Hi everyone, Steve Copeland here. Please excuse the inexcusable absence that this blog has taken for the past year and a half.
Even though Ryan and I are not touring full time since we left Circo Hermanos Vazquez at the end of 2015, we are still keeping busy working circus dates in the spring, fall, and winter, and since last year, we spent the summer months in Baraboo, WI at Circus World Museum.
When we were in Chicago with Vazquez, we made a day trip up to Baraboo, where Scott O’Donnell, our long time friend and Executive Director of Circus World Museum, and Dave SaLoutos, ringmaster and performance director extraordinare, proposed that we join the cast of CWM for the 2016 summer season.
Ryan and I were looking to take a break from touring anyway, but what really sold us on Baraboo was the fact that in addition to circus clowning in the big top show, we would get to produce our own half hour comedy show where we could perform as ourselves, and not as clowns.
Ryan and I have dreamed of our own show for years, so we were stoked to finally have the opportunity to create it and perform it in front of audiences every day for over three months.
Thus, Nothing But Nonsense was born, and we are thrilled to be presenting the second incarnation of the show this summer.
A lot of things have happened since my last post about Vazquez, and I will cover them all in due time. Right now I just wanted to give everyone a quick update to bring everyone up to speed.
Ryan, his wife, Tatiana, and his children, Nico and Abrianna are all doing great. The kids are growing like weeds; Nico is six and Abrianna is two, and they have both been bitten by the show biz bug. Nico performs in the Circus World Museum big top show regularly with us, and Abrianna also loves to make an occasional appearance in the odd opening or finale number, decked out in her own custom wardrobe of course!
On my end of things, I couldn’t be happier. In March I married the love of my life, Pamela, who I have been fortunate to spend the past two years with. She works so hard to make everything in my life perfect, from making our trailer beautiful both inside and out, cooking delicious meals for me all the time, and most importantly, loving me, even when I’m a bone head!
We have been open here at Circus World Museum since Friday, May 19. During the working day from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. we are constantly going. The schedule is jam packed this summer with great shows and amazing talent.
If you’re anywhere near Wisconsin this summer, do yourself a favor and come check us out!
Like I said earlier, I’ll delve into greater detail on everything in a later post. Right now I’d like to touch on a subject that has been on my mind lately (no doubt it has been on a great many of your minds as well).
On Sunday, May 21st, after 146 years, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey gave its final performance.
Ringling has always been a huge part of my life. When I was four years old, I saw a TV special about the Ringling Bros. Clown College, and I decided then and there that I wanted to grow up to be a Ringling Bros. clown.
My parents took me to see the Blue Unit of the Greatest Show on Earth in 1989, and except for 1991, 1992, and this year, I never missed a show.
All through my formative years I would study the clowns in the programs and learn as much as I could about the circus and clowning.
I owe a lot to the Feld family and Ringling. They gave me a dream when I was a child, they gave me my big break and the start of my career when I was right out of high school, and they introduced me to my partner, who I have been working with for nine years. Ryan and I have had a lot of accomplishments so far, and we have some huge, exciting ones on the horizon as well.
I owe that all to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, and the Feld family. Thank you, from one of your biggest fans.
Ryan and I, with our families, were able to watch the live stream of Ringling's final performance in the house of Greg DeSanto, one of our good friends, and one of our Ringling clown heroes from our childhoods. Aside from being there in person, I can't think of a better way to have said goodbye.
Well everyone, please check in every week around this time for a new update. I promise I won’t leave you all in an eighteen month lurch again.
Here’s to an excellent summer at Circus World Museum! We hope to see you there!
