Happy Birthday Scott O'Donnell!

All of us here at Clown Alley would like to wish Scott O'Donnell a very happy birthday! Scott has performed on circuses in Canada and the US, performed on AND ran Vidbel's Olde Time Circus, was Boss Clown and later a talent scout for Ringling, worked in management for Big Apple Circus, and is currently the Director of Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI.

On top of all of that, he is an amazing friend and fantastic clown!

Here he is performing the classic boxing gag on Vidbel with Mike Snider, John "Eggroll" Kane, and ringmaster Billy Martin.

Mike Keever: Mule Gag

Cowboy Mike Keever performing his mule gag on the Ringling Red Unit in 1982.

Milo and Roger

From Magicpedia:

Milo & Roger was the comedy and magic act of Arthur "Milo" Brandon (1916-1998) and Roger Coker (1930-1997). They traveled the world from the mid 1950s until well into the 1990s. 

They appeared on television many times around the world including "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" and "The Hollywood Palace".^[1][2][3]

After retiring, Milo Brandon gave Ted Lesley all of their equipment and the rights to perform the act.^[4] Then a father and son team from Germany, Adi and Phillip Becker, purchased the equipment and rights with a goal to resurrect the act.^[5][6]

Remembering Pat Cashin

Pat Cashin, the founder and namesake of this blog, passed away six years ago today. He was one of the funniest people I've ever met, and his love for his family and the art of clowning was immeasurable.

Please feel free to leave any memories of Pat in the comments below.

 

Cirkus Olympia: Toto and René

Toto Johnson and René Coker performing their laundry gag on Cirkus Olympia in Sweden during the 1990 season.

Toto and René performed a version of this gag as a Come In track gag on the Ringling Red Unit in 1989 before taking it to Sweden and making it an entrée. 

The next year John Winslow, their Clown College classmate and Red Unit Alley-mate, joined them for the Olympia 1991 season. 

Mary Kelly Rayel

 

Please join me in wishing a very Happy Birthday to Clown College 1990 grad and trapeze superstar, Mary Kelly Rayel!

Cole Bros Clown Alley 1999

 

Bacca-Choo is my favorite clown.....

Circo Hermanos Vazquez Clowns 2015

The clowns of the two Circo Hermanos Vazquez units at the 2015 end of the year party. 

From the East Unit: Mr. Bells, Tin Tin, and Pancho the Martian

From the West Unit: Carmelo and Steve & Ryan

Clown College: Camel Gag

Mark Branner and Greg May (the camel) performing a gag during the graduation performance of the Ringling Clown College class of 1990.

Mark and Greg both received contracts to tour with the Red and Blue Units respectively. Both completed a year on tour and Greg later returned to the road on the Red Unit for 1994 and part of the 1995 season.

Maude “Flip” Bayless

 

Today we celebrate Maude “Flip” Bayless on what would have been her 76th birthday.

Maudie attended the Ringling Clown College in 1970, and she and Peggy Williams were the first female clowns to be hired on the show during the Feld era: Peggy on the Red Unit, and Maudie on the Blue Unit.

Maude spent five seasons on the Blue Unit, and she was also Boss Clown on Carson & Barnes Circus for a number of years.

EZ & Kozy

 

Eric and Kolinda Zander-Hussy have performed together on the Kelly Miller Circus during its final years, the International Clown Festival in India, Circus Osorio, the Three Ring Super Circus, and they are currently on tour of the United States with Loomis Bros. Circus.

Tina "Skeeter" Bausch

Tina Bausch graduated from the Ringling Bros. Clown College in 1985 and has been on the road working as a circus clown since then.

She has performed with the Toby Tyler Circus, the Kelly Miller Circus, and has been the advance clown for Culpepper Merriweather Circus for a large portion of her career. 

Just a few years ago she was awarded the Lifetime of Laughter award from the International Clown Hall of Fame in Baraboo, WI. 

Gina Allison & Jessi Hoffschildt

 

Gina Allison began her circus career as a dancer for the Ringling Red Unit in 1986. In 1988 she attended the Ringling Clown College and performed in the Blue and Red Unit Clown Alleys from 1989-1996.

She and Chris Allison started the company Cirque DuJour that has provided entertainment for events all over the northeast, and she more recently performed with her dog, Zeus, and a rotating cast of performers at events all over the Orlando, FL area with her company, Gigi and Friends.

