Mexico Revisited!

MAIL0169_exposure, a photo by bucklesw1 on Flickr. On the subject of producers visiting circuses, when Hugo Schmitt decided to retire in 1973 Kenneth Feld, just out of college, was given the task of finding a replacement. We were with Gran Circo London that year and he had the unenviable task of tracking us down. Accompanied by his fiancee Bonnie, Victor Gaona serving as a guide and Trolle Rhodin in an advisory capacity, they had to climb mountains and ford rivers to find the show and then sit thru a performance during a violent storm. As they were running for Victor's car, Kenny yelled, "Can you work an act of seven baby elephants?" and I yelled back, "Yes Sir!" and the rest history. They eventually returned and a deal was struck in the dining room of the Holiday Inn in Mexico City but no contract, a mistake that would come back to bite me in the butt. I left for Venice in October while Barbara, Ben and "Anna May" remained behind to finish out the Mexican contract but to my astonishment not a soul in quarters expected me, in fact Hugo didn't know he was retiring until I informed him. In a state of panic I was trying to contact my wife in Mexico to tell her to stay because I was returning when Victor who was involved in the Blue show rehearsals, got wind of the situation and called Kenny who flew down and squared the beef.