St Louis Zoo

Zookeeper feeding the polar bear 1942.

Kelly Miller Circus Blogs

....Photo from the Kelly Miller Circus Website....


Thank goodness for the internet..Because of it we can now follow the day by day adventures of this wonderful mud show from 3 different sources..The first"The Adventures of Steve and Ryan" is the wacky daily snipets from clown alley written by Steve Copeland..I love the rabbit catching contraption that he and his working partner Ryan built..They give us the day to day run down of everything from fire ants outside their door to what they eat after the show..LOL..As he states on his heading..You'll laugh,you'll cry, it's better then"Cats." They have quite a following already,and as Show Biz Dave stated,it will likely be the hit blog of the season..But it's not the only K&M Blog around,just the newest.. ..Texas Jack Rabbit Catcher..Photo from The Adventures of Steve and Ryan....


The second Blog "The Circus Diaries" is written by none other than Mr.Casey McCoy Cainin..It seems that not only is Casey an extroadinary animal trainer, but also an accomplished musician,playing the local Paris and surrounding area bars and music palaces(LOL)in the off season. On his blog he posts captivating videos of the ins and outs of the training of his tigers. You'll follow along with every new trick he adds to his act. The latest being a three tiger hind leg walk..We also can watch as his newest addition Shonti grows up and adapts to life in the circus..Also on this blog are posts about the daily struggle of life on a mud show..Peace and Chicken Grease..LOL.. ....Casey's New Wardrobe..Photo from The Circus Diaries....

The third K&M Blog is truly my favorite,and if you have not read this gem,I suggest you run not walk over to her web site, " The Mudshow Diaries"..This blog is creativly written by Valerie Berta Torales..And besides the day-to-day posts of the daily grind of working and living on a mud show, she fills the pages with delightful photos..Shots of the lots,the views,the backyard,the parties,the children of K&M,performers,and even local Wal-Mart parking lots..LOL..There is tons of wonderful reading on this blog as she posted all last season, just check out her archives, they are a treasure trove of insider information on this show.. ....Party on K&M 2008..Photo from The MudShow Diaries....


All of these Blogs can be found to the right on my Blog List..Just click and enjoy.You can also click on their "follow this blog" listing on their page.Margaret..

Al Ringling Theatre..

The Al. Ringling Theatre is a treasure of rare quality. Magnificent and richly designed in the style of grand French opera houses, the Theatre is a masterpiece of European architecture. Fine plasterwork, tasseled draperies, intricate ceiling frescos and decorative lighting create an atmosphere steeped in the artistic pleasures both exuberant and serene.

Step back from a timeless setting of quiet, red-carpeted hallways that vibrate with remembered sounds of chattering children at a matinee into a spacious auditorium encircled with golden carved theatre boxes and rich draperies. Hear the tempo changes of the Mighty Barton theatre organ, join the lively applause as the curtain comes down on another hit show. Designed in 1915 by Chicago architects C.W. and George Rapp, the Al. Ringling Theatre has been an ornate fixture in downtown Baraboo for 94 years. The Theatre is one of the first examples of palatial design applied to the moving picture theatre in this country, and is the earliest structure that can be accurately called a "movie palace," as noted by the Theatre Historical Society of America.



The "Prettiest Playhouse in America" had a distinguished opening night in November 1915, and has been in continuous operation ever since. Ringling Circus brother, Al. Ringling, built the Theatre for approximately $100,000, as a gift to the people of the community he loved. From the start, the Theatre featured live performances from vaudeville to grand opera and starred the likes of Lionel Barrymore and Mary Pickford. First-run films were known to debut in Baraboo before they reached Madison and larger cities.

Plush and gilded, the Theatre is an original. and remains so to this day. The look and feel of the Theatre has not changed in its lifetime; no alterations or remodeling have been done to interfere with its original appearance. Movies still flicker across the big screen, and local theatre and perforinance groups take their turns on the stage every season. Hundreds of thousands of people have experienced the magic of the Al. Ringling Theatre.



In 1976, the Theatre was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and through the successful efforts of the community-based Al. Ringling Theatre Friends (ART Friends), the Theatre was purchased from private owners in 1989.



With the Al. Ringling Restoration Fund, ART Friends brings the curtain up on one of the most important performances in the Theatre's history. This fund drive is the chance to preserve the elegant beauty of a historic jewel and to create a unique cultural facility; a vital centerpiece for community events.




Restoration of the Al. Ringling Theatre is a community effort with community benefits. A successful multi-million dollar campaign will support plans to historically preserve and upgrade the Theatre, while the acquisition of adjacent property lays a new foundation to expand programming and operations.

German Zebras Make Foiled Break For Freedom

Police Round Up Escaped Circus Animals
9:30 am CST February 10, 2009

BERLIN -- Four zebras made a break for freedom on Monday from a circus in Augsburg, Germany, with local police in hot pursuit through the city's streets.

One was captured by passers-by as it wandered around town. The other three were eventually corralled on the outskirts.

