Articles may appear on the board a day or so late!
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http://www.palmbeachpost.com/pbccentral/content/local_news/epaper/2005/12/27/m1a_circus_1227.html
Ringling circus is back in town, touting 3 rings of fun in 1 ring
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
When the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus kicks off its 12-show, six-day run tonight at the South Florida Fairgrounds, it will mark more than just the big top's return to Palm Beach County after an eight-year absence.
It will be part of a whole new era for the storied, 135-year-old show.
Gone are the traditional three rings that have defined the circus as a larger-than-life spectacle. In this touring edition, one of three "units" that crisscross the world, a single ring serves as the stage.
But that's not all. Audiences can expect a faster-paced production that weaves in interactive elements — you can ask questions in the middle of the show — and runs a tight two hours, an hour shorter than previous editions.
Oh, and if you want to get up close and personal with the performers, just come an hour early. The All-Access Pass pre-show, free with admission of $15 to $20, gives attendees a chance to tour the behind-the-scenes area and pose for pictures with artists.
In other words, the Greatest Show on Earth, as promoters like to dub it, is trying to recast its image in an era when high-flying trapeze artists, lumbering elephants and clowns with shiny red noses may seem a little less than hip.
As longtime Ringling producer Kenneth Feld says: "Entertainment means a lot more than it did 20 years ago."
Indeed, the circus is competing with a wave of new or newly reconceived entertainment media both in and out of the home, from video-game systems such as Xbox 360 to spectacle-driven, kid-friendly touring Broadway shows such as Beauty and the Beast.
And that's not factoring in the competition Ringling has faced within its own industry from Cirque du Soleil, which introduced audiences to its artistic style of circus more than a decade ago. Cirque now offers productions in several cities and has spawned a number of similar companies.
"Now, almost every casino has one," says James Zoltak, editor of Amusement Business, a trade journal.
Add to that the fact that Ringling, which started as a traveling tent show, was losing the chance to play smaller cities that didn't have arenas large enough to accommodate the show. That was the case in West Palm Beach, which fell off Ringling's itinerary in 1998 when the city-owned auditorium was sold to the Jehovah's Witnesses and converted into a worship center.
So, during the past few years, Ringling has gone through a period of self-examination, resulting in the sweeping series of changes. And although the circus' core attractions remain much the same, including the animal acts that have put Ringling at continual odds with animal-rights groups, the packaging is clearly different.
Chief among the changes is the creation of the third, or "Gold," one-ring unit geared for smaller markets. (Tour stops before the show's arrival at the fairgrounds included Spencer, Iowa, and Pikeville, Ky.) Ringling insists the show is not a compromise effort: Even without the two extra rings, audiences will see many of the key circus entertainers, from trapeze artists to acrobats.
But the compact show allows Ringling to go into cities without full-scale venues; it also allows Ringling to offer a different, decidedly more intimate product, particularly at a time when one-ring circuses are back in vogue. (New York's Big Apple Circus is one such example.)
"Sometimes more is not better," says Vivien Espana, a member of the Espanas family of circus entertainers, which appears in the Ringling show.
The changes, however, go much further. In all three of the circus' units — the other two are three-ring shows — the shows are running shorter.
"The attention span today is in milliseconds," Feld says.
Plus, the interactive and pre-show elements have become a big part of the experience, and the part that gives Ringling a decisive edge when compared with other theatrical programs, says Jon Weiss, who hosts the Ringling production coming to West Palm Beach.
"You're not able to go backstage when you see Beauty and the Beast," he says.
The three-ring units, both "red" and "blue," have upped the ante with a VIP program that allows patrons to become part of the show. For a surcharge — about $50 — audience members can appear on the arena floor with circus performers during the production. (The "red" show will come to Miami on Jan. 5-16.)
The newly revamped "blue" show, which debuts in other Florida markets this winter, has even more changes, including what's billed as "a hip, pop-style score and a family friendly story line."
Ringling isn't alone in facing the challenges of taking a traditional form of entertainment and making it appealing for contemporary audiences. It's much the same with amusements parks, country fairs, zoos and aquariums, among other attractions.
