"America's Favorite Circus June 07 2008"
2008 KELLY MILLER IN OHIO
By: John Hart
Now in his second show season relatively new circus owner John Ringling North II has incorporated even more of the "Ringling Touch" into veteran title Kelly-Miller certainly making it one of the top tent shows on the road. I had the privilege of seeing the show on Wednesday, the 14th of May in Mechanicsberg, 48 miles northeast of Dayton, OH. It was set up on the grounds of a church on the edge of town playing under the sponsorship of the local volunteer Fire Department. I attended the 4:30pm performance and although it was raining there was a substantial crowd.
In spite of rising touring costs, most notably fuel, management has kept the show's gate pricing at $12 adult/$6 child with only a nominal $2 extra for ringside chair seating.
Mr. North is currently traveling with the show and was very much in evidence all over the lot in his distinctive cowboy style hat. He is a delight to meet and with veteran showman Jim Royal as General Manager form a leadership team unsurpassed in the industry.
Just by stepping on the lot you sense that everyone involved with K-M is "with it" and "for it".
The very distinguished John Moss III continues as Ringmaster. The show kicks off with the entire cast appearing giving a snapshot view of their specialty.
First act is juggler Brett Michael with pins, balls , blocks, rings and finally torches. Then beautiful Natalie Cainan with her four white dogs jumping through hoops, over bars, walking on their hind legs and finally jumping from a ladder into their mistresses arms. Precarious perch pole precision follows accomplished by three members of the Rosales Family with the
12-year old son doing a head stand 35 feet in the air. Next Ringmaster Moss does the traditional Peterson Peanut pitch with the bag having gone up to only $1.50, not like the $2 on other shows. Another member of the Rosales, Deyanira, appears 'with Hula Hoops all over her body and extremities. Then the act which has been the classic on Carson and Barnes for so many years, Armando that they are considered pests.
Asian tigers are disappearing at a frightening rate. All of this speaks to the possible benefits of preserving and protecting these creatures as they are used in a positive and healthy performing and exhibiting venue and not to lobby to force more regulations and legislation removing them from the public's view.
A quick look at what randomly was; starts with the astounding list of animals, owned and carried by Obert Miller and his boys D. R. and Kelly on their Al G. Kelly-Miller Circus in 1951. They carried one hundred and sixty seven exotics and a herd of one hundred and seven horses, mules and ponies. They perhaps correctly claimed to have, "the most varied and costly collection of rare animals ever carried with an American circus." Bill and Babe Woodcock managed twenty-two elephants. Giraffes, a rhino, a hippo, camels and more filled the trucks. Even a tapir! Most of these animals performed in what had to be an extraordinary show.
The Cristiani Family in 1958 carried both the Cristiani herd, handled by Oscar Cristiani and Tony Danio's elephants. A mixed cage act by Eddie Kuhn brought lions, leopards, jaguars, pumas and bears together! The lot, as one would expect of this circus "royalty" was filled with equine stock.
Clyde Beatty-Cole Bros. in 1966 owned by McClosky, Kerman and Jerry Collins featured likely the best-known circus performer in the world, Clyde Beatty, and his cage of more than twenty lions and tigers. As one would expect of a show which bragged of "The one, the only, the incomparable, Mr. Circus himself!", the show carried elephants, seals, chimps, camels, horses, dogs and even a trained Yak.