Barnum's Kaleidoscape
| Barnum's Kaleidoscape | |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Circus name | Barnum's Kaleidoscape |
| Country | United States |
| Founder(s) | Kenneth Feld |
| Year founded | 1999 |
| Information | |
| Fate | closed |
| Director(s) | Raffaele De Ritis |
| Traveling show? | Yes |
| Circus tent? | Yes |
Barnum's Kaleidoscape was an American circus staged by Feld Entertainment, the owners of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, at a start-up cost of $10 million. It ran for one season, 1999–2000. Inspired by both European traditions and the contemporary circus movement, it was the first Ringling show to be held under a tent since 1956 and also its first one-ring presentation in more than a century. The tent was carpeted with wood flooring and amenities to create an intimate setting with seating for 1,800 on cushioned seats and sofas and no one further than 50 feet from the circus ring. Besides traditional circus fare like popcorn (sold from an old-fashioned circus wagon) upscale items such as cappuccino and veggie wraps were offered. The show consisted of 62 performers, 54 crew members, 8 horses and 27 geese, with 50 trucks involved in moving it from site to site.
The show had no ringmaster, instead having its star attraction clown David Larible (an auguste) and his foil Pipo (a whiteface) introduce acts and perform interludes between them. In the opening act, the entire cast helped a makeup-less Larible put on his costume and make-up, in the process assuming his clown persona. The only animal performers were the aforementioned horses and flock of geese plus a duck. The program had a full score composed by Linda Hudes and performed by a small orchestra. The show was directed by Raffaele De Ritis, an Italian circus and theater director who had previously worked with Cirque du Soleil and the Moscow State Circus. The costumes were designed by Pascal Jacob from France. The head rigger was Valery Panteleenko. The General Manager was Brian Liddicoat.
One purpose Feld had for the show was to expand into the new high-end markets pioneered by shows like Big Apple Circus and Cirque du Soleil. Kenneth Feld acknowledged to the New York Times, "...it's hard to say that we've ignored Cirque du Soleil. If a market is out there, we feel we should get more of our fair share."
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