On September 27, I had the honor of being invited to do a presentation at Columbia Business School, my M.B.A. alma mater, sponsored by the Social Enterprise Club and the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs. It was an opportunity to talk about the role of creativity in business. In the presentation, I focused […]
During the Finale of the May 13 show in Boston, Michael Christensen and I walked into the ring. Many in the full house crowd were aware of what was going on…the word had gone viral…but for the few who didn’t know, I started by saying “If you are not aware of why these people are […]
John Ringling’s vast fortune was made as a real estate developer. He was the major force in creating the city of Sarasota, Florida, which was the location of the winter quarters of his circus. And, although it’s long since moved on, to this day Sarasota is known as “Circus City.” Drive west from downtown Sarasota […]
My mother loved a parade! She specifically loved the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which has been a NYC institution since 1924. In 1946, one month after my fourth birthday, my mother put a nickel in the subway turnstile, I walked under it and we traveled from our home in Brooklyn to Manhattan to see the […]
At the beginning of July, on a family visit to Montreal, I spent an extraordinary day at Ecole Nationale du Cirque, the TOHU and the headquarters of Cirque du Soleil. My congenial host at the ENC (National Circus School) was Executive Director Marc Lalonde, who toured me through their extraordinary facility. The school was founded […]
A fan wrote recently and asked a question that is very central to circus performance: Dear Mr. Paul, I have been a long time fan of yours and Big Apple Circus. I was fascinated by the PBS series “Circus” and was surprised by your reaction to the safety issue with the horse vaulting tricks (first […]
On November 3rd PBS launched its documentary series “Circus”, and the viewing is not over! If you missed six hours of broadcast over the last three weeks, watch the on-line streaming. Episode 1: First of May Episode 2: One Ring Family Episode 3: Change On! Episode 4: Survival of the Fittest Episode 5: Born to […]