Police reported no injuries, either to humans or zebras. But the German news magazine Spiegel reported that two police cars were damaged by the runaway animals.

While loading the animals for transport, one of the three zebras managed to escape again, the magazine reported. It took authorities two hours and a veterinarian with a tranquilizer rifle to bring the animal under control.

Emmett Kelly at a Dodgers Game in 1957

Orpheum..Omaha

Welcome to Omaha's Orpheum Theater!


Omaha's celebrated Orpheum Theater is home of the finest in local and national performing arts. Located in downtown Omaha, the Orpheum underwent a major $10 million renovation in 2002 and the ornate splendor of this magnificent theater was enhanced to better serve patrons and artists. In 2004, the Orpheum Theater Skylink was added for increased convenience and accessibility to the Orpheum. The 200-foot-long elevated, enclosed and climate-controlled walkway connects the OPPD parking garage to the Orpheum Theater.

The 2,600 seat proscenium theater was originally built in 1927 as a vaudeville house. Today, the Orpheum hosts programs best served by a more theatrical setting, including the Broadway In Omaha series and Opera Omaha.


The Orpheum Theater 1927-2002

Sinking into the plush seats of the newly renovated Orpheum Theater, one can feel more than 100 years of social and cultural history resonating from the site. In the late 19th century, the Withnell Building, erected by pioneer contractor John Withnell, became the headquarters for the U.S. Army “Department of the Platte.” Formed after the Civil War, this military designation stretched from the Missouri River into Montana, and from Canada to Texas. When the Army headquarters were moved to Fort Omaha, the opportunity to develop Harney Street between 15th and 16th Streets emerged. In 1895, John A. McShane organized a stock company to build the Creighton Theater on the Withnell site. Demolition and construction of the new facility took only five months. The Creighton Theater was named after "Count" John A. Creighton, whose portrait decorated the proscenium arch above the stage. His title was honorary, given to him by Pope Leo XIII, making him a Count of the Papal States.

The original building was designed by Fisher & Lawrie, Omaha architects who designed several other Omaha buildings now on the National Register of Historic Places. The theater, which seated more than 800, shared the block with the impressive mansard-roofed mansion of mining magnate C.E. Balbach (northeast corner of 16th and Harney). The theater's first managers and lessees were Billy Paxton, Jr. and W.J. Burchess. Burchess managed Salt Lake City's Walker Theater, but moved to Omaha where he purchased Boyd's Opera House and the Grand Opera House, all three of which burned to the ground during his management in the early 1890s. The Creighton's inaugural performance on August 22, 1895, was a drama "The Masqueraders" by Charles Frohman's company. It was reported to have been "a gala social event, with a full house, especially in the saloon."

By 1898 a widening national recession forced the Creighton's owners to sell to the Orpheum Vaudeville Circuit, and the theater was renamed the Creighton Orpheum (the Creighton name was quietly dropped by 1906). Omaha was then in the prestigious company of eight other cities on the Orpheum circuit--Chicago, Kansas City, New Orleans, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento. Matinees were held every day at 2:15 PM and evening shows at 8:15 PM. Admission was 10¢ for children and gallery, 25¢ for adults main floor matinees, and 50¢ for adults main floor nights. Fred and Adele Astaire played a week in December 1908 at the same prices as ten years earlier. In 1910 City National Bank built Omaha's first skyscraper on 16th and Harney, west of the Orpheum. It was a 16-story steel-framed, masonry building designed by the firm of Holabird & Roche of Chicago, and its profile unfortunately overshadowed the smaller Orpheum.

By the 1920s vaudeville houses began to be converted into motion picture theaters. In 1926 plans were conceived for a newer and grander Orpheum, one that could accommodate both movies and vaudeville. At the "Old Orpheum's" final performance on April 24, 1926, people heard the Creighton University Glee Club and witnessed a presentation to the University of the John Creighton portrait, which had hung over the stage. Ernest Nordin conducted the Omaha Symphony in the overture "Goodbye Forever" and led the audience in the singing of "Auld Lang Syne." A bugler blew Taps as the final curtain descended. By the time of the grand finale nearly 16,500,000 people had attended the Orpheum in less than 31 years. Since a "season" lasted about nine months, an average of 13,600 patrons attended the Orpheum each week!

Demolition of the old Orpheum began immediately, and the new (present) Orpheum, designed by Chicago architects Rapp & Rapp, was constructed in 16 months and cost $2 million. The Sunday World-Herald headline on October 9, 1927 announced "New Orpheum, Opening Today, All Beautiful for Season of Triumph." The gala opening was attended by nearly 3,000 people, including the king and queen of The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, Dr. W.O. Bridges and Miss Dorothy Davidson, and the outgoing Ak-Sar-Ben king, Senator Gilbert M. Hitchcock and his wife. The program was filled with "laughs, tricks, antics, dances, comics and all the other things that go to make up a happy evening." "The Fighting Eagle," a motion picture starring former Omahan and Central High student Rod La Rocque, and Mack Sennett beauty Phyllis Haver was also on the evening's bill.

