More on Herr Sembach! (From Al Stencell)

Scan13070, originally uploaded by bucklesw1. "My experience was totally different. In 1971 I had a fall stage circus out using phones and did very well. I bought a large diamond ring and an even bigger ring rimmed in diamonds with a huge pearl in the centre for an engagement ring for Shirley. i had a German jeweler make them. However, Shirley was in London, England. i took a boat out of NYC right after Christmas and arrived in Southampton about ten days later after a terrible storm New Year's eve that injured several passengers and ended the New Year's concert in the ship's theatre when the piano and the pianist came flying off the stage into the audience. The next day you could sit on deck and see all sky then all water. The next day the ocean was calm again. We spent a few weeks going around England and then headed for Europe. Shirley's interests were art galleries and mine were circuses. Whwn we got to Munich i wante to see the show at Krone. We got to the building around noon and were told the night's show was sold out as it was Charlie Rivels last performance in the building. i asked the lady if Mr. Semback was around and she said he was at hoime eating his lunch. I went over to the back door and knocked. he answered and listen to me about being in the circus business in America and really interested to see European shows. I told him we only had the night in Munich but the ticket lady said the show was sold out. he talked to us for a few minutes and then said to meet him in the lobby a half hour before show time. We did. there he was with two programs for us and took us into the arena and put us in the centre section across from the back door about 4 rows up. He made room for us by telling the people in the row to squish over so we could fit on the aisle. A few more time before the show started the ring boys went into the sections and moved people closer together and more people were jammed into the seating. i remember two things about the show. One was one of Kovak's crocodiles coming up the stairs after crawling over the ring curb. It stopped a few feet from me and Kovak ran up and waved his hands over it and the crocodile froze with its jaws open. For the rest of this act, this open mouth crocodile stared at me. Second was Charlie Rivels act. Today i still look at Shirley, tilt my head back, wrinkle up my nose muscles and make that whoooooooah sound that was Rivels' trade back bellow. However, the best was remembering the kindness of Mr. Sembach that made room for two young Canadians at a sold out show in his building."