Big Top Landing In Coney Island This Summer

[Lenore Lovelace]

Last nite I decided to check up on the show dates and times for the 139th edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, which will be providing Philadelphia with Zing Zang Zoom from May 13th - 25th.

"Through the mystery of magic and the mastery of skill, the audience will be spell bound as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus presents ZING ZANG ZOOM, a thrill-filled, mind-blowing circus spectacular where family fun is no illusion.

"Magical Zingmaster Alex and his assistant, the alluring Levitytia, lead audience through a kaleidoscope of color and imagery revealing extraordinary worlds of fantasy, flight and phenomena that celebrates the uplifting spirit of the circus and wards off a cynical Mr. Gravity and his team of "heavies" who try to bring everyone down.

"Be mesmerized when a four-ton elephant disappears before your eyes, and a gravity-inducing nemesis transforms across species into a ferocious tiger. Stand in awe as two formidable female human cannon balls are blasted through the air in a daring, awe-inspiring display of bravery. Be electrified as the dangerous double wheel of steel, the gasp-inducing and soaring gigantic swings defy both gravity and logic.

"Fun-filled magic merges with traditional circus arts to create a world of infinite possibilities where apprentice illusionists levitate their parents with the wave of a wand, and audience spirits keep rising as the high flying circus is (literally) turned upside down. Perhaps the most magical of all, watch in amazement as an incomparable array of exotic animals including a herd of majestic Asian elephants, magnificent Bengal tigers and elegant Arabian and Friesian horses join forces with our human performers to create an experience that will surprise and delight Children of All Ages, rendering us speechless and reminding us that the magic of the Greatest Show On Earth lives on forever in our hearts and imaginations."

Great piece of writing, don't you think? It takes a lot of skill to string many adjectives together without it becoming one big run-on mess. Despite the childish whimsy this is aimed towards, I am totally looking forward to the dueling Human Cannonballs, and love that they mention they are female. Also happy that there is a menagerie, which includes the traditional element of horses, and of course the big cats. Wonder if there will be people b******* about the elephants this year.

While I cannot absolutely guarantee the way Circus animals are treated [past or present], I can tell you that I traveled with them for five months, and they were assigned at least two people who gave them fresh water thru-out the day, as well as fed them four times a day; the goats were also treated to nibbling on handfuls of pellets. I can also tell you that often times the animals were valued more than people. It was a much easier task to replace a human, whether a roustie or a performer, than to have to get another elephant.

It might sound harsh, but that's the way it was. Either you brought in the money or you were on your way; extra mouths to feed just get in the way, and sometimes people got red-lighted. Oh, what's that? Red-lighting is when a person is thrown off the train, usually in the middle of the the nite, and on some brutal occsaions they were tossed off a trestle. The majority of you don't understand any of this and should just direct your brain to something like this instead.

In any event, while tooling around the Ringling site, my curiosity was peaked by the name of one of the shows, and of course I had to click to find out, and immediately upon reading the description my jaw dropped and heart swelled with joy.

To preface the description quoted from said site, I would like to make note of two things. The first is the fact that the Greatest Show On Earth has toured for 139 years, and simple math tells you that they began in the 1870s. Back then, there weren't air conditioned arenas; the Carnies had wooden wagons and primitive automobiles, canvas tents and raw man power that assisted getting them up in the air. The last time a Circus performance appeared under the big top was in Pittsburg, PA on July 16, 1956.

Forty-three years later, and for the first time in their entire 139 history, Ringling Bros. is coming to the Coney Island boardwalk.

"...an action packed sea-side circus spectacular, in which the energy bursts out of the ring, into the audience and richocets back to electrify the Ringling Bros. performers. Circus-goers will enjoy an up-close and personal experience in a comfortable air-conditioned tent featuring beautiful white tigers, majestic Asian elephants and thrilling acrobats from around the world. THE CONEY ISLAND BOOM A RING action bounces from one high-energy act to the next, featuring a Globe of Steel in which whizzing motorcyclists orbit at speeds of 65 miles an hour, a daring crossbow demonstration that takes archery to new extremes, and a gravity-defying performance on the whirling Wheel of Steel."

Color me impressed at the air-conditioned tent. As someone who participated in the set-up and tear-down of not one but two tents [plus their banner lines], I am not only anxious to see this masterpiece of canvas, but I am interested also to know how they are going to make the cooling possible. You want to know how you get air into a tent? Tie up the side walls and wait for the crossbreeze to kick in. No breeze, no air; commence massive unattractive sweating [for performers and audience a like, so have fun with that stench].

