What excitement! This summer from June 29-July 9 on the National Mall in Washington D.C., the Smithsonian Museum will present their annual Folklife Festival. The theme this year is “Circus Arts in America.” This recognition is extraordinary as President George Washington attended America’s first circus in Philadelphia in 1793. I urge you to have a […]
Dear friends and family, There will be an auction on February 7th for the physical assets and the trademarked name of the Big Apple Circus. This is very exciting for me personally, as it gives me hope that the Big Apple Circus could be revived under new management. No matter what, I’m excited to open […]
As I mentioned in closing last time, I’m going to be recording a story for The Moth Radio Hour on Monday, February 10th in front of a live audience. The broadcast date has not been set yet, but the public is welcome to purchase tickets to be a part of the audience for the recording […]
I’m back home in New York after a fantastic week-long trip to Paris to the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain. We call it the “Paris Circus Festival.” It’s officially the “World Festival of the Circus of Tomorrow.” It was hosted by the Cirque Phénix in their enormous 6,000-seat venue. Why “circus of tomorrow”? It’s a […]
On Sunday, January 19, I’ll have the honor of being inducted into the Circus Ring of Fame at St Armand’s Circle in Sarasota, Florida. Just as the Hollywood Walk of Fame honors Hollywood greats with a star-laden path, we in the circus world celebrate our very own Marilyn Monroes, James Deans, and Bette Midlers with […]
Daniel Cyr is a master acrobat and circus performer. He invented and popularized an apparatus called the “Cyr Wheel” after debuting it in 2003 at the “Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain” in Paris (for which he won the Silver Medal). The Cyr wheel is a single, large, metal hoop inside which the acrobat stands, […]
This week, many of us will be heading into the kitchen to prepare a meal for our families and friends. I myself am no great chef, but every year around Thanksgiving I’m reminded of the time I worked for one. The following excerpt is from my book Never Quote The Weather to A Sea Lion… (available […]
Last week I attended the annual New York Landmarks Conservancy’s Living Landmarks Gala. I’m humbled to be a part of this truly prestigious list, which includes public figures, entertainers, writers, politicians, and activists (all New Yorkers!) who’ve changed the shape of music, dance, literature, food, television news, movies, criticism, public service…the list goes on and […]
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 […]
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 […]