VAUDE_VISUALS

The New York Downtown Clown Revue

Season 5, Show 56

Master of Ceremonies Christopher Lueck cranking up for the show.

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Animal Engine

- “It’s A Wonderful Life” a 10 minute version.

The entire play was performed in the rectangle made from PVC. The company created the piece.

Directed by Karim Muasher

Starring: Carrie Brown, Emily Corinne, Katie Morrison, Karim Muasher, Aya Tucker, Megan Venzin.

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Christopher introduces the next act.

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BEN MODEL

Ben Model played live piano accompaniment for silent film “GOOD NIGHT NURSE” with Lupino Lane

As the curator of SILENT CLOWNS FILM SERIES Ben has years of experience performing live for many venues worldwide.

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OLIVIA LEHRMAN

Private detective Olivia finds out there is a ‘bomb’ in the ceiling.

Using the silk to climb to the ceiling and finds the bomb. In the interim she performs some amazing aerial feats.

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THE GAME

Christopher introduces the “GAME” and finds a couple of contestants to play.

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BILLY SCHULTZ

Mixing a musical number with audience participation and a ‘song and dance’ piece.

He hands out a few plastic buckets to the audience volunteers for the percussion element of the act.

Billy playing the trombone and unicycling AND leading the audience clapping.

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Host Christopher Lueck hands out some Xmas Gifts to the audience.

A Clown Mug and Clown Dish are presented to the lucky audience member.

Another of the gifts from Christopher was a ‘clown tie’.

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MICHAEL KARAS AND JEN SLAW

Michael Karas looks on in wonder as Jen Slaw juggles and eats the apples.

Great skills and duo coordination was the center of Jen and Michael’s piece.

An Excerpt from their full show. For more information on them and the show visit:

www.michaelkaras.net

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Hosted by Billy Dee Bedlam

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GUSTAVO PACE

Telling a heart felt story that really hits home.

Imagine what it would be like if you liked someone but they don’t know it!

You arrive at their front door and they don’t want to open the door.

Gustavo has grown as a story teller and the work he has been doing on his monologs is really showing.

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ISHAH JANSSEN-FAITH

Ishah is having trouble with her assistant as he can’t get her name right when introducing her!

She tries to get him to lift her up but he seems to be not able to do it the right way.

Steve McCarthy (an audience member visiting from Montreal) seems to be the right volunteer.

Ishah gets her ‘lift’ the right way from Steve.

Finally the ‘assistant’ gets it right and lifts Ishah the way she wants him to.

Funny routine by Ishah Jannsen-Faith.

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AUDREY CRABTREE AND BILLY SCHULTZ

What seems like an ordinary date for these two becomes anything but that.

A common enough conversation takes a wild turn.

The couple fling each other in different directions in more ways than one.

You will have to come and see this piece to find out what happens here?

A wonderful Premiere by Audrey and Billy. Directed by John Towsen

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KATE BREHM

A surreal walk thru the corridors of Kate’s mind.

Using metal chairs as instruments of passage Kate manipulated them in many varied ways.

Visually striking and performed wonderfully.

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KIMBERLY O’HARE

Reading her score from the sheet music set up on a special music stand Kimberly amazed the audience with great virtuosity.

Beautiful flute music with many musical surprises.

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TANYA SOLOMON

Called ‘Bushwick’s Queen of Mystery’, Tanya Solomon performs her magic for the audience at Who Wednesday.

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JOSH BISKER

The song is called “Till There Were Jews,” written and performed by Josh Bisker. It goes out, he says, to all those Chosen People who’ve wondered, “just what is it about us, anyway?,” as well as the formerly-goyish transplants whom New York City has transformed into bagel-loving, stuff-schlepping, hand-gesturing goodniks…you know, Jews. Josh, of the uke + trombone + trumpet combo Cobra Gold, and his sister Ellia, of indie-rock sensation Sweet Soubrette, are hosts of the Super Fun Superfund Variety Show, a regular cabaret featuring talents from the circus to the avant garde, staged in the Gowanus’s fabulous upcycling center, Film Biz Recycling. Mark your calendars for the next Super Fun Superfund show on February 11: amazing acts, spectacular prizes, and cheap drinks, all hidden in treasure-filled wonderland of repurposed film sets — what more could anyone want?

