For the first time in 75 years, Circus Garden, formerly Garden Brothers Circus, is putting on an animal-free show, using segues instead of horses. With five towns and cities on the circuit prohibiting animal performances, Circus Garden wants to prove there is more to a circus than elephant acts, director and ringmaster Ian Garden said. "People miss the animals," he said. "But they still love the show." This is not the first time Circus Garden juggled the issue of performing with animals, Mr. Garden said. In the early 1990s, Toronto tried to ban animals as entertainment, but Circus Garden fought the bylaw in the courts. After spending hundreds of thousands in legal costs, the bylaw was overturned and Circus Garden continued its animal shows. "It's inevitable that, in 10 years, animals will not be part of circus acts," Mr. Garden said. "The decision is up to the public." Creating an animal-free show was the result of animal activists getting louder and towns getting more restrictive. "Was it the elephants that took a walk a few years ago or was it the picket signs that made the town change its mind?" Mr. Garden said. Mr. Garden, grandson of Garden Brothers Circus founder William Garden, wanted to infuse the show with a Cirque du Soleil feel and, before he knew it, there weren't any animals in the show. "There's been a Cirque flavour in the air for a while," Mr. Garden said. "We're not blind to that. It fills buildings." Sandra Dyer, a former Newmarket resident, often found herself refusing donation requests from community groups that wanted to send children to see the circus, but now she has found a new form of entertainment with the same wow-factor as the circus. "Cirque du Soleil saw a long time ago that animals were not the way to go," she said. "It's incredible how popular this new way entertains people." With Internet-wise and game-crazed youth, the circus is not your grandfather's circus, Mr. Garden said. He pumped almost $750,000 into escaping from the big top scene and introducing new lights, sound and tech-savy acts. The new show is dubbed "Cirque meets the streets", featuring motorcycle acts, acrobats, a dance team, power-stilt jumpers and the Remarkable Ronaldo. "It's still a circus, with or without animals," Mr. Garden said. "It could be a great thing. We're asking if you don't want to see animals in the circus, come and support us." |
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Circus renamed! (From Don Covington)
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9 comments:
Ian Garden Jr.'s picture is on the cover of the most recent CHS Bandwagon magazine working the Welch pony drill on Circus Vidbel last year.
Did he retire that act?
I guess got have got to do what you feel best to survive in this 2009 circus buisness, but this press release is a clear victory for the animal rights people.
This will encourage them to campaign even more vigorisly in their quest to make all circuses "animal free".
In my humble opinion, there are more than enough "wanna-be" Cirque Soleils out there, none of which can compare with the gymnastic / theatrical productions that call themselves "Cirque"...simply the French word for circus.
Traditional circus, with animals WILL in my opinion continue into the future. The circus-going public still wants to see animals.
Hopefully "Circus Garden" will be sucessful, but look at the history of animal circuses that went "non animal" then found that to be the wrong move and went back to having animals!
Jimmy Cole
Jim Judkins and his Circus Chimera, now on an extended layover in South Texas, come to mind. Judkins promoted his show as an animal-less circus in the final seasons of his 10-year run. But as I remember he still offered pony rides on the midway. Judkins had a long history as GM on Carson & Barnes, which, of course, had one of the largest elephant herds on the road.
Sometimes I suspect circus producers resort to the "no-animal" promotional gimmick when they simply do not want to pony up the money for animal acts.
Lane Talburt
No doubt the Felds are considering adopting a similar policy when the time is right.
Not likely anytime soon
They are commited to fund
their legal department to
continue to agressively
fight the good fight and
for this alone we should
be grateful
I checked the website for Cirque du soleil "Kooza", which is opening over in St Paul next month. Ticket prices start at $65 and go to $215 for adults, and a tad less for kids in a tent near downtown. Now there is a "WOW factor".
Tim Davison, Mpls MN
I was just wondering if anybody that has small children , has ever brought them to a Cirque show?
If so they can attest to the fact that they where pretty confused ! Kids want to see live animals not people running around doing silks and hand stands in animal costumes and masks !
I agree with the prior post , Mr Garden is cutting the nut on the animals act to keep the budget low. Not because of animal welfare !
Strange that Ian, Jr. (Shorty to most of us) is announcing the end of animals in the circus when his father is training animals acts on a fairly regular basis. These "Ian acts" are sold to Mexico or tour with Shorty's tour in Canada.
Perhaps the split between Shorty and his brother, Richard and the side-lined Garden Brothers Circus prompted "little Ian" to curtail the budget and eliminate the animals and jump on the no-animal circus kick with his own Circus Garden.
His website features a show called "Zoom Street", I wonder if Kenny Feld is aware of this.
Don't forget that Big Ian had his mixed animal act on Ringling for a 2 year tour a while back.
I think the "no animal show" is an alibi to keep the budget low on Ian's new venture.
Horse Manure!
INCREDIBLE!!!!!! "We're asking if you don't want to see animals in the circus, come and support us." This is about the most pleading, self serving statement that has ever been promoted!!!! They hypocrisy of the industry is what will founder it. This is one that fan's should not support, and fight it as they fight the anti's. This is where the real damage has come from.
Wade Burck
A correction in my first comment, 3rd paragraph should say: "I guess you have got to do what you feel best to survive in this 2009 circus buisness, but this press release is a clear victory for the animal rights people."
Anyways, I have no real problem if a circus has no animals. But I do have a big problem when they brag about it as if having no animals were something to be proud of!
A statement like that from Circus Garden puts down the other shows out there that are at least trying to maintain the traditional circus style.
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