I saw UnTapped at the New Victory Theatre on 11/13/2011. UnTapped is created by Australian dance company Raw Metal. The show is set up like a rock concert, with risers for the musicians, rock lighting, and an mc/master of ceremonies named Dr. Rhythm, who did some really fun beatbox effects, including taking a kid out of the audience and teaching […]
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Excellent thought piece on the anthropology of why people hate clowns on the blog of the Scientific American. http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/2011/10/31/cant-sleepclown-will-eat-me-why-are-we-afraid-of-clowns/ I say excellent, although it’s mostly excellent in that she brought it up. From a scholarship perspective she might be getting it right, but from the perspective of the clown, I think she’s got a lot wrong. She says: Clowns break […]
Read moreJust heard about the death of Tom Keith, the guy who did most of the really amazing sound effects on NPR. He was a wonderful foley artist and sound fx guy, and could imitate just about anything, or come stageworthy close. Here’s his LA Times Obit. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/nov/04/local/la-me-tom-keith-20111103 and his NY Times Obit. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/arts/tom-keith-creator-of-radio-soundscapes-dies-at-64.html And a very moving memorial page on […]
Read moreThe Neo-Futurists, performers of the fringe hit Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind and creators of over 60 other original, full-length productions (and whose motto is “Theatre that doesn’t suck”), are taking on a classic tragic moment in Chicago history as their next holiday production. It’s not a redemptive tale of a greedy man (A Christmas Carol) or […]
Read moreI got the opportunity to see The Fartiste last night. I was in august company. I was sitting at the table with the cast of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, along with John Towsen, author of the esteemed book Clowns, and an excellent clown and physical comedy blogger/writer. Also at the table was Michael Bongar, former clown and now an event […]
Read moreClowns Ex Machina in ClownS Full-Tilt:     A Musing on Aesthetics November 4th -20th Created and directed by Kendall Cornell with Clowns Ex Machina Amanda Barron, Carla T Bosnjak, Kendall Cornell, Julie Kinkle, Michaela Lind, Diana Lovrin, Lucia Rich, Maria Smushkovich, and Virginia Venk Kendall Cornell has been a champion and teacher of female clowning in […]
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The Fartiste is a new Off-Broadway musical comedy about one of Show Business’s weirdest acts. Set in 1890s Paris, this strange (but true!) story follows the uniquely talented Joseph Pujol, whose musical derriere propelled him to being the highest paid performer at the illustrious Moulin Rouge. Full of romance, hilarious characters, sweet melodies, and a chorus of Can-Can dancers, this […]
Read moreRingling Bros® and Barnum & Bailey Presents Fully Charged We saw the show when it was in the Meadowlands in NJ, and it was really a great show. This discount will get you 4 tickets for $44 , so jump on it. That’s a great deal! And there’s free parking! Doors open an hour prior to each performance ALL tickets […]
Read moreHandshake Uppercut, a Victorian Clown Throwdown, will be appearing at Dixon Place Thursdays and Saturdays from November 3-19. The show features John Leo and Jay Dunn, two local clowns who have performed in a number of shows around town. Leo is the instigator of Tiny Dangerous Fun and was a performer in Peg-Ass-Us. Jay Dunn has performed with the Pig […]
Read moreI’m sharing the blog love, so wrote my review of WHITE at my other blog, http://www.dadapalooza.com (what? you didn’t know I have other blogs? For shame, for shame!) Here’s an excerpt: “The set has an ingenious design, and the writing/staging/performance of this are all great. My son (and all the other kids there) were basically entranced for 45 minutes.” Want […]
Read moreThis looks to be another great show for the under 5 crowd at the New Victory. Not quite clown, but theatrical. It is produced by Catherine Wheels, which is a Scottish Children’s Theatre Company. It won a number of awards at this year’s Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland, including Best Production for Children and Young People, Best Design and […]
Read moreWQXR Classical Comedy Contest Are you a classical musician with a funny side? Are you a comedian with a classical music side? WQXR and Carolines On Broadway have joined forces to create a one-of-a-kind talent contest. You have a chance to play Broadway as part of the New York Comedy Festival! To enter, visit http://www.wqxr.org/comedy The event will be taped […]
Read moreI’m hanging around with 50 Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Clown College (RBBBC) Alumni this weekend on Cape Cod. It’s a little overwhelming. Clowns of all shapes, ages, and classes are here. Clown college started in 1968, and went up until 1997, there are over 1500 alumni of the school. Of course, some have passed on, some have stopped clowning […]
Read moreJ.P. Patches, a very well-known TV clown in the Seattle area, has made his last public appearance. Before a crowd of about 1000, Patches, who is portrayed by 83 year old Chris Wedes, played games with kids, sang songs, and even hula-hooped. Wedes has been battling with cancer for the last 4 years, and the fight has sapped his strength […]
Read moreThanks to Mr. Gart Westerhout for pointing this out to me. To Mr. Mack Sennett, on His Animated Pictures SENNETT! Regard, I pray, our cinema – Its endless reels of rancid agonies. The drear dilemmas of its formula. There is no laughter in Los Angeles. CHAPLIN, arouse! Up, up, my HAROLD LLOYD! Ah, where is CONKLIN? MABEL NORMAND, where? Only […]
Read moreThe Brick Theater, presenter of the New York Clown Theatre Festival , has decided to make that esteemed festival biennial (for those of you who are not sure– that means every other year) In between, it presents the Amuse Bouche– a lighter selection of events.  This year it’s not really so light– 9 mainstage shows, 3 cabarets, clown films and […]
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