The new Orpheum was an "ensemble of elegance" in a French Renaissance style decorated in gold and ivory. Appointments included rose cavernett and red lavanti marble, mirrored walls, hand-carved and gilded consoles, and beautifully gilded davenports and high-back armchairs upholstered in "downy softness" according to the October 9, 1927 Sunday World-Herald. Genoese and Venetian brocatelles and damasks and gold and silver brocade adorned the walls. The draperies were of Vatican crimson brocatelle embellished with pessementerie art. M.H. Singer, president of the Orpheum circuit, referred to the new Orpheum in Omaha as a "boon to the ornamental glass and carpet industry of Czecho-Slovakia." The central chandelier, reminiscent of the Paris Grand Opera House, was 16 feet tall, 9 feet in diameter, weighed 4,500 pounds and cost $7,000. Quoted in the Omaha World-Herald of October 11, 1927, State Attorney General Ora Spillman said, "the beautiful building represents the progressive people in a progressive state. (…) You cannot overestimate the beneficial aspects of the clean and wholesome," he said, "as you cannot measure the dangers of the vulgar and questionable."

For the next 43 years, the era's finest performers and films would entertain Orpheum patrons. Original "Funny Girl" Fannie Brice was among the performers during the first season, along with "Fortunello and Cirillino, European Tumblers (and) Toto, Famous Clown" (The Omaha Bee-News, October 5, 1927). W.C. Fields, Al Jolson, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Glen Miller, Woody Herman, Lawrence Welk, Stan Kenton, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Lucille Ball would follow in years to come. The Orpheum thrived for its first twenty years, but with the coming of television, vaudeville's popularity waned. The Orpheum eventually became solely a movie house. By the late 1960s, movie theaters were becoming smaller and sparer in order for film companies to maximize profits. Due to declining attendance and deteriorating conditions, the theater closed on April 29, 1971. By that time plastic sheets hung from the ceiling to protect patrons from falling plaster. In March of 1972 Mayor Gene Leahy and Harold Andersen, president of Downtown Omaha, Inc., announced that the city was a step closer to restoring the Orpheum. The conversion idea, based upon the Orpheum Theater Corporation donating the building, was to be part of a larger plan to expand the Civic Auditorium into a "convention center" by renovating the Music Hall and incorporating it into the larger Arena.

In December of that year the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben presented to the city a check for $135,000 to purchase the Orpheum, stipulating that it be renovated into a performing arts center for the Omaha Symphony, Opera Omaha and Ballet Omaha. Renovation costs would be covered by $1.5 million in revenue bonds and $500,000 in contributions from local businesses. Interest increased the total cost of the project to $2.4 million. An eleventh-hour crisis nearly killed the deal when it was discovered that the city would need to pay City National Bank $1,000 a month to use the bank-owned lobby access to the theater. Then-mayor Edward Zorinsky planned to veto the renovation plan until the Omaha Symphony Association agreed to purchase the lobby. They eventually gave it to the city. Renovations stretched through 1974 and included adding 30 feet of width and 15 feet of depth to the stage, installing new stage rigging, air conditioning, electrical and lighting, enlarging the orchestra pit, installing new seats and carpeting, and generally restoring the interior to its original beauty.

Leo A. Daly Company of Omaha was the architect for the renovation. Principal advisors included Ed Wylie, Music Hall House Manager, and Bill Matthews, technical director for Opera Omaha, and Al Brown, Orpheum House Manager from 1973 to 1995. Both Wylie and Matthews accompanied a Leo A. Daly architect to observe renovations of Powell Hall in Saint Louis and Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh. Matthews, who was involved throughout the entire project, was able to ensure that Opera Omaha's particular technical needs were met. The Orpheum's grand re-opening on January 7, 1975, starred comedian Red Skelton. In February of that year Opera Omaha performed on the Orpheum stage for the first time, with soprano Beverly Sills in the title role of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, a production which also featured the young baritone (and Colby, Kansas native) Samuel Ramey. Prior to 1975 Opera Omaha had performed in various venues, including the Joslyn Concert Hall, Boys Town Music Hall, Technical High School, Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum, and the Civic Music Hall. The Orpheum has remained Opera Omaha's primary venue since 1975, with occasional use of the Joslyn's Witherspoon Concert Hall, the Rose Theater and South High School. Other than basic maintenance, only two major projects were undertaken at the Orpheum between 1975 and the 2002. In 1989 the "new lobby" on the main floor was opened after the Orpheum Tower Apartments developers (CF Realty Investors, Inc., ComFed Capital Corp., XLand Inc., and Redevelopers, Inc.) donated 3,800 square feet of space. In 1996 a $225,000 remodeling of the public areas resulted in a renovated box office, a new marble concession area, and a handicapped-accessible restroom. In 1997 the Omaha Symphony commissioned a large-scale Orpheum facilities study, and in 2001 the newly-formed Omaha Performing Arts Society (formed to address the city’s performance venue needs) announced plans for a $10 million renovation of the Orpheum and a new $90 million concert hall to be built on a site just north of the Eugene Leahy Mall downtown. In 2002 the city of Omaha granted OPAS a 50-year lease to manage the Orpheum Theater.

