Tuesday, December 17, 2013

GUNTHER! #32

Posted by Buckles at 12/17/2013 05:26:00 AM

4 comments:

Chic Silber said...


What rediculous looking props

17 December, 2013 09:59
Eric said...

The spec that closed the first half of the Farewell Tour’s performance had some sort of Ancient Roman Amphitheater theme, with Gunther’s tiger act the main feature. These strange-looking pedestals might have been an attempt to convey the look of ancient Roman columns.

17 December, 2013 17:14
Wade G. Burck said...

Chic,
At an attempt at something different, I think the props are exactly that and not "rediculous" :) but they were monstrous heavy. When I returned to Ringling to build a new act with ten of Gunthers retired tigers, and 4 new ones, we practiced out back in the permanent cage using a mish mash of props from Charly, Ursula, Wolfgang and GGW, plus a few others. There was no other option, as these were the last props GGW's act had and upon his retirement were put in storage, theory being, never to be used again given the tie in with the "Ancient Roman" theme mentioned and they would look out of place without that theme. After 6 months of practice the Blue Show came in to start rehearsals, and Kenneth asked to see the new act. We hauled everything in from the back, and as we were setting up Kenneth asked, "where did you get all the old props? They look terrible. I thought Hagenbeck built you new props?" I told him, "no, this is all that was available when I got here, and being on a limited time to complete the act, I just proceeded." Three day's later it was scheduled to take photos for the program for the new show, so they brought these props out of storage for the photos. The first program of the 1992 show has these props with the new tiger act, changed for the second program at the Garden. After the photo shoot, GGW asked if I wanted to continue using the props for the act and I humbly told him no, as they were just to monstrous to move and were limited in their use. He agreed and said he had the same problem with them. Hagenbeck Wallace came in the day after the photo shoot, and GGW and I gave them plan's for complete new props, and the delivered them amazingly in one week, the day before the opening dress rehearsal. Because it was the Mongolian show with the first Cossack riders and an entirely new ring curb with sloped side, the seats were built to attach to the ring curb with short back legs and tall front legs. Amazing that the props were completed in one week.

Wade Burck

18 December, 2013 08:33
Chic Silber said...


As you mention they look terribly

heavy & awkward as well with lots

of sharp corners to raise hell

& draw blood from man & beast

Reminds me of Macy's retail decor

18 December, 2013 17:24

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