Jessi Hoffschildt studied at the Circus Arts Conservatory in San Francisco before joining the Ringling Red Unit Clown Alley in 2004, where she stayed through 2006.

After that Jessi performed as a clown at Sea World San Diego, Culpepper Merriweather Circus, Circus World Museum, Huis Ten Bosch in Japan, and also as a dancer and teacher on Kelly Miller Circus.

She has been performing off and on at Kinoshita Circus in Japan for close to ten years. Jessi and Gina are performing together at Kinoshita Circus for the summer of 2022.

Colleen Linnehan Duffy: Put On A Happy Face

Colleen Linnehan Duffy graduated from the Ringling Clown College in 1982 and toured with the Red Unit from 1983-1985. She also toured with Circus Vargas and was a part of the Circus Circus Clown Alley in Las Vegas, NV.

To children of my generation, she was best known for appearing in the Kidsongs: A Day At The Circus Video, which was filmed on Vargas.

Peggy King

Peggy King and Jim "Enof" Killebrew performing their trapeze gag during the Come In of the Ringling Red Unit's 115th Edition in 1985.

Peggy King graduated from the Ringling Clown College in 1977. She spent the 1978-1981 seasons on the Blue Unit, and was on the Red Unit from 1983-1985.

She also performed at Circus Vargas, Carnival Plaza in Japan, and was a member of the Circus Circus Clown Alley in Las Vegas, NV.

Please let me know if I forgot anything!

Gardi Hutter

From Wikipedia:

Born on 5 March 1953 in Altstätten, Canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland, Gardi Hutter graduated at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zürich (Schauspiel-Akademie Zürich) from 1974 to 1977, where she absolved an induction and training in theatre education and theatre pedagogy. Gari Hutter gave lessons to the students, but she felt unhappy not to practice what she taught. At the Centro di ricerca per il teatro (CRT) in Milano Gardi Hutter graduated as maestros (master), being also her so-called Clownsgesellenzeit (literally: apprenticeship as a clown) of three years to become an approved member of the Clown community. Gardi Hutter was taught by Mario Gonzales, Pantalone of the Théatre du Soleil, Nani Colombaioni (I Colombaioni) and Ferruccio Cainero of the Teatro Ingenuo.,^[1][2]

For the national "700-year anniversary" of Switzerland, Gardi Hutter played the women jester in the Federal Assembly Chamber of the Swiss Parliament in 1991. For the festival "700 years" of 1998 of her hometown, Gardi Hutter acted as co-writer. In the winter season 1997/98 she was starring in Romulus der Grosse at the Schauspielhaus Zürich.^[2]

Since 1981, Gardi Hutter had more than 3,300 performances in 30 countries and four continents, including Andorra, Brazil, China, Russia, Spain, Sweden, USA and Switzerland. There were also recordings on TV stations of 17 countries and auditions in numerous radio programs.^[1]

Karen Bell

Karen Bell performing her Train Come In gag on Ringling in 1987

Karen Bell attended the Ringling Clown College in 1985. She spent 1986-1993 on both the Red Unit and the Gold Unit in Japan.

She was a producing clown at Clown College and on the road, and she is also a fantastic prop builder.

In more recent years she has partnered with Robin Eurich to perform with the Circus Arts Conservatory, on which she also serves as the Education Outreach Manager. 

Lisa Chapman

Lisa Chapman performing in the Three Ring Adventure of the 129th Edition of Ringling in 1999.

Lisa Chapman graduated from the Ringling Clown College in 1993. She traveled with the Red Unit from 1994-1999.

She is an excellent seamstress and has been living in Las Vegas, where she works in the wardrobe department of different shows.

Laura Herts

Laura Herts is a clown, mime, theater performer, painter, and teacher who lives in Paris, France.

Ruth Chaddock

 

Ruth Chaddock attended the Ringling Clown College in 1974. She then went on to wear many hats within the Feld company for over forty years.

From circus clown, advance clown, makeup instructor at Clown College, to Special Projects Coordinator for the whole company….Ruth has made a positive impact on thousands of  lives throughout her long career. The reason? EVERYBODY loves Ruthie Chaddock!

Happy Belated Birthday, Ruthie!