Today the Orpheum Theater sparkles anew following completion of the $10 million renovation in the summer of 2002. Patrons on the main floor enjoy new larger seats and more legroom, improved stage views and double doors from the lobby for sound and light barriers. Other upgrades include refurbished seats on all upper levels, additional restrooms, mechanical system upgrades, many backstage improvements, and enhancements by world-renowned Kirkegaard Associates from Chicago, Illinois. Particularly noticeable is the elimination of the "eyebrow" which formerly blocked full view of the glorious proscenium arch. The eyebrow, located above the orchestra pit, was installed by acoustical engineers during the 1974 renovations, and is no longer needed due to the more modern acoustic improvements added in 2002.

The Orpheum Theater is Omaha's "golden palace", a historic Midwestern landmark that has hosted renowned performers and performances, and will continue to serve as home for the finest in the performing arts.

Article reprinted from the Opera Omaha October 25, 2002 program book, researched and written by Steve Grupe and Heike Langdon

More Restored Theaters..The Beacon..New York City....

Designated a landmark in 1979, the 2,800-seat Beacon Theatre has undergone a $16 million restoration, and earlier today the final look of their 7-month-long project was unveiled. Thanks to the work of thousands, the venue "is back to its original 1929 grandeur, fulfilling the commitment the company made to New York when it acquired the theatre in November, 2006." A full list of restorations can be found after the jump, and the NY Times has a cute story about an old gold-painted coffee tin discovered during the facelift and found to be the fixture supporting "the principal ornament at the tip of the 900-pound chandelier in the rotunda" (pictured here).

The folks at the Beacon gave us a little history lesson, noting the venue was originally "the brainchild of famed theater impresario Samuel 'Roxy' Rothafel. In 1927 noted Architect Walter Ahlschlager was commissioned to design the theater, named the 'Roxy’s Midway', for live vaudeville and silent film presentations. Shortly after the theater was completed, it was taken over by Warner Brothers and remodeled to accommodate talking pictures which became the rage in 1929. It was at this time that the theater was renamed the Warner Brothers Beacon Theatre." Of course, these days it's best known for the music, playing host to the likes of Paul Simon and Leonard Cohen during the upcoming calendar year.

Restored Theaters

....Cascade Theater..Redding,California....




....Elsinore Theater..Salem,Oregon....




....Granada Theater..Santa Barbara,California....




....Michigan Theater..Ann Arbor,Michigan....

Woman's life in danger after chimp attack

CNN) -- A woman has been hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a pet chimpanzee attacked her at a friend's home in Stamford, Connecticut, police said.
Charla Nash, 55, had just arrived at her friend Sandra Herold's house when the chimp, named Travis, jumped on her and began biting and mauling her, causing serious injuries to her face, neck and hands, according to Stamford Police Capt. Rich Conklin, who said the attack was unprovoked.

Herold had called Nash to her house to help get 14-year-old Travis back inside after he used a key to escape.

While her friend was being attacked, Herold tried to pull the primate off her, but was unsuccessful.

She then called 911 before stabbing the chimp with butcher knife and hitting him with a shovel. Neither fazed Travis, who police said was like a child to Herold.

Stamford police later shot the chimp multiple times after he attacked an officer inside a police cruiser, Conklin said.

Travis returned to the house, where police later found him dead. Conklin estimated that Travis weighed close to 200 pounds.

The police captain also said this isn't the first interaction his officers have had with Travis; the chimp escaped in 2003 and "wreaked havoc" on the streets of Stamford for a couple of hours.
In 2005, a different chimp escaped from California's Animal Haven Ranch and chewed off a man's nose and genitals.

During an interview after that attack, wildlife expert Jeff Corwin told CNN's Anderson Cooper that chimpanzees are "absolutely powerful."

It's often said that an adult chimpanzee weighing in at 150 pounds is three to seven times stronger than a human being," Corwin said.

"The thing about chimpanzees is, we sort of look at them through our rose-colored cultural glasses of the cute little chimp in the 'Tarzan' movie. Those are very young chimps. Chimps grow up, they become very powerful. They are very complex in their behavior. They have a whole range of emotions, including violence and anger."

The History of the Historic Elsinore Theatre

Written by Elaine K. Sanchez

On May 28, 1926, on a former livery stable site, the magnificent Elsinore Theatre first opened its doors to the public. Developed by George Guthrie, an entrepreneur and lover of art, the theatre was designed to resemble the castle in “Hamlet,” Shakespeare’s greatest drama.

