I don’t normally give this blog over to political actions, but I want to point out that there’s a company that recently made a negative connotation for going into a life in the circus. And that really shouldn’t stand unanswered. In the commercial in question, two mean girls tell a nicer girl “We’re going to run away and join the circus. […]
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Journey For the Sun, A SciFi Cartoon Circus from The Actors Gymnasium’s is visually stunning and well worth seeing. A couple of weeks ago I got to see the opening night of the show, and it was really great! The show features a combination of professional performers and the Actors Gym’s Teen Ensemble, as it tells the story of an […]
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I read with a heavy heart the story about Grandma the Clown (Barry Lubin) ‘s resignation from the Big Apple Circus. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/nyregion/big-apple-circus-grandma-clown-resigns.html It suffices to say that this is terrible news for everyone all around. Of course, for the young girl, and for Barry, and for Barry’s friends, and for the Big Apple Circus, and of course, circus people […]
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I’ve recently joined a new social network. If you are reading this blogpost, you may be interested in it also. It’s called CircusTalk, and it’s a professional social network for circus performers worldwide. The basic idea is to use the same kinds of digital tools that other professions use, but gear it towards circus. It’s LinkedIn for circus! Once you […]
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Book Kennison is a pretty phenomenal juggler who has been working on and off with Chicago’s Midnight Circus since he was 14 years old. Here’s a video of his act on the Midnight Circus from a couple of years ago. And here’s a home video of Book and a friend of his playing some incredible volleys of chair badminton while […]
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A version of this review of the Semi Circus show Murmurations originally appeared on the blog http://www.dadapalooza.com Semi Circus Murmurations I recently saw a new Chicago circus perform their first show. Semi Circus started in 2016 as a circus collective. They use circus skills, physical theater, improv and other skills to create plays. Murmurations is their first show. The show […]
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Montreal circus company Cavalia has a new show that opened recently in Chicago (playing through April 23, 2017 at Soldier Field). The show is called Odysseo and bills itself as “The Best Show Ever.” That’s a lot to live up to. It’s a beautiful, sumptuous show that has amazingly talented acrobats, equestrians, and some of the most talented and trained horses […]
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While I know I’ve discussed the work of Jeff and Julie Jenkins (and their Chicago-based circus The Midnight Circus) I found a recent page on their website that details something I haven’t talked too much about. For as long as I’ve seen the Midnight Circus, I think they’ve always had a dog in the act. It’s been their family dog, […]
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Whoever said that Circus was on its way out hasn’t been to Chicago. Right now– there are a plethora of circus shows coming up in the next few weeks (and some are ending in the next few weeks, or even next few days. So don’t miss them!) And I’m sure I’ve missed a few as well. CIRCUS SHOWS IN CHICAGO […]
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Just discovered (thanks to Jim Moore’s Vaudevisual site) this documentary about American theatre clowning from the American Theatre Wing. Features Slava Polunin, David Shiner, Joel Jeske, and Brent McBeth talking about the clown, what works, what doesn’t and the work of being a theatrical clown. So what’s great about this video? Well, clearly, one of the things I love is […]
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THE DEMISE OF RINGLING I have been gobsmacked like many by the news that Ringling Brothers Circus will close down after 146 years of solid operation. Mr. Feld, owner of the circus, is losing too much money, and has to call it quits. Friends are losing jobs, houses, lives, and for some, they may well feel that the meaning of […]
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We saw the opening night of Cirque du Soleil last night. As I wrote in my preview article, the show is not a tent show, it’s an arena show, full of puppets, projections, and acrobatics, based on the movie Avatar by James Cameron. Here’s the plot summary I wrote in my previous article: When a natural catastrophe threatens to destroy […]
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The new Cirque du Soleil touring show TORUK – The First Flight will be at the United Center in Chicago August 3-7, 2016. And you can win a 4 pack of tickets to Opening night on August 3! Scroll down to see how! Inspired by James Cameron’s record-breaking movie AVATAR, TORUK – The First Flight transports the audience to a far away […]
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Cirque du Soleil’s 35th show: Kurios, Cabinet of Curiousities will come to Chicago’s United Center August 6-Sept 20, 2015. The show, which will be performed under a tent in the United Center’s Parking lot, will mark the first time in 4 years that Cirque has come to Chicago. Based on the idea of a nineteenth century curio cabinet (also known […]
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Tiny Performers To Entertain in Chicago Parks ============================== SUMMARY: WHAT: Acme Miniature Flea Circus in the Chicago Park District WHERE: July 16 6:30 pm Paschen Park (1932 W. Lunt Street) WHERE: July 18 2:00 pm Pulaski Park (1419 W. Blackhawk Street) COST: FREE! (seating limited, please arrive early) MORE INFO: http://www.palaceofwonders.com MORE INFO: http://www.trainedfleas.com PUBLICITY PHOTOS: Press Images of the […]
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The Chicago Festival just sort of snuck up on me– I knew it was coming, I just thought it was next month. Well, next month has ARRIVED! The festival is happening THIS WEEKEND in Chicago, with over 30 different performances from 13 of the top circus performers from around the world. Here’s a list of the performances: http://chicagocircusfest.com/events/ (and if you’d […]
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