[On Friday night we went to the circus. Jack offered to review the performance for us and I thank him for doing such a thorough job of it. The following are Jack's comments.]Bellobration!Disclaimer: I have been associated with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, on and off, for around (gasp!) forty years. I am not on their payroll but have done various writing jobs for them, the most recent in 2006. Still, believe me, these comments are not designed for the Ringling press kit but are just my honest opinions.
Friday night, we drove down to the Pensacola Civic Center to see
Ringling's 137th Edition (the Red show), entitled "Bellobration" in honor of its star, the brilliant daredevil clown
Bello Nock. We arrived about an hour before show time to observe the "All-Access Pre-Show" which invites audience members to the arena floor to "interact" with performers and animals. The audience enjoyed it but the pre-show lacked the cohesiveness and spirit that's stimulated by an inspired host -- I am thinking particularly of how brilliantly Jon Weiss conducted this event for several years on Ringling's Gold Unit.
As the circus proper unfolded, I had a hunch it would be an excellent experience. That mood was in the air. I wasn't disappointed. The previous edition, "Circus of Dreams," was quite a mess. Looking back, I consider it now as the transitional show. For that one, the producers Kenneth Feld and Nicole Feld did away with the time-honored three-ring format by opening up the arena floor, adding a giant TV screen and incorporating a storyline into the circus.
I left last year feeling quite a bit let down. Sure, I am all for modernization and innovation. It's lethal to stay stuck in the past. But the "Circus of Dreams" just didn't cut it. Happily it appears that many lessons were learned from that experiment.
"Bellobration" gets it right. From the elegant black and white opening to the blasting human cannonballs finale, it's real circus all the way. As the title would suggest, the show is framed around Bello Nock. He appears throughout, displaying skill and daring on a sway pole and the giant revolving "wheel of steel." He also presides over a funny interactive bit with kids from the audience. (Real "townie kids" or "ringers?" I can't say for sure) and appears repeatedly on pre-recorded clips on the giant screen. Bello is a consummate performer at the top of his form; a seventh generation circus star who's a joy to see in action.
Aside from Bello, I was not impressed much by the show's clowns. They seemed disjointed and generally not very funny. One semi-amusing gag called "Dancing With The Clowns" is about all I remember.
Greatly enjoyed the tiger presentation by the Chilean trainer, Taba. He puts his Bengal and white tigers through their paces with skill and humor. More than once I was reminded of the style and persona of the immortal Gunther Gebel-Williams. And, that is praise indeed.
For an old circus hand like me, another fascinating part of this year's "cat act" is the steel arena which descends from the arena ceiling. It's a major logistical innovation that is brilliantly realized. (Getting the cage up and down in the midst of a show has always been a noisy, labor-intensive nightmare. But, for Ringling, not anymore.)
The Aguillar Brothers do an excellent, polished turn on the high-wire. Ringmaster Ty McFarlan performs well and sings the original score nicely.
There are liberty horses, dogs, flying trapeze artists, Chinese acrobats and many other things included that spell circus. A (mostly) live band adds to the overall excitement. It is a well rounded package and the audience seemed to love every minute.
Close-ups on the giant screen, provided by a roving group of camera-people, are a notable addition. The concept is realized more fully this year than in its debut season in "Circus of Dreams."
For the past few years, one of the stars of Ringling who doesn't get his name above the title is lighting designer Peter Morse. The Felds have invested many millions of dollars in lighting instruments and controls. Using this equipment to the fullest, Peter employs every lighting trick in the book and then some. The look and effects are often stunning. It amazes me that the show as performed in a small market like Pensacola looks as good as it did on opening night in Madison Square Garden a year and a half ago.
I had a great time at "Bellobration." If it comes your way, you'll miss a delightful treat if you don't join the party.
David Shipman, Ringmaster and Pensacola native, this was his third week as a ringmaster and doing a fine job of it.
After the concert we had dinner at a favorite place, Primo Ristorante. 