Believing the Salem community deserved and would support a splendid theatre, Guthrie contracted with the Portland architectural firm Lawrence and Holford to create a Tudor Gothic structure that would become the showplace of the Willamette Valley. Ellis F. Lawrence, who later became the founding dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Oregon, was the project’s principle architect.

Under the supervision of general contractor Cuyler Van Patten, a meticulous man who sought nothing less than perfection, excavation began in 1925. Skilled laborers and gifted regional artisans were hired to do the basic construction as well as the plasterwork, ironwork, ornamentation and painting. Originally estimated to cost $100,000, it was rumored that Mr. Guthrie was headed toward bankruptcy when the price exceeded $250,000.

When the Elsinore opened its doors, Mr. Guthrie’s dream was realized, and it quickly became recognized as the finest theater between Portland and San Francisco. A capacity crowd attended the opening show, Cecil B. DeMille’s, “The Volga Boatman,” a silent movie accompanied by “Finlandia,” on a mighty Wurlitzer, 900-pipe, 13-rank organ.

For several years audiences enjoyed two weekly performances of “Fanchon & Marco,” a vaudeville circuit that started in Los Angeles and traveled north to Seattle. Many promising new performers, including Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Otis Skinner, Clark Gable and the John Phillip Sousa Marine Band also performed on the Elsinore stage.

In 1929 the Elsinore was leased to Fox Theaters, and was converted to accommodate the newest technological advance in entertainment – talking movies. One year later, owner George B. Guthrie leased the theatre to Warner Brothers Theaters, who ran it as a movie house until 1951.

Every Thursday during the 1930’s talented young people would line up at the Elsinore to audition for Zollie’s Mickey Mouse Club Matinee. The best singers, dancers, and musicians would be selected to perform the following Saturday. Created and hosted by teenage impresario Zollie Volchok, the show featured a group of “regulars”, including Salem’s own pianist Donnie Edwards and the talented young trumpeter, Doc Severinsen. Audiences were treated to a 45-minute live stage show, cartoons, movies, and pipe organ music from the mighty Wurlitzer. A few of Salem’s finest citizens still carry their membership cards bearing the Mickey Mouse Club Creed:

“I will be a square shooter in my home, in school, on the playground, wherever I may be. I will be truthful and honorable and strive always to make myself a better and more useful citizen. I will respect my elders and help the aged, the helpless and children smaller than myself. In short, I will be a good American.”




In 1954 the Elsinore was sold to Foreman Brothers, and during the next twenty-five years the forces of time, nature and audience abuse took its toll. The theatre’s ownership changed two more times. Tapestries had to be removed from the reach of vandals. The badly damaged stained glass windows in the upper lobby were boarded up, and in 1962 the magnificent Wurlitzer Organ was dismantled and sold for parts.

By the late 1970’s the theatre once billed as “The Showplace of the Willamette Valley” had lost its appeal even as a second-run, discount movie house. In 1976 the theatre’s fiftieth anniversary passed without notice.

In 1980 plans were being made to demolish the Elsinore and replace it with a parking lot. A group of concerned citizens, appalled at the thought of losing this local, historical treasure, formed the grassroots organization called the “Save the Elsinore Committee.” They worked hard to build support with the public as well as with the city’s political leaders.


The Elsinore was included in a study of multi-purpose center sites, conducted by the City of Salem. The consultants reported that the Elsinore had limited usability, but concluded that it was “worthy of a major preservation effort.” They said, “If at all possible, the Elsinore should be restored to its former grandeur and devoted to community use.”

In 1981 two ballot measures went before the community: one measure provided for the purchase and renovation of the theatre, the other one provided for long term annual operating funds. Both measures were defeated.

Disappointed but not willing to give up, the Save the Elsinore Committee launched a campaign to create awareness and build excitement for the theatre. In 1983 they hosted “Elsinore Week Live,” seven days and nights of free performances that drew over 12,000 people into the theatre. Following that success, the committee negotiated with owner Tom Moyer for the use of the theatre 18 days a year. During the next six years more than 75 different events took place at the Elsinore with attendance exceeding 75,000.

In 1985 another group formed with the goal of building a new 2,000-seat auditorium. The Salem Community Auditorium Committee believed Salem was growing and would support a large venue that would attract major performing arts events to Salem. For the next several years the Save the Elsinore Committee and the Auditorium Committee each worked toward fulfilling their individual goals. They occasionally butted heads as they went about trying to generate support and raise money for their individual priorities.

On the Elsinore’s 60th birthday in 1986 Tom Moyer and the Save the Elsinore Committee hosted a gala to celebrate the initial $130,000 restoration, which was accomplished with the help of theatre supporters and volunteer prison inmates.

A hand-in-the-cement ceremony was conducted before the night’s performance, a repeat presentation of “The Volga Boatman,” the first silent movie shown at the Elsinore. The movie was accompanied on a borrowed organ.






