2002 Kinoshita Clown Alley

 

Sean Hartman, Kelly VanCleave, Adam Kuchler, and Peter Bufano on Circus Kinoshita in 2002. 

All were Clown College grads (Sean 94, Kelly 85, Adam 95 and Peter 86) and former Ringling clowns (Sean Red 2002, Kelly Red 1986-1989, Adam Blue 96-99, and Peter Red 87-88). 

Peter also came back in 2006 and the first half of 2007 as a keyboard player on the Blue Unit band. He was my next door neighbor on the train and we had lots of fun conversations. 

Kelly stayed on Kinoshita for many, many years. She started sometime in the 90s and was there into the 2010s.

Ringling: Bike Display

 

Another great photo from Brandon Bolden's collection. This is the Blue Unit Clown Alley for the 130th Edition of Ringling in 2000. 

The second half opened with a bike display with all of the clowns wearing fun costumes to make it look like they were kids dressing up and playing pretend. 

Each clown had a bike that fit in with their character: the cowboy had a unicycle with a saddle that looked like a hobby horse, the scientist had a bicycle with an extendable and retractable magnet on the front, the doctor clown had a.... mini bicycle.....yep! It all checks out! 

Top row left to right: Leo Acton, Marni Sussman Zalban, Todd Zimmerman, Pat Acton

Middle row left to right: Melanie Covello, Cherie Gregg, Cezary Skarzynski, David Gregg, Thom Wheaton, Steve Lough, Gabor Hrisafis, Brandon Bolden, Lance Brown, Josh Zehner, Elizabeth Sekine Lough

Bottom row left to right: Christy McDonald Atkinson, David Solove, David Hennessy 

Ringling: Chinese Bike Parody

 

Photo courtesy of Brandon Bolden

The casts of the Chinese bicycle act and the Chinese bicycle parody (I'm not sure which is which) on the Ringling Blue Unit in 2000. The clowns are Brandon Bolden (top left), Josh Zehner (white sweatband), Lance Brown (top right), Gabor Hrisafis (center), Cherie Gregg (whiteface), Christy McDonald Atkinson (bottom center) and Thom Wheaton (bottom left).

It was a pretty funny idea for a gag. After the act where the Chinese women would form pyramids on a moving bicycle the lights would come up on Josh in a sweatsuit working out on a stationary exercise bike. The other clowns would enter dressed as the Chinese women and try to perform different stunts and formations on top of him and his bike. Lance's costume had a giant inner tube tire inside so he could backflip off the back of the bike and then bounce on his "fat stomach". At the end the bike would become overloaded by all the added weight and an explosion would cause it to come unattached so Josh could ride off with the other clowns in hot pursuit. Thought not as hot as the actual Chinese women. 

This was all followed by ANOTHER comedy bicycle act featuring a bike with huge tractor tires and a troupe of Eastern Europeans dressed as clowns. I believe the theme that tour was Redundancy.....featuring Sara and the Tigers!

R.I.P Angelo Muñoz

Sorry for the delay in updating. My old laptop had a busted screen (thank you very much to my dear son), but now I have a new one again and I will try and keep up regular posting.

                                         

Bill Ballantine Art 1987

 

Potential artwork for the Ringling Clown College 20th Anniversary done by former dean and fantastic artist/writer Bill Ballantine.

Really cool to find these. I've never seen them before. God bless Mark Renfro for being such an archivist. 

Ringling: Moroccan Tumbling Parody

This footage is taken from a television special that was done when the 125th Edition of Ringling played Mexico City in 1996. 

The Red Unit clowns featured in this video are Darren Cooper (purple hair and hat), Max Richardson (red mohawk), Brad Aldous (curly brown hair), Edzui Szumowski or Edge (gray wig), Jonathan Taylor (whiteface), Gina Alayne (pink wig), Steven Hogue (parted red wig), and Troy Wunderle (blue wig). 

Almost all of them are still performing. Darren Cooper is famous on social media as The Gooch, where he has a huge following, Edge is currently touring with Venardos Circus, which he has done for years now, Brad has had a career as an actor, Jonathan and his wife, Anne, are currently performing comedy on Mr. Swindle's Traveling Peculiarium (which Brad also performed in playing the part of Doctor Elixir), Gina performs at events all over the Tampa area, and Troy Wunderle still performs and was an integral part of Circus Smirkus for years. I know Max performed on cruise ships for years, but not sure about now, only that he's in Vegas. Steve Hogue has a career in the pharmaceutical industry and a beautiful family with his wife, Sandra, also a former clown.  

Tell me what I forgot or got wrong. The great and all knowing Copeland is middle aged and starting to forget.....

Gardi Hutter and Ueli Bichsel Circus Knie 2000

A segment on the German program Next talking with Gardi Hutter and Ueli Bichsel about their upcoming debut with Circus Knie for the 2000 season.