Sunday Sendoffs: Monte Carlo, Have I Got the Judges for You ... Detroit Shrine Under Canvas; Kelly-Miller in Texas Rain ...

America Judges the World: Who better to adjudicate the Monte Carlo Circus Festival than those producers who for years made American shows hot hot hot by importing great ring stars from across the great blue ocean? Remember John Ringling North, Europe? Before him, John Ringling? Somebody hitting my midway under Anonymous came up with this outrageously brilliant idea, and I am elated to front post it. It should impress Monte Carlo because it draws on circus owners, and circus owners are what they are obviously the most comfortable with. Stresses Anonymous, "you KNOW there won't be any acts from here competing and none of the world class acts perform here anymore, so our producers would be more than impartial as judges." I don't agree that "world class acts" skip us, but still I love your overall reasoning ...

My Dear Princess Stephanie: Here’s your panel of five, personally selected by Showbiz David putting all bias aside to spread the credibility around fairly: Paul Binder, Kenneth Feld, Struppi Hanneford, John Ringling North II (he’s got two imports to his young legacy); and Johnny Pugh (he’s already been there). ... And how about, good Princess and friend of the circus, giving your prestigious event the clean transparency of Olympic Judging? Above each of my judicial appointments on your behalf, display their marks on a prominent digital score board, so that after each act appears, each judge’s scores are posted for all to see. You see, Princess Stephanie, we may not know how to create top acts in this country, but we have a history (if currently trumped by a certain circus north of our border) for casting the talents Europe fosters into some of the most excitingly directed show. Is it a "go," Monte Carlo? ...

Back in operation, most popular circus blog? That would be Kelly-Miller Circus clowns Stephen Copeland and Ryan Combs (the latter, just married). The Stephen in this partnership has a natural bent for telling it like it is, assuming that is what he really does, and I have no reason to doubt him. So, he takes us right down into the dirt with the rest of the company. Still a Ringling North-ophile, I can't help myself again. I've just rejoined the blog, after last season giving up midway cause of all the bum houses or dead audiences dissed. But, heck, it's spring! And spring in Texas is, so far -- spring in Texas: Three slated rehearsal days shot down to mud and hell; gosh, at times like this, global warming, please! Day before opening, they rehearsed from 8AM to midnight, blogs Copeland ... Okay, I'm on their lot again, until I can't take any more complaints about stupid audiences or malfunctioning clown gags. Check back with me in May ...

Big Top Bits down the Covington Chute: A new Blacktop Circus hitting Big Apple cement come March said to be hip hop oriented, featuring among others the King Charles Troupe. Well, they have a name if nothing else, thanks to Irvin Feld's marketing zeal ... Baby Barack, sadly ominous to report, down with Herpes, and experts say that 85% of elephants who contract this disease end up in the hereafter. Here's hoping that Ringling's new in-vitro pachyderm can trump the gloomy odds... Detroit Shriners -- remember, 'twas they who launched what once upon a season was a significant producer of American circus shows —- recently kicked off the fairgrounds. Now saved and slated to go under canvas on a lot next to the something called the Hazel Parkway. Welcome to the mud, Shrine clowns ...

And that’s a rainy wrap. (P.S., Anonymous: Your American Judges idea, brilliant brilliant brilliant!)