That same year, Clayton Parks, a Salem organ enthusiast approached Moyer with a proposal to install his new organ with its three keyboards, twenty-two ranks and 1,534 pipes. Moyer agreed and the Elsinore came alive with music once again. The Parks family later donated the organ to the theatre, and a $60,000 grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust financed a major renovation and upgrade of the instrument.

In the late 1980’s Tom Moyer decided to sell his theatre chain. ACT III Movie Theaters bought Moyer’s properties, including the Elsinore. The new owners agreed to allow the community limited use of the theatre.

In 1990, after learning that ACT III wanted to sell the property, the Save the Elsinore Committee launched a fundraising drive to purchase it. At the same time, the Auditorium Committee was still trying to generate public and political support for a new, larger performing arts center.

In 1992 Mayor R.G. Andersen-Wyckoff asked the two groups to work together. They agreed to joined forces to create STAGE – Salem Theatre Auditorium Group Enterprise, a nonprofit charity for the performing arts. STAGE’s stated purpose and goal was to purchase, renovate, restore the Elsinore Theatre and build a new, large auditorium.

After a number of rejected grant requests and other disappointing events the committee’s belief in the theatre’s potential finally paid off. Meyer Memorial Trust awarded STAGE a $400,000 grant, which covered the purchase of the theatre and provided $100,000 for remodeling. On July 17, 1993, STAGE, Inc. assumed title of the Elsinore. An executive director was hired and the theatre was closed temporarily for repairs and restoration began. Once the disabilities requirements and city building codes were met the theatre re-opened for rental use. The following year the Elsinore was put on the National Register of Historic Places and the first “season” was offered to the public.

In 1994 STAGE contracted with Aron Faegre, a Portland architect, who designed an ambitious $7.8 million master plan, which included purchasing the Capitol Theater and expanding the capacity of the Elsinore.

The volunteer host/usher organization was created and the Historic Elsinore Theatre became a fully functioning auditorium and performing arts space. However, the theatre was still in need of significant restoration and modernization, and several more years would pass before the time was right for a major fundraising effort.

The new millennium brought major stars to the Elsinore. In February 2000 Gregory Peck presented the last performance of his career on the Historic Elsinore Theatre stage. He said, “I just wanted to say you have to do great things with a theatre like this. I am so impressed . . . It’s quite possibly the outstanding venue on our tour. I am most enthusiastic about the possibilities of this theatre and I hope you will lend your strongest support. . .”





The following year Broadway diva, Bernadette Peters and film star James Earl Jones appeared at the Elsinore, and a performance by world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman brought the theatre international attention. Audiences were thrilled to see such famous stars in Salem, but they were growing restless. They wanted a more comfortable environment. Patience with the aged theatre was wearing thin.

On the Elsinore’s 75th anniversary, sensing that the community was ready to support the theatre and its contribution to the arts, a group of prominent local individuals stepped forward to champion the Return to Grandeur campaign. Using STAGE’s master plan as a guide, the board of directors resolved to keep the theatre operating and fiscally sound, while at the same time rebuilding its infrastructure, repairing its damage, and returning it to its original glory.

Curry Brandaw, a local architectural firm that donates a portion of its business to nonprofit organizations, was just finishing Salem’s Riverfront Carousel and the company was looking for another community project. Architect and project administrator David Holton approached the Elsinore’s board with a proposal for Curry Brandaw to become the general contractor for the Return to Grandeur. Knowing the reputation of both the firm and Holton, and appreciative of the potential to cut costs significantly, the board eagerly agreed.

By February 2002 the scope of work had been determined. It would require three phases, with each phase encompassing four months of work, and it would cost $3.2 million. The theatre would operate as usual fall through spring, but would close each summer for three years.

BEFORE AND AFTER SECTION
ACT I

The work completed during the first summer of renovation was highly visible to the public. The addition of modern restrooms and office spaces made the theatre more comfortable for patrons and employees alike. New paint and a rebuilt marquee gave the exterior a badly needed facelift, and restoration efforts saved the exquisite stained glass windows and lobby murals.


Work Completed Summer 2002

• Basement remodeled
• New restrooms added
• Harcourt Hall, reception and meeting area added
• Offices relocated to street level
• Entry Marquee rebuilt, and 7,000 watts of lights installed
• Architectural woodwork on building façade rebuilt
• Stained glass windows removed, repaired and reinstalled
• Romeo and Juliet mural restored
• Exterior painted
• Lobby refurbished – concession stand relocated, new carpeting installed
• Large, functional stage door installed
• Fire sprinklers installed

ACT II

The work done during the summer of 2003 focused on the theatre’s infrastructure. Although it wasn’t as glamorous as the previous year’s renovations, the comfort of the audience was improved with the addition of a new heating system that provided for temperature control and air circulation, and the new lighting and sound systems greatly enhanced the enjoyment of the performances.

