Thursday, March 20, 2008

KELLY-MILLER: Whitewright, TX

Photo of the Kelly-Miller Circus on the lot in Hugo, OK courtesy of Anneliese Ash


John Ringling North II (the nicest producer in the circus business) today presents America's One Ring Wonder, The Kelly-Miller Circus in Whitewright, TX.

Showtimes at 4:30 and 7:30 PM


The show was baptised by a thunderstorm on Monday night, I was christened with mud looking for the new lot yesterday in Whitesboro. My GPS was directing me to the high school in Whitesboro and, in searching for the show, ended up getting the rental car (a Kia Piffle, South Korea's idea of a 3 cylinder muscle car) stuck in the mud.

John Moss (America's nicest Ringmaster and Performance Director) was kind enough to send his wife Reyna and the show's mechanic with John's white pickup truck to tow me out.

They got stuck too.

It was up to America's 21st Century American Circus Hero and rainy day RiverDancer, Casey Cainin McCoy to help get everyone unstuck and back on the lot by intermission of the 4:30 show.

So this "building clown" has learned several new things about the "outdoor amusement" industry, not least of which is that AAA will not send a tow truck if the most accurate description of your location that you can provide is "field".

"You can't miss me. I'm pretty sure that I'm the only red Kia stuck in the mud next to the high school tennis courts. If you see a guy chain-smoking and cursing like two drunken sailors, rocking back and forth and loudly spinning his wheels, digging himself in deeper... yeah, safe bet is that's probably me."

So thanks go out to Casey, Reyna, John, our show's mechanic and to Mr. North today.

For AAA? Meh, not so much.

And if you're in Sherman, TX and see what looks to be an adobe car heading north towards the car wash at a little after the Days Inn's 11:00 AM check out time? That's me.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pat,
It sure didn't take you long to suck up to JRNII, did it. I am suprised you found an open spot to kiss. Or did you wrest Casey out of his place. My hat's off, CCM was lip locked on pretty tight.
I'm glad he was of some use in the mud. It would have been a shame to have hired him, just to get Natalies dog act for the show.
I hope the shoe's are all right. Tuba probably thinks you are going to feed them to the tigers if they are ruined. LOL
Be safe and my best to everybody,
Wade Burck

Anonymous said...

Oy. Sounds like my first night on George Matthews Great London Circus back in '76. Now THAT was some mud!

Anonymous said...

Well sounds like the circus is getting started right, eh? Pat I wish you and all of the other performers safe wishes during the show and everyone safe wishes during travel. If you get time email me at airforceman101@yahoo.com.