"I can certainly empathize with these people. Having to endure this Police line-up twice daily and three times on Saturday has to be the most humiliating experience imaginable. |
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Blue Unir 2009 #17
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18 comments:
Buckles,
I remember when the cast had to come out for finale wearing a clown coat and red nose. At the time everybody thought, "that has to be the most embarrassing, humiliating thing in the world." I think Ringling wisdom has come up with something far superior in the "God, I wish I could die" category.
Wade Burck
"Hey, it's still ShowBiz!" -or- "So THIS is where six generations of circus gets you!" ~frank
On the other side of that coin, my grandkids loved getting dressed up and getting their picture taken.
Actually, this doesn’t necessarily help concession sales but is an immense positive for public relations. I know that some old timers vehemently dislike the idea of the public on the floor but I have to say, having heard from many friends and students who participated, that it only intensifies their circus-going experience as they take delight and feel a personal association in later seeing an act where they’ve met the performers on the floor. I know it may remove some of the magic and sacredness of the ring but in a big arena and during these times when the circus image suffers from AR people, it does give the public a closer, more intimate appreciation, however limited, of the circus. Some major stars do not take part. Only a few animal people participate in a demonstration (elephant painting a picture and trained dog and pony) with a narrative by Jenny Vidbel about the animals and their care. As to sales, folks that arrive early don't seem to linger long on the concourse and instead head for the pre-show clearly knowing the routine from previous visits. Seat vendors can not sell on the pre-show area of the floor where the crowds are and they can only go on the perimeter of the floor when it is necessary to get to another aisle. Vendors in the seats find few people since the crowds are on the floor. The only real chance to sell is the 15-minute period between the end of the pre-show and until the ringmaster is introduced. And those last few minutes during the clown gag before the ringmaster appears, I can assure you, is not a time the audience likes to see a vendor for, in their opinion, the show has started!
Dick Flint
Baltimore
P.S. When I’m selling programs, I mention collecting autographs during the pre-show as well as the opportunity to see the “peerless ponderous performing pachyderm pick up a paint brush and paint a picture.” Invariably, someone asks me to say that three times fast and, actually, it is very easy to do! Holds a crowd, too, making a better chance for a sale.
Dick, as the saying goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words!"
And with thought in mind, the expression on the artist's faces, tells all!"
I can remember seeing a Ringling show--a matinee--in the Garden for the first time in the mid-70s. The most striking part of the performance to me was the looks of boredom on the faces of many of these same performers and especially the supporting cast. Most of them didn't even try to fake a smile--their lack of facial expressions clearly telegraphed the message: "I'd really rather not be here this afternoon." And I doubt there was much the performance director could do about the situation, if in face he even tried. I suppose many circus folk were looking forward to getting back on the move after that long Manhattan stand. My point is that you can capture a photo of seemingly bored performers not only during the pre-show, which I find a remarkable opportunity for kids and their parents/grandparents, but also during the big show. I this demeanor is what separates the true performers from the also-rans.
Lane Talburt
Lucio Cristiani told me a great story when the riding act-teeterboard was with Krone in Germany, pre-war and that the boys had to put on uniforms and stand at attention and raise their hand and say "that way" for an hour on the come in. One guy gave him the "heil hitler" salute and Lucio in turn said "Viva Mussolini". The guy did not think it was funny and reported him immediately and he was summoned to Karl Krone. Krone told him he must be didnified and at attention, whereby Lucio said "Look me and my brothers get so stiff standing there for that length of time that we just can not do it anymore and they got fired, went to Betram Mills, John Ringling came there, saw them and the rest is history.
Dick it is not that old timers resent the public on the floor. Its the pain in the ass to have to be out there when you are preparing to do your act. Just like the old days of the "Great Circus Parades" when the performers hated it and if they could would put in their contract, "No Parade". Performers prefer to do "their act" Ushering and that other crap are , I guess, A necessary evil. Thanks for trying to "White wash it".
Buckles,
I wonder how the vote would go if you gave the butchers choice of Chinese-ing the bibles or doing this?
Certainly looks like they've
been kid kicked a few times
The fact remains that, if this edition had immediately followed the 108th Edition, it would have been laughed out of town.
The "Main" difference between this..and "The Old-Tyme Photo" joint on the Midway is...The Old Tyme Photo joint attendents are 'Laughing"....All the way to the Bank!.....
How is the guy in the middle able to sleep standing up? There have been many times that I would have liked to, but I can't seem to keep upright. But, I never did it in front of the customers!!!
Didn't they used to fine you for doing something like these people are doing?
Bob Kitto
Concessionaires may not be allowed on the floor during "pre-show" but looking at the photo with the Chinese troupe in the kiddie pool you will find no less than 5 seat butchers milling around very close to the floor. Their proximity to the floor is very convenient for making sales to the suckers on the floor.
In the old days all you needed for pre-show was Otto Griebling's come-in because once the show started you were spell-bound for 2 hours and 45 minutes. When the real SHOW is strong, you don't need this birthday party entertainment.
Bring back three ring displays of quality acts, emphasis on quality.
Well, anonymous, they're down front so they can be SEEN by the people in the seats! (Guess you failed to sign your name because you didn't want it known that you never made many sales or else never even worked the seats) None of them are looking toward the floor nor, knowing most of them, are they "milling about"--they are moving through the seats. Quite simply, the butchers are not allowed to sell to anyone on the floor. And the concession staff constantly monitors the vendors in the seats as to their actions.
Dick Flint
Baltimore
Dick: Seems like this is a never-ending battle between candy butchers and performers--with some (I guess judging from anonymous comments) preferring the continuation of the caste system. I suppose this symbiotic but tense relationship will always exist--the performers attract the crowds. and the towners spend their hard-earned money on concessions money. In the "good old days," of course, both concessions AND grift moved the show. Keep in mind, also, that when you're knocking the candy butchers, you may be knocking the ex-performers and their families who continue to thrive within the circus by selling those expensive programs and bags of cotton candy in wizard's caps in the arena stands and hallways.
We may not be able to resolve the issue in our lifetimes, but we can continue relishing the jackpots shared by all those who have been and are "with it."
Lane Talburt
Nice point, Lane. I can remember Duane Thorpe pushing bibles after he was no long in the ring in whiteface and costume. ~frank
When I was on the Show a lot of the Performers worked in concession to make some extra money. I remember when we played the first time in the new arena in Houston and Roland Kaiser needed someone else to make pop corn. So I got two big machines and parked them behind the Elephants and made pop corn all day long and stored it in big black plastic bags and my wife run the butchers in the seats from a corner in the hall way. We made over 3000 dollar in that week, I never had a salary like that in my life.
Consider this, wine makers now push wine in plastic bags inside a cardboard box calling it cask wine.
They sell lots of it because it is cheapo wine.
Wine in a plastic bag is not the same as wine that has been carefully made and aged in a glass bottle.
Ringling is now the plastic bag of wine, not the fine wine of yesteryear.
Kenneth Feld has refered to his entertainment company as "the Walmart of Entertainment". What a shame because the Ringling show was the Tiffany of Show Business for more than a century.
Yeah
Maybe they should be called the
"Blue Light Special" the "Red
Light Special" and the "Gold
Light Special" editions
Cleanup on aisle 5
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