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 […]
Read moreIt’s always sad when a fellow raccoon passes into the next world. I’m sad to report that former Ringling clown Kevin Ryan recently passed away from complications of COVID. A fellow alum of Ringling Clown College (although a different year than I) he was on the Blue Unit for two years, and after that he worked with other circuses […]
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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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Brian Dewhurst is the elder statesmen of Cirque du Soleil’s Las Vegas performers. Â 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. Â He’s currently starring as the usher in the Cirque performance of Mystere. Dewhurst is featured in […]
Read moreI have sad news to relate… Vincenzo Tortorici, known to many in the clown world as Enzo, has suddenly passed away. The early info I have from his facebook page is that he had a sudden heart attack, and he died suddenly. He was 44 years old. I featured Enzo in a review in 2010 –a review of his kids’ […]
Read moreShowbiz 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 […]
Read moreI 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 […]
Read moreThis 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 […]
Read moreEric Davis (he who inhabits the flesh of the Red Bastard during non-business hours) posted some wonderful news on his facebook feed: This is very exciting news. Eric and John are both excellent clowns. The rumor is that this show will be a permanent 10 month a year thing, with time out for the Oscars and various other special events.  […]
Read more‘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 […]
Read moreGreat article about Stanley Allen Sherman and his clown nose making career. READ THE ARTICLE Find out more about Stanley Allen Sherman at his website listed below: http://www.maskarts.com/ There’s also a YouTube video:
Read moreThe Chicagoist, an online news blog, is featuring interviews with clowns all this week, in honor of Halloween. The series, called FACE YOUR FEARS, is intended to get to know people behind the greasepaint. It’s pretty good, as far as it goes, but nearly all of the clowns interviewed are Primarily Birthday Party clowns and not circus clowns. Who knows, […]
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Courtesy of the Providence Journal Comedy hypnotist Frank Santos, 60, remembered 6:20 PM Tue, Sep 22, 2009 | article by Donita Naylor  CUMBERLAND, R.I. — Frank Santos, who billed himself as the R-rated hypnotist and always had a following, died Tuesday morning in his sleep, his son by the same name confirmed Tuesday. He was 60. Rhode Island magician […]
Read moreActually, 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 […]
Read moreThanks 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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