Work Completed Summer 2003

• Stage curtains replaced
• Stage lighting updated, front of house lighting added
• New sound system installed
• New stage rigging
• Existing grid system upgraded
• New heating and ventilation system installed
• Electrical wiring upgraded doubling the capacity





ACT III

The third summer of work focused on the restoration and preservation of the auditorium and lobby spaces as well as a complete redesign and rebuild of the dressing rooms. Although the cracking plaster in the auditorium gave the appearance of a crumbling interior, the building was solid. Fortunately, it had not suffered any “structural” updating through the years. The beautiful plasterwork, ironwork and ornamentation were still in place. The primary work involved cleaning, painting, repair and preservation. Once the grime started coming off, the promise of returning the Elsinore to its original grandeur became a reality.


Work Completed Summer 2004

• Auditorium and lobby restored
• Dressing rooms remodeled
• Roof replaced
• New stage floor installed
• New house lighting system installed
• Interior architectural lighting installed


Original ceiling panels, balcony breasts, and proscenium arch panels were designed, engineered and fabricated by Louis Gluck of Seattle. Each little fan on the proscenium arch had to be engineered differently to make a symmetrical pattern fit into an asymmetrical space. Close examination reveals two different curves. The shape of the panels change as the arch comes down the sides. The left-hand side of the arch honors Mr. Guthrie’s family with a shield of Scotland. His family’s crest is located on the seventh panel up from the left. Mrs. Guthrie’s family is similarly recognized with a shield of Norway, and her family’s crest is the seventh panel up from the right.

There are no high-tech solutions to cleaning historic plasterwork. EverGreene crews stood on scaffolding high above the auditorium stage and used over ten gallons of Simple Green and dozens of disposable two-inch, white bristle brushes to remove the decades of accumulated nicotine, dirt and grime from the theatre’s splendid proscenium arch. Using a hose, a common garden sprayer and a drainage system fashioned from towels, rags, and plastic bags they rinsed the artwork and disposed of the filthy water. The cleaning process took weeks. Once it was completed artists restored the decorative paintings and then sealed them with a removable, conservation varnish specifically designed to protect artwork from dirt and deterioration.


During the original construction, a rubberized coating intended to protect the theatre’s extensive plasterwork from water damage was applied over the concrete walls. Unfortunately, the concrete and the rubbery coating were incompatible. The smooth surface could not hold the plaster against the forces of settling and seeping water. Hundreds of cracks and large patches of delaminated plaster had to be repaired or replaced.

EverGreene crews applied Plasterweld, a product that solidifies particles, prevents moisture from leaching through, and provides a rough-textured base for the application of new plaster. Some of the original plasterwork and paintings had been lost completely, including the corner mouldings on the top of the proscenium arch. An EverGreene specialist recreated the mouldings using historical photographs as a guide.

A six-foot hole in the auditorium’s main ceiling had to be repaired and the missing stencil paintings reinstated. Artists traced four different pieces of the original artwork, created and cut new patterns, and then painstakingly reproduced the paintings.

The 1920’s flocked wallpaper located close to the stage was so caked with dirt and dust that the original pattern was indiscernible. Vulcanized rubber sponges, commonly used to remove soot and smoke damage, were delicately brushed over the surface of the fragile paper revealing its ornate beauty once again.

Before cleaning, a hand passing lightly over the theatre’s tapestries would instantly turn black. Originally designed to mimic opera boxes and give the theatre a larger feel, the tapestries were cleaned using a low suction vacuum, then brushed with the same vulcanized rubber sponges used on the wallpaper.

After every inch of the theatre’s interior surfaces had been scrubbed with Simple Green, rinsed with water, and hand wiped with clean, dry rags, they were primed, painted with a base coat and then glazed with a semi-transparent color. The glaze was mixed with kerosene and linseed oil, which increased drying time. Deck staining brushes were used to apply the glaze and create a stippled effect. Rags were then used to smooth and remove portions of the glaze. That process helped define the shape and contours of plaster mouldings.

Over thirty gallons of gold paint and forty pounds of bronzing powder were used to bring the shimmer and glitz back to the theatre.

The lobby, a Gothic hall, thirty feet high, seventy-five feet long and graced on both ends with grand staircases and 24-foot murals, was designed to look like an outdoor courtyard on a cloudy evening. In the mid-1920s atmospheric theatres such as the Elsinore were designed with the intention of transporting the patrons into an entirely different environment. Glass windows or doors were intentionally excluded from the lobby design to prevent intrusion of the outside world into the theatre.

The sweeping stairs and original ironwork were originally created by Henry Jaegler of Salem.


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The Historic Elsinore Theatre is a nonprofit organization, and its mission is to:
“Promote, protect and enhance the Elsinore as an historic national landmark and performing arts center.”

Thanks to the persistence of a number of Salem’s dedicated local citizens this theatre has survived time, weather, owner neglect and public apathy. Different groups stepped forward at different times to take on the monumental and sometimes unpopular challenges of saving the theatre, renovating it, funding it and managing it. Although it would be impossible to recognize all of them individually, it is important to thank them collectively for their wisdom, vision, and hard work.

