{"id":24359,"date":"2019-05-24T08:21:15","date_gmt":"2019-05-24T12:21:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=24359"},"modified":"2019-05-24T08:21:21","modified_gmt":"2019-05-24T12:21:21","slug":"on-stage-the-circus-comes-to-town","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/?p=24359","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: the circus comes to town"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, <\/span>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

The Big Apple Circus<\/p><\/div>\n

The Big Apple Circus, which is celebrating its 41st anniversary this year, up residency at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, https:\/\/bigapplecircus.com<\/a>) for a run now through June 16.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of the world\u2019s greatest circus acts have performed under the Big Apple Circus Big Top. Each year, a new show with new attractions is created by many of New York\u2019s most creative directors and designers.<\/span><\/p>\n

The most exciting new thing about this year\u2019s show is a new ringmaster — Stephanie Monseu.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monseu<\/span>, who once designed jewelry in New York City, will make her local debut leading the Big Apple Circus into the Philadelphia area — to guide audiences through an unforgettable array of mind-blowing, breathtaking, jaw-dropping, two-hour performances.<\/span><\/p>\n

A veteran circus performer, Monseu is on her first national tour as Ringmaster with the Big Apple Circus, a show filled with outstanding female performers and so much more.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a big circus,\u201d said Monseu, during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Peabody, Massachusetts.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have 25 artists and, in total, 80 people moving from place to place. We have a number of tents including the Big Top and reception tents. The Big Top holds 1,700 people and no seat is more than 50 feet from the ring.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Growing up in Flushing, Queens, and Margaretville, New York, Monseu studied metalsmithing at FIT in the 1990s. While working as a waitress in Manhattan, she got her first taste of the circus. Keith Nelson, a fellow waiter and fire-eater, taught her how to do the same dangerous and dazzling sideshow stunt.<\/span><\/p>\n

Monseu is a professional “variety artist,” counting among her skills circus mainstays like juggling, prop manipulation, clowning, physical comedy, and sideshow stunts like sword swallowing, fire eating, bed of nails, block-heading, ladder of swords, and broken glass walking. She is a veteran ringmaster for events and circuses, and her\u00a0specialties include stilt walking, acrobalance on rolla bolla and globe, and high-wire motorcycle stunts and aerial acts.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in the circus business in New York for over 25 years,\u201d said Monseu. \u201cMy very first exposure to circus performance came when a really cute guy I knew was doing juggling. I asked him to teach me how to eat fire. After a while, we started our own circus.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 1994, she co-founded the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus with Keith Nelson. Their unique style combines elements of circus tradition, sideshow stunts, novelty amusements, and vaude-villainous\u00a0variety into a spectacle for the 21st century.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Cirkus\u2019 roots go deep into the New York City underground transgressive performance art scene, and its style is deeply influenced by Nelson\u2019s studies in anarchist theory and Stephanie Monseu\u2019s background in visual arts and physical performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Originally created for mature audiences only, the Cirkus now entertains folks of all ages, and has grown into a far-reaching nonprofit arts organization educational and mentoring programs for youth, touring, and theatrical productions are the mainstays of Bindlestiff\u2019s activities.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known the people from Big Apple Circus for a while,\u201d said Monseu. \u201cIt was only a matter of time until they were looking for a female ringmaster. I threw my hat in the ring and came aboard last August when they created a new show.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When not performing with the Big Apple Circus as Ringmaster, Monseu practices her circus talents where she juggles, stilt walks, target and fancy bullwhip cracks, lasso spins, walks on glass, lays on a bed of nails, eats fire, performs on a trapeze, walks a high-wire and can sing.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this edition of Big Apple Circus, Monseu<\/span> will be joined in the ring by a multitude of fierce female-led acts \u2013 and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have Jenny Vidbell with her horses and dogs,\u201d said Monseu. \u201cAnother great act is Emil Faltyny, who does a free-standing ladder balancing act. And Gamil the juggler is amazing. Gamil is super-fast.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Other jaw-dropping acts are The Flying Tunizianis, a double-wide trapeze act showcasing seven fliers and two catchers in addition to the quadruple somersault byAmmed Tuniziani \u2013 a feat only successfully landed by 10 people in the world; \u201cDesire of Flight,\u201d a daring and balletic dual aerial straps act; and, for the first time in America, the gravity-defying horizontal juggler Victor Moiseev.<\/span><\/p>\n

