Clowns in the News

Nearly every day of the year you can find clowns in the news. Usually it's an uplifting story of how a clown or group of clowns has found a way to bring joy and laughter to their community.

Clowns in the News: Roth gets into character — nose, clothes and makeup, in the surrounding photos — at her house before heading to a clown gig.

A Clown Beyond Compare

Bubblegum T. Clown stops her minivan and sticks her entire head — pink wig, white cheeks, giant red nose — out of the driver's side window. She looks right and then left, straining to get a visual on Elk Ridge Village, the retirement home where she's to perform on this Saturday morning.

Clowns in the News: Harpo T. Clown appears at PGA West in La Quinta during the 2010 Bob Hope Classic. His trademark is his tiny hat sitting precariously on a skull cap between clumps of bright green clown hair. (Richard Lui, The Desert Sun)

Detractors Can't Deter
Harpo T. Clown's Enthusiasm

Sometime between the glory days of Barnum & Bailey and Stephen King's “It,” the reputation of clowns took a major hit from a rubber mallet.

People used to laugh with Emmett Kelly Jr.'s Weary Willie. Rodeo clowns were heroes. At the very least, people felt sorry for the clowns that were crying on the inside, like the operatic character Pagliacci.

But sometime after the last golden age in the 1960s, clowns became kind of creepy.

Clowns in the News: Joining the fun at the pie fight at Brick Theater.

New York Clown Theatre Festival
to Offer Clown Cabarets & Workshops

The 2010 New York Clown Theatre Festival begins on September 3 with its traditional opening day parade from Union Square through the L line subway to Williamsburg, followed by an open-to-the-public pie fight at The Brick Theater.

Clowns in the News: Loni with RIngmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson

FUNundrum on A Train
with Ringmaster & Clown

Is life in the circus all the FUNundrum it’s cracked up to be? We headed up to a railway station near Oakland Arena to find out. The circus is in town (and is now playing at the HP Pavilion in San Jose) and we got a unique opportunity to board the famous Ringling Bros. cricus train that crisscrosses the country bringing the latest show into town. It’s a tradition that dates back to 1872 when P.T. Barnum’s Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Circus, first began traveling that nation’s railways. Today, they are the largest private user of railroads in the country.

Clowns in the News: Flying trapeze artists Christina Cantlin and Daniel Simard talk about how they got engaged...

All Aboard the Pie Car
Ringling Brothers Rolling Diner

Mist swirls from the railroad tracks in the early morning air. A few miles away, at Oakland's Oracle Arena, the tigers and watusi cattle slumber on. But here, in the shadow of the mile-long circus train, the clowns and acrobats are stirring, lured by the aroma of freshly brewed Starbucks and sizzling bacon wafting from the Pie Car, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus' rolling diner.

Clowns in the News: Participants in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus Clown College watch Scooter Bug the clown teach them how to juggle at Discovery Gateway in Salt Lake City on Saturday.

'Clownlets' Learn the Art of Performing,
Pie Throwing

SALT LAKE CITY — For three hours on Saturday, Madison Brown was more than a cute little 4-year-old. She was an obedient, performing circus elephant.

"She wanted to learn how to juggle, but when she found out they were doing animals she was so excited," said Madison's grandmother, Debbie Brown, as she watched her little blond elephant raise her "trunk" and spin in circles.

Clowns in the News: On to the big time: Kelliann Karsten has joined “The Greatest Show On Earth.”

Clowning Around

Two small-town clowns who stumbled upon the San Francisco Circus Center had little intention of joining a professional circus, yet now they’re performing with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s “FUNundrum,” which opens in Oakland today.

Oscar Liendo juggled throughout his childhood in Laredo, Texas, and Kelliann Karsten had always been a jokester in her hometown of Baldwinsville, N.Y., but they never imagined they would work as clowns one day.

Clowns in the News: Larry Harmon touches up
one of the 203 clowns he franchised.

The Man Behind the Nose
Send in the Clown - Bozo!

Confronted by 60 cannibal tribesmen carrying spears, Larry Harmon recalled what the grizzled Aussie bush pilot had said upon dropping him off at the airstrip. “You ain’t coming out of them jungles, mate. Your head’ll be on a stick before nightfall.”

Clowns in the News:
It's time to send in the clowns for National Clown Day on Wednesday at the Community Children's Museum, 77 E. Blackwell St., Dover. (File photo

Dover Museum Celebrates National Clown Week
with Special Event

It's time to send in the clowns for National Clown Day on Wednesday at the Community Children's Museum, 77 E. Blackwell St., Dover. The event begins at noon and is held in collaboration with MerriMakers Clown Alley No. 51.

