*Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Update - September 27, 2009* *This update includes:* ** ** Bindlestiffs at NIGHT CIRCUS: Grand Opening of the Walkway Over the Hudson, NY* ** **Bindlestiff's Open Variety Stage Show**, Brooklyn, NY* ** **Bindlestiff Family Cirkus coming to Johnson, VT* ** **Bindlestiff Family Cirkus’s Cavalcade of Youth at Coney Island, NY* ** Bindlestiff Family Cirkus in New Vaudeville Review in Tucson, AZ* ** Ghost WALK Hudson 2009, a Haunted Walking Tour* ** Noteworthy Bindlestiff Family Cirkus happenings and mentions* ** Variety Arts School & Theater in New York (stay tuned)* ** The Bindlestiffs Episode 10 is now online!* ** Bring the Cirkus to your town* ** Support the Variety Arts * *For the most up to date info visit http://www.bindlestiff.org or call 1-877-BINDLES* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Bindlestiffs at NIGHT CIRCUS: * *The Grand Opening of the Walkway Over the Hudson* October 3, 2009, Saturday Walkway Over the Hudson, entrance at 58 Parker Avenue, Poughkeepise NY 5pm - 9pm Admission is FREE! Info: *http://walkway.org/index.php* <http://walkway.org/index.php> http://www.bindlestiff.org Re-imagine Hudson Valley history on Saturday October 3 as the Night Circus fills the skies over the Hudson River with juggling clubs, twirling acrobats, fanciful funambulists, prancing stiltwalkers, frolicsome clowns and festively costumed friends. To celebrate the new Walkway over the Hudson, once a grand railway bridge carrying freight, passengers and circus trains from points east into New York City, the Walkway over the Hudson will be open to the public for walking, jogging, strolling and rolling on October 3 for the first time! Performers from the Hudson Valley's own Bindlestiff Family Circus create a carnivalesque atmosphere with a Circus Parade starting at 5pm, and surprise performances along a mile and a half of the grand span throughout the evening. As dusk falls, glowing costumes, fiery traces of juggler's props and showers of sparks illuminate the skies as NIGHT CIRCUS takes flight! Witness: Slackwire Sam and Dikki Ellis, two fearless funambilists, balancing precariously on slender cables suspended above the bridge surface! Amazing aerial artistry by the WauWau Sisters at the base of the bridge in Poughkeepsie and Harvest Moon on the Western end of the span; The Chatham Unicycle Club rolling in tight formation on their monowheels; Vassar College's own Barefoot Monkeys Circus Club performing feats of strength and balance as they form human pyramids; An army of hula hoopers illumined with glowing rings that encircle their forms; Buskers located at Performing Pitches every 200 feet dazzle the eye with feats of magic, juggling, physical comedy and manual dexterity; Stiltwalkers, Roving Clowns, a phalanx of dazzling, illuminated bicycles from Fats in the Cats Bicycle Club,The Mid-Hudson Jugglers and the Hudson Valley Horrors roller derby team whiz thru the crowds! NIGHT CIRCUS Parade starts at 5pm, and performances continue throughout the evening until 9pm. Live music will be provided by roving bands of merry minstrels. Add to the festivities by wearing glow accesories, battery operated lights, LED's, whatever suits your fancy! October 3, 2009, marks the opening of the Walkway over the Hudson, completing the transformation of the historic Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge into a mile-long pedestrian path soaring 212 feet above the Hudson River. Completed in 1881, the bridge was an engineering marvel and the longest bridge in the world at the time, spanning over 6000 feet. Closed after a track fire in 1974, it remained abandoned until a grass-roots restoration effort began in 1992 with the founding of Walkway Over the Hudson. A Dyson Foundation grant paved the way for the Walkway Opening this year, as a signature event of the Hudson-Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Bindlestiff's Open Variety Stage Show* Next Show is October 5 at Galapagos Arts Space, 16 Main Street, Dumbo, Brooklyn, NY First Monday of Every Month at 8PM, Admission is $5. For more information and to buy tickets go to http://www.galapagosartspace.com Celebrating the Variety Arts! Come to Dumbo Brooklyn where a five spot still offers you a spectacular night of tap dancing bears, Kung Fu juggling, clown bands, aerialists suspended above your beverage while you are carefully suspended over a body of water, sword swallowers, physical comedy, contortionists and cowboys. Galapagos Art Space has dedicating the first Monday of every month to New York City's variety, vaudeville, aerial, and circus artists. Celebrating works in progress, emerging artists, and professionals trying something new, this night promises many surprises. * * * If you would like to be on the stage, email *Variety@galapagosartspace.com*<Variety@galapagosartspace.com>. Write 'Open Variety' in the subject line! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Bindlestiff Family Cirkus coming to Johnson, VT* Friday October 16, 2009 Dibden Center Johnson Stage College, 337 College Hill, Johnson, VT *http://www.jsc.edu/DibdenCenterForTheArts/***<http://www.jsc.edu/DibdenCenterForTheArts/> Showtime 8 pm One part Kurt Weill, one part P.T. Barnum, a shot of Dali, and three parts sawdust in a blender. Frappé on High for 90 minutes. Bindlestiff Family Cirkus comes to Johnson State College for one night and one night only. Join Philomena Bindlestiff, Kinko the Clown, Michael Richter and Mr. Pennygaff for a tour of the underbelly of the Big Top... and a little of the Surreal side of the Sideshow. Experience spectacular circus skills and jaw-dropping midway madness. This showcase of amazing stunts, novelty, and physical comedy features sword swallowing, wire walking, target bull whips, the human blockhead, spinning tops, Orificular Love Poetry, blindfolded unicycle feats, machete balancing, the Big Juggle, and much more. Not recommended for toddlers. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Bindlestiff Family Cirkus’s Cavalcade of Youth at Coney Island, NY* October 18, 2009 at Sideshows by the Seashore 1208 Surf Ave., (Coney Island), Brooklyn, NY Showtime: 5 pm Admission: $10 youth / $15 adults Information: coneyisland.com bindlestiff.org The Performers of Tomorrow Steal the Stage Today! Coney Island USA provides a spectacular stage for Bindlestiff Family Cirkus special showcase for young variety performers, ranging from amateurs to world-class professionals. Juvenile jugglers, diminutive dancers, adolescent acrobats and a host of other moppets and mummers present a full show of vernal vaudeville. Acts range from debuting amateurs to world-class champion performers—all under the age of 21. In its sixth year, Bindlestiff’s Cavalcade continues to feature an amazing array of young talent. These are the future stars of Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Coney Island Sideshow, and television. Where else can you see juvenile unicyclists, tap dancers, magicians, clowns, and contortionists sharing the stage with Broadway-bound singers and classically trained musicians? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Bindlestiff Family Cirkus in New Vaudeville Review in Tucson, AZ* November 12-14, 2009 at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre University of Arizona 1737 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85721 Tickets / Info (520) 621-1162 *www.cfa.dance.arizona.edu*<http://www.cfa.dance.arizona.edu/> Bindlestiff Family Cirkus joins forces with University of Arizona dancers, muscians, choreographers and composers in the New Vaudeville Review at the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre . In the "New Vaudeville Revue," directed by Douglas Nielsen in collaboration with Frank Cullen and Suzanne Knosp, you'll see the art form in all its stages -- past, present and future. High wire acts, clowns, jugglers? Yes, but also exotic choreography and award-winning film. "Vaudeville was more than an assembly of ragtime pantaloons, topical monologists, eccentric dancers, barrel-house songbirds, magicians, tumblers and jugglers, more than a coast-to-coast network of once-guilded theatres now shambling into plaster dust... Vaudeville was a people's culture" --Frank Cullen, 2007. Vaudeville, Old & New: an Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Ghost WALK Hudson 2009, a Haunted Walking Tour* November 6, 2009 Discover Hudson's Ghostly past: an evening of spooky tale telling in historic Hudson sites! In February 2009 Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts and Walking the Dog Theater initiated a Ghost Story writing contest for Columbia County teens. The four winning stories will be brought to life in various “haunted” buildings in Hudson for the inaugural Ghost WALK Hudson, on November 6, 2009. Audience members will start at Space 360 on Warren Street, then, accompanied by a tour guide, visit the Hudson Area Association Library, the Hudson Opera House, and the offices of Ghost WALK Hudson's media sponsor, The Register-Star. The winning stories will be told in the select locations, evoking some of the history of each place. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Noteworthy Bindlestiff Family Cirkus happenings and mentions* * Kinko the Clown departs next week for China. With a tramp clown ambassador, you can expect rapid improvements on international relationships. * Bindlestiff Family Cirkus rocks Virgin Festival in MD * http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2009/09/04/687783.aspx* * Hudson Juggling Club starts again on 9/28/09. Join a few Bindles and other assorted Empire State jugglers for a night of juggling. Monday nights for 6-9 pm at the John L. Edwards Elementary School at 360 State Street in Hudson, NY. * In the August issue of Chronogram, the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus are featured local luminaries: http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2009/8/Community+Notebook/Local-Luminaries-S... and mentioned in the article "The Urban Gem in the Country Crown": * http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2009/8/Community+Pages/The-Urban-Gem-in-the-... *<http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2009/8/Community+Pages/The-Urban-Gem-in-the-Country-Crown?page=1> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Variety Arts School & Theater in New York (stay tuned)* So an acrobat, a ventriloquist, and a Burlesque queen walked into a building.... We're spearheading an effort to create a performance, practice, and research space devoted to the Variety Arts. The space will focus on the specific needs of the local Variety Arts community and will attract artists from around the world. This exciting project is still in the early stages, but it is moving rapidly. If you're interested in getting involved, would like to pledge your financial (or physical, intellectual, or emotional) support, or you happen to know of a large, conveniently located empty space, please let us know! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Webisodes On-line, Episode 10 is on-line!* Travel with the Cirkus. The Full Season One is now online. Visit *http://www.thebindlestiffs.com*** <http://www.thebindlestiffs.com/> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Bring the Cirkus to Your Town!* All of the Bindlestiff programs--educational and performance--are available for booking. For more details contact booking@bindlestiff.org * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Support the Variety Arts* We ask for your contribution in support of the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus and our mission to promote, develop and sustain the variety arts. If you feel a connection to Bindlestiff—if our unconventional vision and values speak to you, if you consider yourself a Bindlestiff at heart, or if you just love coming to our shows—we invite you to deepen that connection this year by making a tax-deductible financial contribution. We need your help to continue creating provocative, thrilling performances, conducting youth programs that develop skills and self-esteem, and cultivating a vital community of variety artists, all while keeping ticket prices accessibly low. Tax-deductible donations can be made at http://www.bindlestiff.org/menu/donate.html or by sending a check or money order to Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts, Inc., PO Box 1917, New York, NY 10009. Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization devoted to the preservation and evolution of the variety arts. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Bindlestiff Family Cirkus PO Box 1917 New York, NY 10009 1-877-BINDLES www.bindlestiff.org -- Mark Meyers London, UK AIM: meyersmrmark