It is also important to thank all of the individuals and organizations that have supported the theatre financially. Their attendance at performances and their generous cash and in-kind donations has helped preserve an important historical structure as well as a vital segment of Salem’s cultural and social past.

And finally, we remember George B. Guthrie who wrote this letter in 1927. It was included in the one-year anniversary commemorative brochure:





“Just one year ago The Elsinore was opened, and on this first anniversary we wish to extend our appreciation of the generous support, both in attendance and voiced encouragement, given us in its operation. The many voluntary expressions of delight in its acoustics, architecture and comfort have in themselves been a rich reward. As birthdays succeed each other we trust that the good people of Salem and its surrounding vicinity shall never lose their warm interest in our little building and its attractions.”
George B. Guthrie

Thank you, Mr. Guthrie!

The Circus is in town today / But the family circus industry is shrinking, along with the U.S. economy

A pink poodle demonstrates its skills on a scooter as the Jordan World Circus sets up Friday at the Golden Spike Arena in Ogden.




By Charles Trentelman
Standard-Examiner staff
Saturday,Jan 29,2009


OGDEN -- Actually, yes, some people do still run away to join the circus.

It's not easy, because there aren't that many circuses left. The ones remaining are run, and staffed, mostly by people whose parents and grandparents -- and even ancestors back six generations -- were in the circus, too.

It's very much a family thing, but Lana Steeples managed to break in.

It was 21 years ago, she said. The circus came to her small town in Newfoundland, Canada. With it was Ari Steeples, the bear trainer, and that was that.

"Two weeks later, I left in a van to drive 5,400 miles from Newfoundland to Alaska," she said Friday morning as she hefted bear-act equipment out of their semi-trailer behind the Golden Spike Arena.

"And my mother just stopped crying a week ago," this last said with a grin.

Life has been a circus ever since.

Lana said she did marry Ari, "but you know they say 20 years of marriage in the circus is like 40 years anywhere else, because you're always together."

The couple, their two children and their two bears all travel in a semi-trailer with the Jordan World Circus, which opened Friday night in Ogden and has shows again today at 3 p.m. and7 p.m. at the Weber County Fairgrounds.

The circus also is scheduled Feb. 6 and 7 at the Davis County Fairgrounds Arena.

On Friday morning, circus workers were busy setting up.

The bears were still sleeping, but the pink and blue poodles were happily frisking around while Steeples fussed over one of the three elephants' sore foot.

Roustabouts were laying out the three rings. Giselle, who does a single-trapeze act, was hanging her equipment from roof beams. Workers were using a hoist to assemble a big steel ball in which three guys on motorcycles would later roar around, defying death.

"We've got a little of everything," Steeples said. "Lion, tigers, bears, high wire, hula hoop dancing, the giant Wheel of Destiny."

As circuses go, Jordan World Circus is relatively new.

DeLisa Jordan, who manages the business end from Las Vegas, said her father, John Jordan, bought out a partner in another circus 23 years ago.

Her father has since died, so now she and her brother, Jody, run it.

Circus life is never a sure thing, she said.

With the economy tanking worldwide, circus employees have no idea how the year will be. All they can do is hit the road and hope for the best. They're just a week into the season now.

Jordan isn't a circus with tents. It plays in stadiums and arenas, in big cities and small. It plays all over the U.S. and Canada. The circus has two groups of performers, one that plays the East Coast, one the West.

Circus life is no way to get rich.

Most performers in the Jordan World Circus are on contract, Steeples said, which means the circus pays them to bring their act along.

Ari Steeples, like the others, gets a lump sum upfront. From that, he pays all his costs: gas, food, vet bills, laundry, the works.

What's left is his.

"If I take home $40,000 for the year, I'm doing well," he said.

That sort of arrangement can be hard.

Vincent Von Duke, from Sarasota, Fla., has five big cats in the show: male and female lions, a Siberian tiger, a Bengal tiger and a white Bengal tiger.

He's a sixth-generation circus performer.

Costs to stay on the road are what's the worst, he said. "Last year was horrible," with diesel costing $5 a gallon. It cost another $250 a day to feed his cats.

"And what's tough, every state has permits. In some, you have to have permits just to drive through," and if he has to pay out $700 just to go into California, he said, it makes him think twice.

"It's a dying art," he said. "And it's a shame, because everything's getting expensive."

He admits he even has some thoughts of hanging it up. He's got a palm tree farm down in Florida to fall back on and ponders opening up a combination bed-and-breakfast and wild-animal park.

For the Steeples family, no such thoughts occur. The circus has always been their life and seems destined to remain so.

Ari is the ringmaster, while Lana runs the bear act. Their youngest child baby-sits for others in the circus.

And their son, Angelo?

"He's doing his first act this year," Ari said. "He's 12 years old, and he does a sword-balancing act," an act he debuted in Tooele just two days ago.

"He's earning a living, traveling around the country and going to school," Ari said.

Leave the circus? "What else would we do?"