In celebration of National Clown Week, kicking off Sunday and continuing through Aug. 8, several clowns from New Jersey's chapter of Clowns of America International (COAI) will delight and entertain children throughout the day.

Clowns in the News:
LaLa Payasita (Esther Quintero) & Uncle Hooey (Huey Daniels) help make plans to honor legendary Oklahoma City television clown, Ho Ho, who is now deceased. Photo by Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman

Clowns Work to Remember Ho Ho, His Charities

Toni Woodruff turns into someone else when she puts a sparkly red heart on the tip of her nose.

Woodruff and other members of Ho Ho's Central Oklahoma Clown Alley will get together to honor the man who was an inspiration for most of them: Ho Ho.

Clowns in the News:
Larry Harmon as
Bozo the Clown

The Incredible Real-Life Adventures and
Inspirational Philosophy
of the World’s Most Famous Clown

He left the world a happier place than when he came into it. This is the wonderful legacy of Larry Harmon, the man known and loved by children and adults everywhere as Bozo the Clown. With his flaming red wings of hair, bulbous nose, enormous ruby smile, and signature yuh-yuh-yuh-yuh chuckle, Bozo was not only the archetypical clown, but also perhaps the only full-grown adult who understood children. Shortly before his death in 2008, Harmon finished writing his biography, THE MAN BEHIND THE NOSE: Assassins, Astronauts, Cannibals, and Other Stupendous Tales (It Books/Igniter; On sale: August 17, 2010; $25.99; Hardcover). Together with writer Thomas Scott McKenzie, Harmon tells the inspiring, touching, and unique story of his life.

Clowns in the News:
Ringling Brothers
Barnum & Bailey Clowns

Send in the Clowns!
Ringling Brothers to Hold Auditions

For those tired of everyday humdrum lives, wanting to travel, and hoping to inject some laughter into each and every day, Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey may have just the answer: Be A Clown! Celebrating “National Clown Week,” in the first week of August, Ringling Bros. Clown College is giving clowning hopefuls the unbelievable opportunity to audition for a part in the world famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown Alley.

Clowns in the News:
Marilyn ‘Wink' Anderson of Redford

A Life Clowning Around Is All About Smiles

She slips into a goofy costume and applies colorful makeup. She plops on an orange wig and a beanie with a whirling propeller. Now, she's “Wink the Clown,” ready to put smiles on people's faces. Her sidekick is “Silly,” a bird puppet.

El Maida Shrine Circus Clowns
Bring Cheer to Youngest Patients at Providence

Clowns in the News:
Aaron Garcia did his best to ignore El Maida Shrine clown Butenz who was trying to make Aaron smile during a visit to the Children's Hospital at Providence where Aaron is a patient Saturday. (vc)

When it comes to passing out smiles, the El Maida Shrine Circus clowns don't fool around.

Six clowns thumped, honked and joked their way down the hall and into the rooms of patients Saturday at the Children's Hospital at Providence, 2001 N. Oregon. The clowns - Pooter, Tooter, Luckie, Butenz, Snickers and R-Jay - handed out coloring books and giggles to about 75 hospitalized patients, their families and employees of the hospital.

Clowns in the News:
Joe Barney has been a professional clown for more than 40 years.

Clown Aids Tornado Recovery Efforts at
Barnum Museum

Last month a freak tornado struck the historic Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Conn., causing damage to both the building and the exhibits. Starting Thursday, it's responding in a way one might expect of such a museum: by clowning around.

Renowned clown Joe Barney is helping the recovery efforts by running a series of workshops through the end of this month at the museum's gallery event space, which was not affected by the storm.

Clowns in the News:
Josh McDaniel, 11, of Rogers, Ark., learns how to apply clown makeup at the 13th annual Clown Jam in Branson on Thursday. (Cliff Sain/News-Leader)

Clown Jam in Branson Is A Mixture of
Business & Balloon Animals

D.J. Ehlert is at a convention in Branson teaching a class about marketing. He's also teaching classes about parties and how to make balloon animals.

That's the mixture of fun and serious business that is part of the 13th annual Clown Jam held in the Stone Castle Resort in Branson through Sunday. Read more...

Clowns in the News:
Photo Courtesy Capital Fringe Festival

Tales of Love and Sausages

Clowning deserves more of a place in American entertainment. Not the red-nosed circus clowns, who are uniformly terrifying (the writer's opinion), but classical pratfalls-and-pies clowns, vaudeville clowns, Shakespearean clowns - commedia dell'arte clowns? Read more...

Clowns in the News:
(Jennifer Gustavson Photo)
Professor Kno-Y will be in attendance this weekend at the Cole Bros. Circus

Quick Chat with A Real Live Circus Clown

Roy Dietrich is a clown. An Auguste type of clown, to be exact, which means he's a prankster.

