Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Billy McCabe from CIRCUS DAYS

Photo by Jill Freedman


Billy McCabe's short-lived "Fetus" track gag, where he'd burst a clear plastic garbage bag filled with water on the track and emerge in what appeared to be nothing but an oversized comedy diaper, hugging audience members and calling them "Momma".

It was cut by management about 2 weeks into the tour.

This photo was found and the gag was later re-worked by David Larible and performed along with 4 audience volunteers for many years on the Ringling show. By the time of Barnum's Kaliedoscape the gag was running 20 minutes and it is for this gag that Larible won his Silver Clown in Monte Carlo. A variation is currently being performed by Kwame and Kwame, the two folk-clowns from Camaroon, on Cirque du Soleil's 38th touring show PRETENSHUS.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pat, don't know where you got that story from but it is far from the truth. Billy was covered because of rain and and he had a piece of expensive wardrobe on as a dancing girl. I hope your story was only tongue in cheek but it doesn't read that way.

Anonymous said...

Hey Patric,
I've been a little behind, doing some catching up on this blog. Thanks for the laugh, now I've got coffee splurting out my nose and all over my laptop!
Don't worry, it reads VERY tounge in cheek!!!

Rik Gern