Main Entrance to the Ringling Museum
At the Ringling through January 29, 2012, there's a stunning poster show organized by the Cincinnati Museum of Art and the Ringling Museum. All the posters were printed by the Strobridge Lithographic Company. Posters shown were mostly from the 1880's to the 1920s. You can learn more at the Ringling Museum's website.
Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars is in Pensacola for the weekend. Out at the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds.
On Sunday morning we headed south. We were in no hurry to cover the 800+ miles to Pensacola. If three nights on the road suited us better than two we would get home on Wednesday instead of Tuesday.
Tuesday was Day 8 and we were only 260 miles from home. Lunch was at the Bates House of Turkey in Greenville, Alabama. Yes, all they offer is turkey, but many, many different ways. After picking up the cats we were home by 3:00 P.M.
Every July the City of Peru, The Circus Capital of the World, hosts the Circus City Festival in honor of its circus heritage. There is a circus at the Circus Hall of Fame, the youth circus in town, a huge parade with antique circus wagons and the Hall of Fame's induction dinner for new honorees.
In the evening we went to the Circus Hall of Fame dinner at the Siding Restaurant and Jack gave a speech after. It went over very well. And he got this beautiful plaque.
Wednesday we crossed Tennessee and moved on to Elizabethtown, Kentucky gaining 235 miles and losing an hour by entering Eastern Daylight Time.
That night we ate at a pleasant local place, Back Home Country Store & Restaurant. Good country food, if a bit salty. As we progressed northward we found the food got saltier along the way. Not everywhere for sure, but at most of the places where we ate.
Luke at the Two Tails Ranch, Williston, Florida, celebrating his 26th birthday.
On Friday, January 15 we headed for Sarasota. We wanted to see our friends, famed chimpanzee trainers and presenters, Rudi and Sue Lenz, be inducted into the Sarasota Circus Ring of Fame.
As for the weather on Sunday, the storm had passed by earlier than predicted. The sky was blue and the sun was warm. Perfect weather for the ceremony. Before the induction we met with Michael Newton-Brown for lunch at the Columbia Restaurant at a table next to the sidewalk. Sue and Rudi walked by and we all had a chat.
For details and photos of the Circus Ring of Fame Ceremony on January 17, 2010 click here.
We stopped for lunch at a favorite restaurant, the locally-owned Felix's Fish Camp Grill in Spanish Fort, Alabama. It is on the bay across from Mobile with great views of battleships at Battleship Park.
From Felix's we continued on to Biloxi and checked in at the Isle of Capri Casino. We hadn't stayed there for a couple of years and we were pleased to find the rooms had been nicely refurbished.
Friday night, we drove down to the Pensacola Civic Center to see Ringling's 137th Edition (the Red show), entitled "Bellobration" in honor of its star, the brilliant daredevil clown Bello Nock. We arrived about an hour before show time to observe the "All-Access Pre-Show" which invites audience members to the arena floor to "interact" with performers and animals. The audience enjoyed it but the pre-show lacked the cohesiveness and spirit that's stimulated by an inspired host -- I am thinking particularly of how brilliantly Jon Weiss conducted this event for several years on Ringling's Gold Unit.
"Bellobration" gets it right. From the elegant black and white opening to the blasting human cannonballs finale, it's real circus all the way. As the title would suggest, the show is framed around Bello Nock. He appears throughout, displaying skill and daring on a sway pole and the giant revolving "wheel of steel." He also presides over a funny interactive bit with kids from the audience. (Real "townie kids" or "ringers?" I can't say for sure) and appears repeatedly on pre-recorded clips on the giant screen. Bello is a consummate performer at the top of his form; a seventh generation circus star who's a joy to see in action.
Earlier in the week we drove south to Sarasota and Venice, Florida. We had two reasons. One was to see our friends Sue & Rudi and the other was to see Circus Sarasota.
You can see what the weather looked like on the lot earlier that day. By show time the weather improved, the tornado warning was canceled and the show went on -- with a big, enthusiastic audience of all ages.
Our recent trip took us to Venice, Florida. For many years it was winter quarters for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus -- "The Greatest Show on Earth."
