Thursday, February 5, 2009
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A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
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7 comments:
Medrano was the most beautiful and intimate building in the circus history. It was demolished in 1972. Cirque Medrano stopped his activity in November 1963. It was then bought by his principal competitor, Bouglione, who owned the Cirque d'Hiver by 1932. Bouglione renamed it "Cirque de Montmartre" with minor shows. In 1970 it became a beer hall, then in 1972 it was demolished to make place to an apartment building. You can see that building still there, in Boulevard Rochechouart, with the golden letters name on: "Le Bouglione".
Raffaele,
Wonderful history, thank you. What a treat it would be to work in a historic old building designed specifically for circus. I bet none of then over in Europe thought to put something in the center of the roof during construction, to hang a net cage off of though. LOL
The closest I ever got was the Paramount Theater on the famous Asbury Park, New Jersey Boardwalk. The seating capacity of this fine, acoustically superior facility is approximately 1,600. The Paramount opened in spectacular fashion on July 11, 1930 with a show staring the Marx Brothers and Ginger Rogers. The magnitude and grandness of that opening was replicated on July 14, 1978 when I appeared with blond hair, Gunther bra and a cage full of White Tigers and a ring full of elephants. But I am sure history won't record the occasion, in the same breath as the Marx Brothers and Ginger Rogers. LOL
Wade
They don't used to put rigging for cage net because this was introduced in the late 50s and those buildings are all of a centyry before...
Actually, of all those remaining European circus building, none had riggin sistem at all, eve for lighting. In the original architecture, the only lighting source was from chandeliers.
Later renovations introduced the modern rigging systems, a necesity that maybe disturbs a little the beauty of the inner cupola decorations.
The later construction of modern circus buildings in Soviet Union, included regularly the space around the ring for net cage and the system to rig it quickly.
The oldest circus building in the world is Hiver-Bouglione in Paris (in this same was invented flying trapeze and were introduced some of the very first cage act. Other historical buildings of the same era are always in France: at Douai, Amiens, Reims and Chalons (the latter became the National Circus School in the 80s).
The demolition of Medrano in Paris is considered one of the saddest chapter in the French circus history.
The dozens that were in Germany and Spain were demolished. Circus Price in Madrid was re-built in 2005 by the city.
Raffaele,
Wouldn't it be great if once in a while they could hold an "old circus" in one of these buildings using as many traditional acts as they could find, along with chandlers and old style costumes. Maybe do it every other year with Monte Carlo one year and one of these buildings the other.
Wade
This is more or less what Bouglione do with his winter programs, balancing the old style atmosphere (a classic big band, uniforms, chandeliers, etc.) with the modern theatrical technology. Bouglione is able to do his run it for almost 6 consecutive months a year in Paris. I think that is the longest circus run in a same town anywhere, and I think is great.
Raffaele,
Yes, 6 months is the longest that I know of by far, and is even more impressive and commendable when you realize how many days have been removed for the Ringling Garden stand in the last 30 years.
Wade
I was thinking the same...
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