Description
Book Synopsis Once an eagerly awaited spectacle, the traveling circus--that miracle of red wagons, trumpeting elephants and spangled trapeze artists that slipped into town at dawn and disappeared by midnight--has all but vanished from the American landscape. This work explores circus history from 1793 to the present and addresses the forces of modern culture (such as the popularity of Cirque du Soleil, and pressure from the animal rights movement) that are pushing big top shows toward what the author calls circus ballet. Numerous photographs and in-depth interviews conducted with show owners, performers and directors enrich the narrative. Overall, the book reveals a sobering contrast between circuses of yesterday and today, even as it honors the outstanding performers who created, and have sustained, the enduring appeal of the circus.
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Preface
- 1. The Big One Falls
- 2. Back Before Barnum
- 3. American Heyday
- 4. Brother, Can You Spare a Ring?
- 5. Spectacles Unsublime
- 6. Mavericks on the Midway
- 7. Cirque du Invasion
- 8. Encore for the Eighties
- 9. Vanishing Visions
- 10. Laliberte Latitudes
- 11. Ringling in Retreat
- 12. Reparations for Jumbo?
- 13. Gunther in Black
- 14. There Go the Shriners
- 15. And the Band Did Not Play On
- 16. Minus Clyde Beatty
- 17. This Way to the Ballet
- 18. Bumpin' Back with a Voice
- 19. Big Apple Delicious
- 20. And in the Only Ring That Matters
- Chapter Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
