Good Night PeeWee!

Iconic Peewee Herman

Sad news, friends.  It has just been announced that PeeWee Herman (actor Paul Reubens) has been struggling with cancer for the last 6 years and has just lost that battle, passing away on Sunday evening.. I read it on Rolling Stone, but wanted to write about it here.  He was a big influence on me as a young performer, and […]

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Sad news from the Big Apple Circus: Grandma The Clown Resigns

Bary Lubin as Grandma the Clown

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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CircusTalk: LinkedIn for the worldwide Circus Community

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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Brian Dewhurst celebrates 70+ years of clowning

Brian Dewhurst is the elder statesmen of Cirque du Soleil’s Las Vegas performers.  Currently 85, he’s been performing all kinds of circus acts for the past 70+ years, and since 1993, he’s been working as a clown, performer, and director for Cirque du Soleil.  He’s currently starring as the usher in the Cirque performance of Mystere. Dewhurst is featured in […]

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Cirque Berzerk Gone Bankrupt?

Showbiz David announced on his blog that Cirque Berzerk, the Los Angeles underground circus company, has declared bankruptcy.  Their website and facebook presence still seem active, so perhaps there’s hope for the company. Cirque Berzerk started as a performance ritual at Burning Man, and had seemed to be blossoming into Los Angeles’ answer to the Big Apple Circus, or the […]

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The Advance Man is one of 4 Finalists for Arts Writing Prize.

I reviewed Jamie MacVicar’s book The Advance Man,last May (read my review here), and now I’m happy to say that Jamie’s book has become a finalist for the prestigious Marfield Prize. This $10,000 prize—(also known as The National Award for Arts Writing) is one of the largest given to a single author.  It is awarded annually to a work of […]

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Sad News: Hokum Jeebs, R.I.P.

This article is from the Seattle Times.  Hokum Jeebs was a very well known and well respected street performer and variety entertainer.  This is sad and stunning news. Suspect, 19, arrested in fatal stabbing in West Seattle Professor Hokum W. Jeebs was fatally stabbed in his West Seattle home early Wednesday. Jeebs was a gifted piano-player and vaudeville performer. A […]

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Troy Wunderle directing Ringling clowns.

‘Incredibly serious work’ Local man trains Ringling Brothers clowns By HOWARD WEISS-TISMAN CircusSmirkus artistic director Troy Wunderle of Cambridgeport gets a kissfrom his daughter Ariana Wunderle during the Circus Smirkus performancein Brattleboro. (Reformer file photo) CAMBRIDGEPORT – There is a lot of pressure in being one of the most important clowns in the country. For the past month, Rockingham resident […]

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Guy LaLiberte (Cirque du Soleil founder) is from outerspace!

Actually, he’s just GOING to outer space– as part of a tourist moon mission. Read the article here:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090723/ap_on_sc/us_space_shuttle And here’s a little excerpt for you: Circus performer’s flight preview steals NASA showBy MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer– Thu Jul 23,2009 4:42 pm ET CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A former stiltwalker and fire-eater stole NASA’s show Thursday, saying he’ll be “like […]

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Circus Contraption …The Show to End All Shows is Ending.

Thanks to Trav S.D.’s blog Travalanche I learned of sad news this week– Seattle based Circus Contraption is ending. Here’s an article from Fremont Universe (a local Seattle blog) with photos and an interview: http://www.fremontuniverse.com/2009/07/12/circus-contraption-says-farewell-this-week Circus Contraption says farewell this week July 12th, 2009 · The “Show to End All Shows” has ended, and Fremont’s Circus Contraption is calling it […]

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