Walker Brothers Circus

The one ring circus came to town! We have seen this troupe several times. Three years ago they had elephants with them, and we had an elephant ride before the show. This year the pre- show entertainment was a giant bouncy slide or pony rides.

Willow took a pony ride, and she was so thrilled!

I then stood in line while the two saplings bought cotton candy, and then the gate opened, and we grabbed front row ringside seats.

The opening act was dogs, much toned down from previous years with some hoop and gate jumping with the prerequisite humor of the dachshund running under the gates, and a small terrier mix knocking the gates down.

There was a foursome pony act-Willow was thrilled to see "her" pony among them. Here's a pic of them as they were trotting in line around the ring over a small cavelletti, led by a small Hidalgo look-alike.



There was a trapeze artist, who is seen here on the high hoop (no safety net), and she returned during the second half to work on a long rope. She was as good as I have seen in a solo performer.



The young juggler, Paolo, had grown in the two years since we had first seen him. He still finished his act with fiery batons, a real crowd-pleaser. I had the chance to compliment him during intermission as he was selling tickets for the pony/snake/sponge Bob photo ops.

He had five batons going at one point. Here he is working with three batons.



The clown had several acts. I tend to be quite noisy during these small events. The crowds here are a killer, so quiet and stiff. So I really clap and whistle and hoot and try and get folks going. These performers working the small shows really deserve the applause! Anyhow, either our front row seats or my crowd participation drew the clown's attention and we were surprised and soaked by shooting fake tears in his first act. Ha-ha.

His second act he asked for volunteers from the audience, and you can bet I kept my head between my knees for that one. He grabbed a man sitting next to the lovely teenage girl next to me, and I quickly learned he was her father and her younger brother gleefully admitted that he had volunteered his father. Ha!

The girl called for her Dad's phone, and I suddenly offerred her my new camera phone, telling her she could take pics and send them to herself.

"You're my Hero!" she exclaimed.

Hehehe.

I don't know if the pix are still on my phone or not, but I will save her father further embarassment by not posting any here! Dancing, skipping, grinding, and a funny trick with four guys and chairs with heads on each other's knees...

Moving on...

One of the acts really cracked me up. This pretty little mule was brought out and volunteers were asked to try and ride the unrideable mule. Two men were forthcoming.



Well, whenever the man approached the mule, the mule went into attack mode. Here it is biting the man on the arm. I was thinking, "lawsuit in waiting."



Well, as the guy didn't give up, I realized he must be part of the act. At one point, he stumbled runnning out of the ring to avoid the mule, and knocked into the women who had brought the mule out, and she fell down and her wig fell off. THAT was NOT part of the act, I learned at intermission-and I did ask if she was ok, and she was, and then I said sorry it was so funny everyone laughed. I got a sour look for that left-handed compliment. Yeah, it was VERY funny. I thought the ringmaster was going to wet herself laughing at her .

Poor mule, well, the act finished with this tiny tot coming out and proudly mastering the unrideable mule.




The final act was, MUCH to my utter amazement, a chimpanzee act.



First I was a little worried considering the big story of the chimp attacking a woman in Connecticut a few months ago, but then it was sort of horror for these poor things...still, as I watched each one clap for itself after each little trick, my heart went out as I know that performing creatures do appreciate the applause, so I clapped and called words of encouragement and gave the occasional whistle.






Well, I didn't have to pretend when they brought out a pony and had one of the chimps riding on the back, to finish with back flips as the pony cantered around the ring. Yeah, it was cool. And we were maybe ten feet away.



Admission for three, two cotton candies, two sodas, a popcorn, a pic on a pony, a pony ride, and a soaking in clown tears all for under $50. Great deal! Check out the Walker Brothers Circus-just make sure to clap and hoot and whistle for me, ok? :D


N.B. This is a free consumer review. The author has no affiliation with Walker Brothers Circus nor it's associates.