Audiences are blown away by performances by t<\/a><\/span>he \u201cstrongest mom in the world\u201d Virginia <\/span>Tuells<\/span> and her husband Ihosvanys Perez. They preset \u201cDuo Fusion,\u201d a breathtaking acrobatic act that combines dance, strength, flexibility, and passion in which Tuells handles a majority of the lifts,<\/span><\/p>\n

Other top-flight performers are Andr\u00e9anne Quintal, whose team of performers bounce off the walls in her feisty trampoline act, and, of course, the clowns — MarkGindick and Adam Kuchler.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI love the way the circus brings sport, artistic performance and people together,\u201d said Monseu.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Big Apple Circus — https:\/\/youtu.be\/M4Ah-5dk1PI<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The regular performance schedule is Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Saturdays at 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m., and Sundays at noon and 4 p.m.\u00a0Ticket prices range from $20-$75.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re in the mood for a show this weekend that is entertaining but not quite as energetic, consider the concert on May 24 at the <\/span>World Caf\u00e9 Live (3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-222-1400, www.worldcafelive.com<\/a>) featuring Amy Ray and Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Amy Ray<\/p><\/div>\n

Ray is on the road touring in support of her new album, \u201cHoller.\u201d The album is a \u201cSouthern\u201d album \u2013 an LP with an Americana vibe made by a Georgia native at a studio in North Carolina with top-flight musicians from the South.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe cut the album in Asheville at Echo Mountain Studio,\u201d said Ray, during a phone interview Tuesday morning from a tour stop in Alexandria, Virginia.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was all done analog \u2013 two-inch, 24-track analog. We cut it live to tape and then brought in horns live to tape. Then, we transferred it to digital \u2013 very high resolution so it\u2019s super Hi-Fi. You have to be careful going from analog to digital. Brian Speiser, the guy who mixed it, is a real audiophile. He made the vinyl version sound really, really good.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBrian is the sound guy for the Tedeschi Trucks band. We even had Derek Trucks play guitar on one of the songs on \u2018Holler.\u201d Brian produced my last record and this one too.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Ray\u2019s previous record, which is described as her \u201cfirst Americana album,\u201d was 2014\u2019s \u201cGoodnight Tender.\u201d Her band features multi-instrumentalist\u00a0Jeff Fielder\u00a0on guitars, dobro, bass, and mandolin; Matt Smith\u00a0on pedal steel, dobro, and guitar;\u00a0Adrian Carter\u00a0on fiddle and guitar; Kerry Brooks\u00a0on upright bass and mandolin; Jim Brock\u00a0on drums and percussion; and Dan Walker on keyboards.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Ray, \u201c\u2018Holler\u2019 was inspired by traditional country, Southern rock, mountain music, gospel and bluegrass. The songs tell stories of late nights, love, addiction, immigration, despair, honky-tonks, growing up in the South, touring for decades, being born in the midst of the civil rights movement, and the constant struggle to find balance in the life of a left-wing Southerner who loves Jesus, her homeland and its peoples.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis band has been together five years now \u2013 recording and touring,\u201d said Ray. \u201cWith the band being together so long, it gave us more cohesion when we were recording the album. We could spread out a lot more. We have a lot of trust in each other.\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHoller,\u201d which features 14 new songs by Ray, was released on September 28, 2018 on Ray\u2019s own label Daemon Records via the Compass Records Group. It also was released as a special double LP version, along with hi-res and MQA versions<\/span><\/p>\n

Ray is still active as one-half of GRAMMY-winning folk duo Indigo Girls.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a new record coming out in January,\u201d said Ray. \u201cWe recorded it in England and we\u2019re mixing it now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Indigo Girls have been making music for decades. Ray and Emily Saliers became friends in elementary school in Decatur, