The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-03-26
WHERE CIRCUS AcRoBATs FAIL.
Acts Resulting From Lifetime Of
Work Do Not Please Today


Profitable days there for the circus
clown, the tumblcr, the contortionist
and the acrobat. No more winter
| quarters. No tedious trips To MeX,
and South ana Central America, with
worries about salaries and return tick
cts. No more work with tired mus
cles i'm the spring TO get into trim for
the long summer campaign under the
big top.
Vaudeville has drawn in the circus
folk. Not from choice 50 much as nee
essity. Cabaret shows aud the iusis-
tent demand for teachers of tango and
hesitation i'm the early fall took FROM
the popular priced houses the clevcicst
of the pairs of song and dance people,
mainstays Of those resorts. Gaps left
had to be filled. Circuscs were making
their last stands before being driven u
winter quarters by the cold weather.
Vaudeville agents went to the gym
nasts with tempting contracts. New
teams TO do unusual brother acts
Sprang into being.
This winter they have crowded the
changing their bills twice week.
There have been performers on the !
Uapcze, flying rings. horizontal bar.
with wire dancers, tumblers. contor- !
tionists, club swingers, and alwa,s |
one clown To make laugh, whether |
pierrot tramp or country gawk
The best in their lines, these per |
4.
from ocean to ocean during the season /
under canvas. Yet often they fail to |
get across the theater footlight~ as
does a slip Of a girl who follows their
clever and daring work with a snappy
song, a few dancing steps and fewer
funny remarks. 1t has taken life
time of hard work to perfect the aero
bats; the girl is out of the amateur
class only few weeks perhaps. Tho
bulk OF the applause is hers Such is
the temper of the crowds that an these
theaters during their continuous per
The circus people cannot understa M
why they are not vociferously received
and are unhappy, except when tho,
get tFe,r fat pay envelopes Nor can
the managers. Said one Of them:
There's a trio of horizontal bar cN-
perts who can do an the twists and
swings and brcak-ncrk acts possible,
stars under canvas, 10 whom pay
$3.50 a week for the season. one of
them is principal clown in one of the
biggest tent shows on the road. They
get far less applause than that girl
without any voice, bat with pleasing
personality, WHO is. glad to Ect So a
week,
can you explain it? have eleven
other acrobatic teams of from two C
six people on the road under contract.
They are almost as good rs that trio.
Yet they have no drawing power.
~ pair of dancers who could DO the
tango and hesitation and turkey trot
a little would pun more money than
these iirst-class brother and sister
acts Trained athletes have often
proved to bc merely filters. The do not
catch the crowds. Dancers would be
headliners \ perfect gymnastic act
hardly gets recognition. That's what
the dancing craze has done to this bus
mess"
why don't you get the tan%oists,
ihcn2"
Cant. Cabaret and dancing schools
have them all. We have to take what
left. Hence the, acrobats."
Circus folk are no more pleased with II
the situation. They are proud lot and
jealous of their profession. They long
Fer such applause "a the stripping girl
gets. The smell of the sdWdust in the
spring will be welcome.