But don't expect to find a whoopee cushion waiting on your seat under the big top if you visit the Cole Bros. Circus in Middle Island, where he'll be performing this weekend. Read more...

Clowns in the News:
Tug Boat's Salute

Final Salute: Shriners Clown Kept Ill Children Smiling

He could also blow, twist, coil and weave balloons into flowers and animals. That’s when his massive, almost head-sized hands were at their best, according to friends.

Greene, who died of liver cancer at 68 on June 20, was known as “Tug Boat” around the halls of the Shriners Children’s Hospital in Portland, where in full clown garb he twisted balloons into flowers and coaxed laughs out of seriously ill patients. Read more...

Clowns in the News:
Surprise Clown Proposal!

News Anchor Accepts Proposal During Live Shot

HOUSTON - FOX 26 Morning News anchor Natalie Bomke visited the Ringling Bros.-Barnum & Bailey Circus with co-anchor Chris Stipes as part of her usual assigned duties, but would never have guessed that one of the clowns would change her life forever... Read more & watch a video of the Proposal!

Circus in Fresno

There's a kid in all of us and it seems when the circus comes to Fresno young and old savor all the great moments under the big top. The circus stars were decked out in colorful costumes and full of energy on Wednesday night.

Clowns Entertain Barnum Museum with $10,000 Gift

Clowns have a special way of either making people laugh or scaring the bejeezus out of them. But on Monday there was nothing but smiles at the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, Conn., when a pair of circus performers showed up with a $10,000 gift. Read more...

Clowns in the News: Popol & Kakehole

Coping With the Fears of A Clown

A COLOURFUL circus will be rolling into Stourport with a fun packed show and therapy for people with clown phobia... Popol and Kakehole are determined to ease people’s fears at the show, however and remind them that the clown figure is fun. Read more...

Clowns in the News:
Patriot Ledger photographer Greg Derr followed Bermudez during a typical day Monday at the Marshfield Fairgrounds as he helped set up the Cole Brothers Circus and then performed in two shows. Bermudez performs on his tricycle during the show.

Photo Gallery: A Day in the Life of A Clown

Jahirt Bermudez, 48, has been a clown his entire life. It's not all laughs for circus performers, even if you are a clown. Patriot Ledger photographer Greg Derr followed Bermudez during a typical day Monday as he helped set up the Cole Brothers Circus and then performed in two shows.

The circus is the family business for Bermudez. The Colombia native who performs as Perolito the clown was born into a circus family, and he has been with the Cole Brothers Circus for 10 years.

Clowns in the News:
The Greatest Show on Earth.

The Greatest Neighborhood on Earth

Think your neighbor’s a clown? You’ve got nothing on Paul Lanquist and Mike Murphy. Their neighbors are a real bunch of clowns.

Not the kind of guys who run chainsaws at dawn. Or play basketball outside your bedroom at midnight.

We’re talking pie-in-your-face, seltzer-water-down-your-pants, “Greatest Show on Earth” clowns.

Clown Helps Students Learn About Fingerprinting

Chips The Clown stands before an auditorium of kindergarteners anxiously awaiting the disappearance of a handkerchief he has draped over a white rope. Abracadabra! In a swift move of magical proportions, Chips makes the handkerchief disappear. Read more...

Quick, Send in the Clowns

Clowns in the News: Coastal Caring Clowns Glennys Water, Michelle Eastwood, Christine Rule, Vivienne Thresher, Lois Batman, Lasso Sue, Duncan Spackman, Ted Whyte, Heather Nueisching and Kevin Furnesss are on the lookout for more clowns. Photo by Greg Miller

CHRISTINE Rule might have a red nose, a silly name (Flutter-bye) and a lot of face paint, but she is very serious about being a clown.

The Coastal Caring Clowns vice president is one of many jokers who travel to hospitals, respite centres and retirement homes to perform tricks and jokes and provide a cheerful ear for people who are ill, have a disability or are simply lonely.

Now they are looking for new clowns to help bear the load and share some joy. And there will be a workshop held to teach them the trade.

The clowns have now launched a recruitment drive for more face-painted jesters to give out a few doses of fun that are not available by prescription.

“They do like some of the tricks, so we can sculpt balloon animals, but it’s something you learn when you become a clown.

Ms Rule, also known as Flutter-Bye, said she became a clown after she was semi-retired and wanted to volunteer somewhere on the Coast. “I saw Coastal Caring Clowns at the Australia Day parade in Buderim and I’ve since become very heavily involved,” she said.

The workshop, Clowning for Beginners, will be held on Saturday, March 6, at Kawana. It will run from 9am until 4pm.

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