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JEFF – n- BUTTONS

Two wild and funny dudes (Jeff Seal and Chris Manley) crack up the audience once again

Last year they performed their duet show NEON LIGHTS at the NY Clown Theater Festival.

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Watch the Triskelion Arts Calendar for future WHOA WEDNESDAY shows!

Hilary Chaplain in her one woman show A LIFE IN HER DAY.

Hilary Chaplain is a professional ‘funny woman’. Her show A LIFE IN THE DAY is an example of a well rehearsed,

clever, timed and executed with a wonderful sense of improv and contact with the audience.

Hilary with a mouth full of delicious marshmallows.

I was present at the last performance on Sunday Dec. 11th. She had run the show since Dec.8th and this was the last performance!

The afternoon show was attended well and the audience was there with her all the way.

She is a professional and has been performing as a solo artist for many years.

A romance with a twist and laughs all around.

Here is a video excerpt from the show.

Catch it when it comes back to your ‘neck of the woods’.

Performing as an actor in the currently running show FRAGMENTS (Directed by Peter Brook) at The Baryshnikov Arts Center, Jos Houben has been around the world with his one-man show ‘The Art of Laughter‘ besides directing other shows and teaching at The Ecole Jacques LeCoq.

I attended his one-man show ”The Art of Laughter” a few months ago at Alliance Francaise and enjoyed the delirious joy of learning at the same time as laughing.

I met Jos at the BAC and we did this wonderful interview in his dressing room.

Interview with director,actor,teacher,clown Jos Houben from Jim Moore on Vimeo.

Performing as an actor in the currently running show FRAGMENTS (Directed by Peter Brook) at The Baryshnikov Arts Center, Jos Houben has been around the world with his one-man show ‘The Art of Laughter’ besides directing other shows and teaching at The Ecole Jacques LeCoq.

I attended his one-man show “The Art of Laughter” a few months ago at Alliance Francaise and enjoyed the delirious joy of learning at the same time as laughing.

I met Jos at the BAC and we did this wonderful interview in his dressing room.

LaMaMa Presents

Clowns Full-Tilt: A Musings on Aesthetics

The cast was warming up for the show when I arrived at La Mama.

“Clowns Ex Machina is an all-women clown troupe.  Their newest full-length show, Clowns Full-Tilt (at LaMaMa in November) has nine women clowns, including creator and artistic director, Kendall Cornell”

Modern art has many ways of being created. Creating is a personal thing.

“Parts of Clowns Full-Tilt were based on famous works of art and other 2-D representations of women.   Three guesses about the masterpiece represented here.”

Comedic visual tableaux were a wonderful ongoing theme.

“The show was filled with many surprising revelations!”

Kendall Cornell in one of her poignant funny characters.

After recruiting an audience member to participate he turned on her with martial arts.

“The clowns gave a send-up to beauty products in high style.”

The Clowns ExMachina ensemble give their version of Chanel’s famous Egoiste commercial.”

A delightful visual tableaux with smoke rings made of cotton.

Kendall breaks out from behind the scenery with a plea.

The ‘confession line’ was a very sensitive and funny sequence.

Kendall Cornell and cast take a well deserved Curtain Call.

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Artists Statement by Kendall Cornell

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The Clowns Ex Machina are:

Amanda Barron, Carla T. Bosnjak, Kendall Cornell, Julie Kinkle, Michaela Lind,

Diana Lovrin, Lucia Rich, Maria Smushkovich, and Virginia Venk

Tickets and more information here.

This is a wonderful show with lots of talent and a ‘Dream Big’ theme!

GRANDMA (Barry Lubin) assists the comedy magic team SCOTT & MURIEL.

Scott & Muriel perform wonderful magic and are also hysterically funny.

Comedy magic at it’s best. It is funny and very magicial!

Jenna Robinson is delightful as the Ring Mistress at the Big Apple Circus.

Anna Volodko performs aerial rope. Beginning in Russia she is beautiful in her act.

She flies thru the air on her rope and doesn’t seem to stop.

Grandma spits water in the ring with a spotlight on her.

Audience member and Grandma compete with the ‘spitting water’ contest.

