Thursday, September 04, 2008

Circus World Wardrobe #2


Scan10674, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Another shot of the same outfit which Barbara wore when she worked Anna May's act alone.
The tail feathers were shed early in the act and handed to a prop man.

Posted by Buckles at 9/04/2008 06:44:00 AM

12 comments:

Mike Naughton said...

At Clown College 74; Don Foote presented a class on costuming the Greatest Show on Earth.

He mentioned that he used a lot of orange because in the arena with the primitive theatrical lighting of the time, that orange "read well".

He also commented on the horrible green mat flooring that these costumes/performers had to walk on didn't help any.

All sketches/costumes had to pass Irvin Feld's approval; many pieces got 86"d but purple costumes usually got the OK because Irvin's favorite color was purple.

Bobby Kay, a/k/a Robert K. Smiley, a very nice person and classy white face clown confided in me that among the clowns Irvin Feld was known as "Big I" and his brother Israel was known as "Little I".

Bobby would have some magic included in the walkarounds. Bobby told me that "Irvin" loved magic and Bobby's desire was to keep "The Big White Father Happy."

Also, Don Foote mentioned that in his early career he worked with Hollywood's legendary costumer Edith Head; he told us that no person's body is perfectly symmetrical and it was the costumers goal to make everyone look perfect and glamorous for the camera.

Years later, Bill Bradley, the choreographer, told me the following: the creative team would present, in writing, the complete "movement blueprint" to Irvin Feld about 1 year prior to the new show's opening.
If Irvin rejected the idea/theme/etc; Irvin would KEEP the written proposal so the creative them couldn't re-hash it a few years later with a different theme.

04 September, 2008 11:07
Anonymous said...

Interesting about Mr. Feld and his favorite color purple. Cliff Vargas' favorite color was orange and early on he had his trucks painted white and orange and had an orange Big Top. I remember on the show in 1973 and 1974, for opening spec, he had the front rider and horse decked out in this elaborate orange costume while the rider carried an American Flag. I recall several unflattering remarks about Mr. V from both performers and circus fans regarding his affinity for the color orange that was so "un-circus-like!"
Neil Cockerline
Minneapolis, MN

04 September, 2008 16:04
Anonymous said...

Here we go again, I read the waqon as saying RBB&B shows. Not a circus!! I don't remember how many old showmen told me and my dad that it was never a circus.
Bob Kitto

04 September, 2008 20:02
Anonymous said...

Whatever they said in the past, so be it.

Today it is most definitely NOT a circus and it is hard-pressed to be passed off as a show.

04 September, 2008 23:23
Casey McCoy Cainan said...

Anonymous,
Did you ever think that maybe they were trying to not be associated with the huge blanket called "CIRCUS" then or now? Lumping RBBB in the same category as the building show with two families and a llama would be a shame. But if they are both a "CIRCUS" then the people who see the little building show could reasonably assume it was the same as that "Ringling deal" It's funny to me that Cirque De Soleil has never called itself a "CIRCUS", and has done quite well for itself, however "CIRCUS FANS" will tell me how they saw it, and it was ok, BUT ITS NOT A CIRCUS! There you have it, people leaving Cirque have no misconceptions that they saw the little building "CIRCUS", no they saw Cirque De Soleil, and will remember it. No disrespect intended to the little building or tent shows (I have spent my whole life on them) but it truly is apples and oranges.

05 September, 2008 09:48
Anonymous said...

Red is The Circus color and Orange is the KeeazaRNY color. Hoxie's shade of purple was not that bad. Note Irvin liked purple, so he must have been comfortable visiting me on Hoxie in Rockville, Md. so many moons ago.

05 September, 2008 10:10
Wade G. Burck said...

Johnny,
And probably why he didn't come to visit on Vargas with all their orange.
Wade Burck

05 September, 2008 11:50
Wade G. Burck said...

Anonymous,
"Today it is most definitely NOT a circus and it is hard-pressed to be passed off as a show."
Who pray tell are you comparing "The Greatest Show on Earth" to in making that insightful statement? Who/what should they emulate to get it back on track?
Wade Burck

05 September, 2008 11:55
Buckles said...

The Evansville Shrine Circus.

05 September, 2008 12:01
Wade G. Burck said...

Buckles,
A one shot deal may be an unfair comparison. We have to wonder if Paul Kaye could tour with the Evansville Show, and make the nut. I would think if Ringling keeps it at one ring, and manages some State aid of some kind, that might keep them in the running.
Wade Burck

05 September, 2008 13:58
Anonymous said...

Bonjour,

Regarding the statement, "Cirque du Soleil" never called itself a circus.
In Canada's Quebec province, French is the official language.
Since Cirque du Soleil started in Quebec their title Circus of the Sun was marketed to the French speaking populace as most definitely a circus.

They didn't call Rodeo du Soleil.

bisouxx

06 September, 2008 03:35
Anonymous said...

Speaking of symetry and attention to detail; when my costume was fitted I was presented to Don for a final OK. His assistant __________name? asked Don,"What do you think one or two?" He was referring to how much, ah, assistance was needed to achieve elegance and symetry of the upper torso. (Otherwise, known as falsies) Don took one look, (which seemed forever) up and down my landscape and replied, "One and a half-times two".
Mission accomplished.

As ever,
Adaline

07 September, 2008 04:46

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