In a few short hours, the opening show of Circus Sarasota‘s Cirque des Voix will commence and yours truly will be kicking off the festivities in a group fire act backed by the nationally renowned Key Chorale. Also on the bill are The Flying Wallendas, Dolly Jacobs and Annaliese Nock, daughter of Bello Nock. That’s a [...]
Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the final dress rehearsal for the Ringling Brother’s latest show, Dragons. This spectacle celebrates the Chinese Year of the Dragon and that particular rehearsal was the first time the cast had performed the show in front of a live audience. While I enthusiastically attend any and all circus [...]
Okay, okay; so this post may have been much more useful a few weeks ago, but if you’re in need of some very last minute gift ideas, here’s some food for thought: Membership to the Circus Historical Society This membership includes a subscription to Bandwagon, the Journal of the Circus Historical Society. Annual fees begin [...]
On this most celebrated of holidays, I wanted to take a break from the typical HeyRube content and pose a philosophical debate of sorts: This year, I am particularly struck by how common circus and freakshow themes have become associated with the horror genre in general, and Halloween in particular. It seems nearly every seasonal [...]
A funny tale from Wendy Whiplash: Picture this: It’s a lovely early fall evening, cool and crisp. I’m hanging out in my driveway, the dog is playing in the yard, and I have my lassos, fire torches and a can of Hamm’s next to me. I’m alternating between toys, throwing ropes for a little while, [...]
Sad but true; this is your third and final installment of the Doctor Sick’s burlesque series: What does it take to do a good job talking a Burlesque show? Well, it helps to have a quality show, with performers who are prepared and professional, with their music already set, the routines fully costumed and rehearsed, [...]
Get ready for your second dose of Doctor Sick’s burlesque series: There’s two types of gigs for announcers. He or she (or they) is either a member of the troupe or a hired gun. Being a member of the troupe generally leads to taking on multiple production roles (see Part 1), moreso than an outsider [...]
This week, HeyRube is delighted to present a three-part commentary on the burlesque announcing biz by guest writer Doctor Sick. Sit back and enjoy part one: The lights turn low, the pre-roll music fades out, and then some schmuck, schmuckette, or schmuck duet walks up to a mic and starts warming a crowd, so they [...]
This month, a ban on wild animals in traveling circuses is expected to go into affect in the UK. According to a recent BBC report, the ban: Will affect the UK’s three remaining travelling circuses that use wild animals. Performers at Circus Mondao, which is being staged in Prescot until Sunday, claim their animals are [...]
The Wallenda family legacy has long been cemented in the circus industry and now, Nik Wallenda is taking his talents out of the Big Top and into other venues. This Saturday, Nik is scheduled to perform two sensational stunts in the New Braunfels Schlitterbahn Waterpark: 1) Fire Slide – 12 pm While on fire, Nik [...]