Inside the Changing Circus: You'll Discover Big Acts in Little Tents ...

Don't Judge A Circus by Size Alone

One of the most consistently unpredictable pleasures of seeking out smaller or mid-level shows are the occasional Big Discoveries. Up and coming young stars. Seasoned performers from other countries seeking a better life. Many factors favor the reality that, under the big top, brilliance sometimes parades alongside banality.

Just as, most of us would likely agree, there are weak acts to be seen in the largest and most successfully managed circuses.

In recent years, U.S. circus owners have benefited by the fall of the Soviet Union, resulting in a stream of fine artists showing up on American lots seeking work.

And the challenge facing any reviewer is to detect the nuances and to point out worthy exceptions.

One writer, expressing a surprisingly simplistic comparison between Russians touring in Moscow-based shows and those working independently for a particular U.S. circus producer, declared the latter artists in essence to be less than mediocre. At the same time, said writer offered the highest praise for the Moscow Circus shows from the old Soviet Union that toured the states in years gone by. In what publication did this arguably unfair and simplistic comparison appear?

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