Jenny Vidbel is an amazing animal trainer and has been for many years.

Jenny with her beautiful trained dog. She has trained many exotic animals over the years.

Here is Jenny with her trained African Porcupine on a runway.

Here is Muriel Brugman playing the saw in center ring.

Shandong Acrobatic Troupe performing amazing physical acts.

Wonderful costumes accentuate the great physical acts of wonder.

Dimitry Chernov juggling in a almost Sci-Fi costume.

Melanie Chy has amazing balance and poise in this beautiful act.

Melanie Chy in her amazing balance and strength act.

Muriel Brugman (Scott & Muriel) in an amazing display of a large production magic act in full view of the audience. AMAZING!

The Flying Cortes Trapeze act was so terrific. Many members fly and do somersaults.

Ysabella Wallenda-Cortes is the youngest member of the act at 10 years old.

Andrey Mantchev not pictured here. A vital member of the BAC ‘DREAM BIG’ Cast.

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The Big Apple Circus ‘Dream Big’ Creative Team

Renaud Doucet, Andre Barbe, Guest Director/Choreographer, Set and Costume Director

Guillaume Dufresnoy – Artistic Director

Barry Lubin – Consultant

JP Perrueaux – Sound Designer

Mathals Ruegg -Composer

Guy Simard – Lighting Designer

Rob Slowik – Musical Director

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For tickets go to this site. TICKETS

For more information or schedule go to this site. INFORMATION.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS © 2011 Jim Moore

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The evening started off ‘dangerous’. John Leo had his finger amputated. (Not really!)

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Marina Tsaplina with a deck of very large and powerful cards!

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Zachary Boyce and friend making nice music.

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Miz Sharky with a HOT number.

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Billy dee Bedlam makes sweet classical songs ‘crazy and fun’!

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The audience volunteers learning their task for the 13th Act.

The ‘swedish bombshell’ struts her way over the audience  member’s legs.

She mimes the charisma of Marlina Dietrich before finishing the piece.

The members of the 13th Act receive ‘gifts’ from Barbara Ann Michaels.

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John Leo, before losing his hand, as cohost Andy Sapora cuts into pipe.

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Singer/songwriter Glen Raphael leads the audience in a funny song about Gorillas.

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Tanya Solomon performing a magic rope trick during the ‘one minute magic moment’.

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Cohost Andy Sapora commands the attention of the audience as cohost John Leo looks on.

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‘The Birdman‘ from Australia performs some pretty wicked and funny routines.

Visual puns and raving hysterical lunacy seem to be ‘The Birdmans’ signature.

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Mistress B (for Balloons) twists up some naughty balloons for the audience.

An audience member gets a new ‘member’ of her own from Mistress B.

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It all Happens the last TUESDAY of every month at Sycamore Bar. tiny dangerous fun!

For more information or to sign up to perform go to this URL...http://www.johnleo.net/tinydangerousfun.php

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Mark Gindick sitting in my hallway after our long discussion about Clowns.

Mark Gindick playing an ‘air guitar’ during his one man show ‘WINGMAN’ recently performed at “Amuse Bouche 2011″.

Mark had his own idea about how to find romance in his one man show “WINGMAN”.

Mark dancing up a storm in the Big Apple Circus production of “Dance On”.

Mark has appeared in films, one-man shows and taught. Click here to find out all the goodies!

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Hew Parham visiting Brooklyn from Australia.

Hew Parham performing his one-man show “Odyssey Schmodyssey” at The New York Clown Theatre Festival.

His show involves many characters and emotions all performed like a great abstract impressionist painting.

The show was part of the ‘Amuse Bouche 2011′ series at The Brick Theater in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

The show was conceived and performed by Hew Parham and Directed by Tina Mitchell.

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Nina Levine at ease without a clown nose on.

In her hilarous piece about quiting smoking Nina Levine ends up startled on the floor.

Still trying to quit.

Nina performing in an earlier piece at The New York Downtown Clown Revue.

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Nina founded Those In The Nose clown trio with her partners Evelyn Tuths and Holly McCracken

Evelyn Tuths, Holly McCracken and Nina Levine performing ‘Those in the the Nose’ at The NY Downtown Clown Revue.

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