"!! And there was!!

What a thrill!!

klsdad

15 February, 2010 10:46
Eric said...

Only three men appeared that afternoon and, despite a large holiday crowd, there was dead silence all the while they were performing.

15 February, 2010 11:12
klsdad said...

I had the great thrill of seeing the Wallendas perform - co-incidentally on this Presidents' Day Weekend- on Sat.-Feb 13, 2010 with the Royal Hanneford Circus at the Westchester Center in White Plains, NY. at the 2 o'clock matinee.

YES... they performed the 7-person pyramid after Billy Martin's wonderful introduction and request for "TOTAL SILENCE so the troupe can hear their vocal instructions.. and until the last member reaches the safety of the opposide platform"!! I think I still remember it from under the Big Top!!

And there was!!

Vicente Pages opened the program with her 6 white tiger act (complete with mateing
ritual in the front transfer cage prior to the start of the "main" act.) See... you do learn
things at the circus!! (I had seen Ms. Pages perform a couple times at Coney Island last summer with the Ringling Gold unit.)

Tim Frisco presented the elephant displays, in the first act with "the youngest performing elephant in the United States..VAL.". (I guess since Barack is back at the compound??)
and with Val and 4 older elephants in the second act!! Boy do they move!! I've put segments of the act up on YouTube..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCUnk9nxJyI
I've added the music.

The over-all favorite act was Davide Zopee's Rhesus monkey Revue!!

The performance space is the size of a basketball court.. so.. you are "up close and personal"
wherever you're seated. This is my third year for attending.. and the best yet!!

klsdad

15 February, 2010 11:37
Jimmy Cole said...

Speaking of the 7 person pyramid, you should see it done at Circus Sarasota by the Nik Wallenda troupe!

I understand that on opening night, an elecrical plug that was part of the lighting over the high wire, got over heated and melted dripping hot plastic down onto the 7 person pyramid. I heard that Nik got some burns on his head from it, but everyone made it across OK.

15 February, 2010 15:45

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