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Ringling Bros -
Sideshow
The Ringling
sideshow in 1956 was managed by Bobby Hassan who did so in 1955
and in 1956 until the show closed forever under the tents. I
think perhaps Dick Best had the sideshow at both the NY and
Boston Gardens in 57, 58 and I know for sure Dick had both
Garden dates in 1959.
The circus eliminated the sideshow at Boston starting in 1960
when Nate Eagles held the contract and he and I were partners on
that show through 1967 when the NY Garden was torn down replaced
by the current building atop Pennsylvania station, which is a
much smaller building but a larger seating capacity, so there
has never been a sideshow there.
When we had the sideshow with the Red unit at Wash. DC in 1973,
Irvin Feld sent me to NY to find a place to put the sideshow.
Lloyd Morgan the manager at the time and I went completely
through the bldg. but there actually wasn't room for a sideshow
with the circus there. Perhaps when the new renovation is
completed which are now underway there will be additional space.
Trivia: What year was the last time the Ringling show had a
sideshow in a tent that toured with the circus?
ANSWER: 1985
I took one of our
shows and made some spots with Ringling's Blue unit out west. It
was in the contract that I would personally make a bally opening
twice a day. Our bannerline was 165 feet X 20 feet high. The
tent was a 35' wide by 100 feet long. Kenneth Feld brought me
David Kaiser and Tuba Heatherton to train them to be my
assistant talkers. They were both in clown alley and did a great
job with me. David is now a top position executive with Feld
Entertainment Inc. There were no tickets for the sideshow which
was outside the arena buildings, because the only way a customer
got in was to show a ticket for the main show and got into the
sideshow free.
Over the years we have done quite a few things for the Felds and
it has always been a pleasure and an honor to work with them on
'THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH"
Ward Hall
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