The circus has a long history of reinventing itself to stay current with popular culture, says Erin Foley, an archivist with the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wis. One example: After Buffalo Bill's brand of western entertainment proved popular in the late 19th century, circuses started incorporating a Wild West component.
"It was an attempt to keep the audiences," Foley says.
So far, Ringling's strategy seems to be working. Though the company doesn't release revenue figures, Feld noted in an Amusement Business story that Ringling's attendance rose 10 percent nationally and 30 percent internationally in 2004.
But you don't need to explain that to Jon Weiss, a 25-year circus veteran who now includes his children in his act. He says Ringling goes through "different cycles" so the Greatest Show doesn't become just any show.
"The key is never settling," Weiss says.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.abc.net.au/arts/news/artsnews_1538374.htmTuesday, December 27, 2005
Tip-off aids theatre restoration
A community-led restoration project of the Gaiety Theatre and Grand Hotel in Zeehan on the Tasmania's west coast is nearing completion.
The project has turned up some welcome surprises.
A late-night phone caller told general manager Phil Vickers the original theatre seats, dating back to 1910, were being used by the Ulverstone Jehovah's Witness congregation.
They have now been returned as part of the theatre's restoration.
The president of Friends of the Gaiety, Karline Vickers, says the group has now raised $120,000 through Government grants and community markets.
"There's a long way to go - if we had another million, we'd be right," she said.
The Gaiety Theatre and Grand Hotel were built during the glory days of west coast mining more than a century ago.
Over the years the building has been used as a ballroom, cinema, mining accommodation and even a basketball court.
The restoration is expected to be complete by April next year.
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http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200512/kt2005122623174911990.htm
| Alternate Service Recommended for ‘Concientious Objectors’ | |||
 | By Cho Jin-seo Staff Reporter The National Human Rights Commission of Korea on Monday suggested the Ministry of Defense and the National Assembly find alternate forms of service for ``conscientious objectors’’ or those who refuse to serve their obligatory military service. It is the first time for a government agency to make a decision favorable to the objectors of military service since the Constitutional Court ruled that Korea’s Military Service Act was constitutional in Aug. 2004. The human rights commission is a presidential body but has no legal powers. ``The freedom of conscience is a premier human right which cannot be yielded even in the situation of national emergency,’’ the commission said in a statement after meeting on Monday night. Under the current conscription system, a conscientious objectors who refused to serve his mandatory military service is subject to a jail term of up to three years. According to statistics made available at the Military Manpower Administration, Jehovah’s Witnesses account for most of 700 to 800 objectors per year. The Ministry of Defense responded negatively to the decision from the commission. ``We respect the recommendation of the National Human Right Commission and we will follow it if the National Assembly establishes a related law, but we should make a careful consideration about when we should have such a law,’’ the ministry said in a statement. | ||
Churches unite to door knock in Feilding
27 December 2005Pastors are resorting to door-knocking in an effort to curb the growing exodus of Kiwis from churches.
Around 600 Feilding residents received a cookie, tea bag and leaflet announcing planned visits to their homes, organised by churchgoers in the region, Open Air Campaigners national director Lew Meyer said. "It immediately separated us from the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons because people do not like that sort of approach at their door."
OAC, an evangelical ministry, has been joined by Feilding Baptist and St Paul's Presbyterian in the campaign.
The programme – which included asking residents if they needed help as well as discussing faith – had been a success and the group hoped to roll it out nationwide, Mr Meyer said.
The visits had found that many people no longer saw churches as relevant. "Or they see them as always bleating for money, or always condemning." Mr Meyer said every second home had someone with a church background who had given up attending.
Victoria University religious studies professor Paul Morris said churches were faced with dwindling attendances and were working hard to become relevant.
The 2001 census showed a 4 per cent decrease in New Zealanders who identified as Christian, while 30 per cent of the population – an 18 per cent increase – said they had no religion. The main denominations were Anglican, Catholic and Presbyterian, but only Catholics had not declined in numbers.
Feilding Baptist minister David Jensen, instrumental in the campaign, said "the low key" visits were well received.
But Mr Morris doubted such an approach would be effective in cities such as Wellington. "As a method it's so heavily identified with more marginal churches."
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