If I am going to visit Coney one last time, it might as well to see some real Circus. Ride the Cyclone until I can't stand it, and take one last spin on the Wonder Wheel if it's still in action. This place was like my own backyard adult playground for the five years I lived in Elizabeth. Just 18 miles away, over two bridges and having to sit thru stupid amounts of traffic. No matter if it was a postcard-perfect afternoon or during a snow storm. I went there to absorb the vibe, to be a part of the history that has graced those sandy shores since the days of gambling and prostitution, and that was back in the late 1800s.

Some people will never know Coney Island as America's first amusement park, or that at one time it was home to dozens of Nature's mistakes; human oddities that put on display for public consumption, who made a living from their abnormal appearances.

Allow me to quote Eak the Geek, so that perhaps someone who dedicated 15 years of their life to performing can put things in perspective.

I must admit that sometimes I miss working the showman side of the carnival; the show after show, the drama of the midway, the crews; the interesting characters with names like shorty, ghost, smiley and stinky.

I miss doing shows, tons and tons of them, of observing the magic of a good outside talker convicing the crowd to come in.

I do not consider club performances, canned events, gallery openings, or rock concerts [to be] carnival or really a circus sideshow in the continous nature of the event; however I never would turn them down...it's called food.

I have to say that I agree entirely with this, and have always conducted myself in a manner which I feel adheres to the traditions of Circus. I have never made a lot of money from performances, nor was that ever a motivating factor for doing them. Sure, it's nice to have money for those not-so-fun responsibilities like rent, bills and that important thing called food. However, as a Carny you learn how to survive on very little [and can be comparable to the Hustler's Diet], so that you can take care of your s***. It's not an easy living, but I don't ever remember it being presented as one.

I see these posers and how they are eager for the money. It sickens me in a way that I'm sure you wouldn't understand, and you must realize it's due to the fact that I have risked my life countless times for no other reason that I enjoyed the reaction I received. It is up to a performer to utilize their skills and present them in an entertaining manner that will capture audience attention; and most importantly, leave them with a lasting impression, and wanting more.

It makes me laugh when people try to build up their credit with the same thing over and over and over again. It was hardly impressive the first time, why continually harp on it? If the most 'dangerous' thing you have ever done is lie on the floor of the local dive bar, splayed outdoors among some questionable objects, or perhaps even gotten yourself slightly dirty all in the name of glorifying your menial accomplishment, I would like to extend an invitation to come to the Hostile City so I can show you what real life is like. You can bring all your empty b******* for protection; your alt-scene-whore wares and see how impressive you are to the people on the streets. You can act as ghetto as you want with your 'homies'; sure they'll show your white ass how cool they think you are.

Three years ago, I lost my best friend and at that time the only person who understood my passion for Circus. He knew what it meant to have sawdust in the veins and never thought talking about sideshow or carousels or any of that to be trivial or boring. He was the first person to call me a Carny, years before I ever literally ran away with the carnival. He was an amazing hustler and an even more impressive showman. I miss what we did, as it was the one time in my life where all I had to do was be myself - okay, and I was putting my body and sometimes my life at risk, but that's what you do for entertainment - and the audience showers you with applause. It's the greatest feeling in the world.

Coney Island is dead to me after this, tho truth be told, it's been in steady decline and decay ever since a****** Fred Trump invited his rich bugeois friends to drink champagne and hurl bricks thru the glass pavillion of Steeplechase. Imposters, posers, frauds - whatever they are, they are far from the legends that once made Circus great - will exist, but I remain confident that they will be exposed and those who have dedicated their life to the arts will gain the recognition they deserve. Alive On the Inside shall continue to preserve the histories and traditions of American circus in print form, so that everyone who actually gives a s*** can be a part of it.

At least I can say that I will always have my memories of the time I spent in South Jersey providing the only underground Circus anyone had seen at that point, as well as one f****** amazing friend. We hustled the marks and rubes from NYC to Cherry Hill to Cape May, and I loved every minute of it. For the memory of the dear departed Reverend Saint Jon, I cannot watch what has been my life for nearly ten years to become b*******. When you have Circus in your blood, you don't know how else to live your life, and I don't plan on learning any time soon.

It's not a game, scene, clique or a platform to create an Internet celebrity. It's f****** life; sometimes it's the greatest feeling you'll ever have, and sometimes it sucks hardcore. Either way, you keep going.

CHASE THE DREAM, NOT THE PAPER