Eagerly anticipated and a huge deal when it came to Marysville, CA every year at the mall. Vargas and Big John Strong were the only shows in that locale.
Broadway dancers, take a look. They will tell you that a lift like this in any routine is sufficiently demanding on the hard, flat surface of a stage. Being circus people, performing a cut above, Ben and his partner accomplish their lift atop the head of a rearing elephant.
As far as I know, Ben had three partners that he did adagio with in the Anna May act, Mickie (where he learned adagio), Debra Chapman, and then Lynn Pope Polk. The only one I ever saw was Lynn working with him on Circus Vargas. Lynn also did her single trap act and worked previously on RBBBC as a Showgirl. I thought Lynn did a very fine job.
6 comments:
Eagerly anticipated and a huge deal when it came to Marysville, CA every year at the mall. Vargas and Big John Strong were the only shows in that locale.
I know Ben had several adagio
partners but I don't recognize
this very attractive gal
Broadway dancers, take a look. They will tell you that a lift like this in any routine is sufficiently demanding on the hard, flat surface of a stage. Being circus people, performing a cut above, Ben and his partner accomplish their lift atop the head of a rearing elephant.
Nowadays most Broadway show decks
(the platforms placed on the stage)
are mostly flat as restrictions on
"raked" decks or stages have gotten
much tougher over the last 50 years
The most severe rake I recall was
"Amadeus" on Broadway in 1980 which
was at 1 inch to the foot (extreme)
with a 12 foot central glossy blue
plastic square & I custom fitted
an antique wheelchair with brakes
for Ian McKellen to maneuver about
safely as Salieri (winning a Tony)
Currently "Wicked" on Broadway is
at 3/8ths of an inch to the foot
& the dancers don't like it much
Many British stages were built
originally with a permanent rake
Hence the terms "upstage & downstage"
As far as I know, Ben had three partners that he did adagio with in the Anna May act, Mickie (where he learned adagio), Debra Chapman, and then Lynn Pope Polk. The only one I ever saw was Lynn working with him on Circus Vargas. Lynn also did her single trap act and worked previously on RBBBC as a Showgirl. I thought Lynn did a very fine job.
He might have had another
adagio partner but maybe
Barbara could correct me
Although not an adagio
routine his center ring
presentation with his
mother was incredible
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