Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Golden age of the circus
‘Circus 1903’ celebrates tradition with a few twists
Step right up for an amazing evening of feats, thrills, excitement, hair-raising adventures and the most unbelievable charming magic you’ll ever see right before your eyes.
Comedy legend W.C. Fields once said that working with children was the kiss of death in show business, but “Circus 1903” ringmaster David Williamson happily risks his life nightly! The year 1903 marks the date that Ringling Bros. teamed with Barnum & Bailey for the ultimate circus touring show. And, David re-creates it magically every night in the former Jersey Boys theater at Paris Las Vegas.
As ringmaster Willy Whipsnade, he presides over a cast of jugglers, acrobats, tightrope walkers and two elephants all the while pulling amazing close-up card tricks on unsuspecting kids from the audience. As darling as the two elephants are — controlled by a team of incredible puppeteers — he winds up as the star of the show.
“I feel well-prepared for the circus. I spent seven years on a Disney Cruise Line and anything that could happen with children has happened. You name it. It’s the most dangerous act in the circus, absolutely. But it has become my stock in trade,” David told me. “My life is in my hand. It’s far more than the high-wire bicycle acrobats. I have the most dangerous act. He just risks a broken femur. I risk the wrath of a child.”
Before landing in Vegas as our newest residency with an openended contract, “Circus 1903” toured in Australia and across America enthralling youngsters and grandparents, alike.
“People are really drawn to the nostalgia of the circus,” he continued. “We put a beautiful frame around these circus acts. Cirque, reinvented circus 30 years ago; put the production in the foreground and these amazing circus acts were atmospheric almost.
“I think our producer, Simon Tinker, has reversed that because he’s put the production as a beautiful background and brought the individual artists forward as the stars of the show, presenting it in a linear fashion as per the traditional circus. The elephants get people in the theater, and the acts leave them well.”
David admits there’s been recent controversy over the use of performing animals in the circus and Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bayley’s Circus eventually shuttered all of its animals. He commented: “My personal views are really unimportant to the show because our show’s really for everyone, no matter what your personal view on performing animals. I didn’t know much about the controversy because this was my first introduction to the circus world. I’ve been a magician all these years, and now I’m in this circus world. This controversy has arisen, you know, as far as the elephants in Barnum. It was barely on my periphery.
“There are good arguments on both sides and good people with good intentions on both sides and I think the producers have been wise to stay out of the controversy, and I stay out of it, and just invite everybody to our show.
“Our puppet elephant, Peanuts, is an extraordinary little character. Isn’t it wonderful? And he really does reflect the personality of the puppeteer. Luke Chadwick Jones is a cheeky little fellow. He’s a very athletic guy but he’s a wonderful kind of spirit and Luke is up for anything. And he is such a fun and wonderful guy. And it’s really reflected in his movements and his playfulness, and some nights with these kids on stage, we just have these wonderful magical moments between Luke, the puppeteer, and a kid, and it’s just wonderful.”
Read the rest of this story at lvrj.com/entertainment