Saturday, May 14, 2016

#1 Circus Vargas


6 comments:

Bob Swaney said...

Eagerly anticipated and a huge deal when it came to Marysville, CA every year at the mall. Vargas and Big John Strong were the only shows in that locale.

Chic Silber said...


I know Ben had several adagio

partners but I don't recognize

this very attractive gal

Roger Smith said...

Broadway dancers, take a look. They will tell you that a lift like this in any routine is sufficiently demanding on the hard, flat surface of a stage. Being circus people, performing a cut above, Ben and his partner accomplish their lift atop the head of a rearing elephant.

Chic Silber said...


Nowadays most Broadway show decks

(the platforms placed on the stage)

are mostly flat as restrictions on

"raked" decks or stages have gotten

much tougher over the last 50 years

The most severe rake I recall was

"Amadeus" on Broadway in 1980 which

was at 1 inch to the foot (extreme)

with a 12 foot central glossy blue

plastic square & I custom fitted

an antique wheelchair with brakes

for Ian McKellen to maneuver about

safely as Salieri (winning a Tony)

Currently "Wicked" on Broadway is

at 3/8ths of an inch to the foot

& the dancers don't like it much

Many British stages were built

originally with a permanent rake

Hence the terms "upstage & downstage"

Unknown said...

As far as I know, Ben had three partners that he did adagio with in the Anna May act, Mickie (where he learned adagio), Debra Chapman, and then Lynn Pope Polk. The only one I ever saw was Lynn working with him on Circus Vargas. Lynn also did her single trap act and worked previously on RBBBC as a Showgirl. I thought Lynn did a very fine job.

Chic Silber said...


He might have had another

adagio partner but maybe

Barbara could correct me

Although not an adagio

routine his center ring

presentation with his

mother was incredible