Los Calugas

Los Calugas performing the "Tandarica act" on El Gran Circ De Nadal De Girona in 2019.

I call it the "Tandarica act" because I always associate it with Alexandru Veterany, who performed comedy in Argentina under the stage name Tandarica.

I bet you can guess who tomorrow's post will be about!

Chase Culp

 

Chase Culp is an alumni of Circus Smirkus, and has performed on Ringling, Cirque Musica, Circus Gasser Olympia in Switzerland, and most recently the Venardos Circus.

Ringling: Sideshow Charivari

 

Photo courtesy of Gabor Hrisafis

Matt Morgan, Joel Jeske, Adam Kuchler, Thom Wheaton, Mark Myers, Steve Lough, Lance Brown, and Gabor Hrisafis dressed for the sideshow themed charivari in the Blue Unit's 128th Edition of Ringling in 1999.

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 Chamberof 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.

Les Fratellini: Big Time Comedy

 

François, Paul, and Albert perform their explosive photography entrée. I REALLY wish I could have seen THIS act!

Clyde Beatty: Recycling Machine

Elmo Gibb, Larry Armstrong, Greg Long, Doug Keady, Mat Coes, James Houser, Jay D’Amico, and “Lil’ Dave” Williams perform the Recycling Machine gag on Clyde Beatty Cole Bros. Circus in 1991.

The Recycling Machine and many other beautiful Clyde Beatty clown props of that time were built by Producing/Advance clown Elmo Gibb.

Yann Rossi

 

                                                

                                                

                                                

Dominique Secher took these beautiful photographs of Yann Rossi preparing for a performance. Ryan and I met Dom while we were working in Paris, and he captures many beautiful backstage moments with his wonderful photography.

Kelly Miller Circus: Baby Gag

Claire Wedemeyer performing the baby gag on Kelly Miller Circus in 2006. Claire spent two years on the Ringling Red Unit in 2003 and 2004, and was the clown on Kelly Miller for a few seasons after that.

Lou Jacobs: Little Car

 

Photo shared by Mark Renfro

Lou does his impression of Old Faithful during his famous little car routine.

Ringling: Engine Gag 1991

Greg DeSanto and Kevin Carr perform the engine gag during Come In of the Blue Unit's 120th Edition of Ringling in 1991.

The engine gag is one of those rare Feld era clown routines that lasted for two tours. In 1990 it was performed by Greg and Chris Wilson. Kevin Carr replaced Chris for 1991 and 1992, and Joey Kohler was Greg's last partner for the gag in 1993.

Spike Jones and the City Slickers: Poet and Peasant Overture

One of my favorite Spike Jones routines. Freddy Morgan's performance is a master class in clowning.

Vidbel Circus: Boxing Gag Part II

 

Photo credit Paul Gutheil 

A follow up to yesterday's post. Here are Scott O'Donnell, John Kennedy Kane, and Mike Snider photographed by Paul Gutheil on Vidbel's Olde Tyme Circus in 1995 as they prepare for the boxing gag.

Vidbel Circus: Boxing Gag

Video courtesy of the ICHOF archives.

Scott O'Donnell, Mike Snider, John Kennedy Kane, aka Eggroll, and ringmaster Billy Martin performing the boxing gag on Vidbel's Olde Tyme Circus in the 1990s.

Scott started his clowning career in Canada and later was in charge of Vidbel during the 1990s and into the early 2000s.

He worked on Ringling as boss clown and then as a talent scout alongside Tim Holst. He also worked in a managerial position on Big Apple Circus. Currently he is the Executive Director of Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI.

Mike Snider graduated from Ringling Clown College in 1978, and after a short time on Ringling's blue unit, he went to Clyde Beatty Cole Bros' Clown Alley where he spent many seasons. He worked on many other shows, notably the Cole All Star Circus and Vidbel. He was a frequent partner of Billy Vaughn. Mike currently works in the medical field in Arkansas.

John "Eggroll" Kane began his career as a fire eater on Clyde Beatty Cole Bros Circus in 1979, and the next year became a member of Clown Alley. Eggroll performed as a clown and ringmaster on many shows, and just a few years ago he was ringmaster of the Big Apple Circus for several seasons.

Now he occasionally performs his one man show, My Life In The Basement, around the Buffalo, NY area.

Lou Jacobs

 

Need I say more?

Cirque Du Soliel: Les Maclomas

The French clown trio, Les Maclomas, perform in the Cirque Du Soliel show, Quidam, in the 1990s.

I've always enjoyed their work, but have never been able to find much information about them. This morning I found a documentary about them entitled Le Double Et Son Clowns about their experience with Cirque, and featuring them training three clowns to replace them in the show.

I'm guessing one of the new clowns might be Eric "Royo" Sanchez, whom I worked with on Ringling in 2007. I know he replaced the red clown on the Quidam tour.

I know what I'll be watching tonight!

Le Double Et Son Clown

Annie Fratellini & Les Bario

Annie Fratellini and Les Bario perform with French actor/singer/songwriter Franck Fernadel on his television special Tel Is Franck in 1967.

Ringling: Gold Unit Clown Alley 1988

 

Photo credit: Nicole Portwood

The 1988 Clown Alley from the Gold Unit of Ringling in Japan. 

From the top, left to right: 

Nicole Marsh Portwood, Jeff Wolff, Thom MacNamara, Rich Potter

Jeff Taveggia, Willie Yeomans, Christopher Hudert, David Magidson, John Pfeifer, Eark Dakan

Robb Zeiser, Wayne Sidley, Chuck Sidlow, Robert Zraick, Michael Frum, "Mr. Bill" Machtel, Sam Rivera, Karen Bell

Arturo Figueroa, Stephen Smithwick, Randy Brake, Steve Marshall, Susan Doctoroff Landay, James Wade and "Bucky" Dussell. 

Jimmy Douglass

 

Jimmy Douglass, long time producing clown for many mud shows and Shrine dates. 

I would love to hear more about Jimmy's gags. Elmo Gibb told me about the Jimmy Douglas produced firehouse, which sounded pretty funny. The firemen would be looking for the hose, and they would finally take an axe to the stomach of a fat fireman and pull the hose out like it was his intestines.

Big time comedy! 

Cirque D'Hiver Bouglione: Haunted House Entrée

Fumagalli, Darius, and Alberto Caroli performing the Haunted House entrée in Phénoménal, the 2013/2014 season of Cirque D'Hiver Bouglione in Paris, France.

Clown College Students 1969

 

Four members of the Ringling Clown College class of 1969: Jim Harmon, Frank Carbone, Manuel Marcos "Zapata" Barragan, Joe Sullivan, and Conrad Hartz.

All but Jim Harmon toured with Ringling. Carbone and Hartz with the Blue Unit, and "Zapata" and Sullivan on Red.

Conrad Hartz currently lives in South Carolina and makes beautiful marionettes that he performs shows with. "Zapata" and his fellow class of 1969 alum, Johnny Peers, teamed up after several years on Ringling and became one of the most popular clowning teams of the 1970s. Unfortunately he passed away in 1980 at the height of the team's success.