Since the time of your grandfather and great-great grandmother, the Circus Music has been a part of our family entertainment for nearly all of history. The first image that pops up when you mention circus is one with a white face and a large smile. This is similar to the Joker’s red smile. People also imagine clowns or animal performances, but the circus has changed dramatically. Now, the circus features impressive acrobatic acts by highly skilled performers. Let’s take a look at the history of the circus in comparison to today.
WHERE IT IS ORIGINATED
Because of the genius of Philip Astley, a former Calvary sergeant major who served in the War of 1756, the garden bros circus music was created in England in 1768. Although there is some doubt about where the circus originated, it is believed that this type of entertainment has been around since ancient Roman times. Astley’s idea was born from the acts of horse riders, who performed stunts on their horses. He opened his riding school in 1968 and became a showman. After combining equestrian acts and other performances, such as clowns, rope dancers and jugglers, he became successful in Europe. These performances can be traced back to ancient African civilizations that did acrobatics and ancient Chinese juggled. The Greeks also practiced rope dancing. This is Astley’s circus performance. This is the origin of the term circus. Circus is derived from the English word “circle”, which was the form of Astley’s amphitheater. Charles Hughes, his former employee, introduced The Royal Circus to London in 1782.
PARIS – THE CIRCUS MUSIC COMES TO PARIS
Astley was invited by King Louis XV to perform at Fontainebleau Palace in Paris 1771. Astley returned to Paris in 1774 and presented his performance again to Parisians. He even wrote a book called The Modern Riding Master about his trip through Paris. Astley enjoyed Paris so much that he saw there was profit in it. He returned to Paris in 1782 to establish an outdoor Circus Music arena in the Place de la Republique. Astley and his circus were a huge success. Astley and his troupe performed for Queen Marie Antoinette at Versailles and King Louis XI of France in 1786. English Amphitheater, a permanent arena, was built in 1783. As the years passed, Astley traveled back and forth between London to deliver different acts each time. Astley left behind his circus in London when the French Revolution broke out. After peace was restored in France, Philip Astley returned home to London and stayed there until he passed the business on to his son John Astley.
A SENSATION IN UNITED STATES CIRCUS MUSIC
When it arrived in America, the circus concept was fundamentally altered. It imitated the English circus, but added new performances. Victor Pepin was the first person to introduce the concept of family entertainment through Circus music career performances after its arrival in 1800s. Other showmen tried a different approach and began to use exotic horses as well as horses to entertain large crowds. It became a successful industry that everyone wanted to be a part of. P.T. was the first circus to be established in America. Barnum and Bailey claimed to have the best show on Earth.
THE GREATEST SHOW EVER PERFORMED ON EARTH
Barnum and Bailey presented a variety of performances. They had clowns and trained elephants, seals and elephants. But, the best part was their freak show! They would hire people with unusual features. For example, Dog boy, a young man who was 7’11 tall and 560 pounds. The four-legged woman and many other. These new acts were a huge hit with the audience. Barnum and Bailey became famous for their most iconic attraction, Jumbo the giant Elephant. Fun fact: Jumbo inspired the Disney film Dumbo. He is also the reason we use the term jumbo for large objects.
REVOLUTIONARY CONCEPT
P.T. created America’s first destination traveling circus. Barnum Circus was founded by William Cameron Coup, Dan Catello and Dan Catello. They wanted to create the first traveling circus that could travel the globe by train. In the 1900s, P.T. Ringling and his brothers became the Ringling Brothers. The biggest competition Barnum and Bailey won them over, and the circus was renamed Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey circus. It was a groundbreaking idea to involve exotic animals or people with talent and deformities. Soon, European showmen began to copy the American circus act. After a long career in circus, sales dropped dramatically after reaching the 20th Century. This was due to animal rights awareness. Barnum and Bailey closed down their business in 2017.
THE STORY OF A CLLOWN WHO WENT INTERNATIONAL
One clown was especially notable, born in 1899. He made a name in the entertainment industry. Scaramouche Jones was a mute clown who made the crowd laugh with his mime gimmicks that included silhouette performances and imitating objects. It’s likely that you have heard the name in Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody song. Scaramouche, who had just turned 100 years of age, told the tragic story of his life in 1999, which made him more famous than ever. For many years, he was the talk of the 20th Century. While his life was full of comedy, he also had to endure many heartbreaking moments. He was the son of a gypsy prostitute, and his father, who left him. To be sold to a snake charmer, he had a 100-year journey. Although he traveled all over the globe, his career as a clown began in a dark place: a Polish concentration camp. The jubilant stories of circus clowns don’t always have to be joyful. A fascinatingly modern bibliography has been made available in English by the underground Nestle Theater. It is full of humor and misfortunes. This play is not to be missed if your interest lies in the history of one of the most well-known clowns of all time.
The Nestle Theater is a place rich in history. It’s located in central Paris, Saint Germain des Pres. It’s in an underground cave within a 17th-century mansion. Nestle Theater is the place where Scaramouche Jones’ story Circus music gear is displayed. It consists of a small room with stone walls and exceptional acoustics, which makes it ideal for intimate shows.