HOWDY, MY NAME IS BILL STRONG, I'LL BE YOUR "24 HOUR MAN", ROUTING YOU INTO THE PAST TO SEE WHAT THE CIRCUS WAS IN DAYS GONE BY. IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, AND MISS WHAT IT USED TO BE, THEN COME ON ALONG AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD FOLLOWING THE ARROWS BACKWARDS, TO "YESTERDAY'S TOWNS"! IF YOU HAVE CIRCUS RELATED PICTURES YOU WOULD LIKE POSTED, SEND THEM TO,,,,yesterday1@verizon.net,,,,AND WE WILL TRY TO FIT THEM IN. "24 HOUR MAN" WILL HAVE THE FINAL DECISION ON POSTING.
Three years at CWM made me a real traditionalist, and I keep remembering Bob Parkinson saying, "I want the people to see what the circus used to be, not what it is today. That's what this site is about!
Here we are on the lot, on opening day of Dave & Lois Hoover's L.E. Barnes Circus. I'm not going to describe this rolling stock as it'rather obvious what they are. It was a beautiful show with a brand new top, good performance, great looking equipment,Side Show, & Elephant Rides on the Midway, and didn't make it, how do you figure.
posted by 24-HOUR-MAN | 4:46 PM
4 Comments:
Bill did you ever get to see this show?? I remember seeing paper in Springfield MA and wondered what kind of route it had. cc
It's a shame, a shame, a low down dirty shame.
I spoke with Hoover on several occasions about the clowning and even tried to set up an alley system for him, utilizing experienced circus clowns who would work partial seasons augmented by graduates from the San Francisco School of the Circus Arts' Clown Consevatory program, creating a master/apprentice relationship just like in the old days.
In the end it all came to nothing though. It could have really been a great opportunity to keep classic three ring clowning alive under the big top.
It's a shame.
~P
cc: Yes, and it was a pretty good show, it had a backer who wanted things to be done the right way. I suspect he was taken advantage of financially,( not by Dave & Lois), I thought the show had a lot going for it, but for some reason didn't make it. And that's a shame too.
I feel the reason that show didn't make it was the front end. I was alway run into a wall, when I was trying to do my job for each town. I think the person in MA. don't went it to go. The thing about clowning on the show is. We start out with a great clown act. But when walter had his stoke, it was hard to get it back. There was a person on the show that could have fill in. He was taught by some of the greatest mud show clowns ever. But everytime he would offer they would turn him down. But when he did spot date doing the season with Armando, they would go wild. I have to stop, talking about this. It starting make me sad. Im glad I have photos, great stories and live long friendship from it.
David
Post a Comment
<< Home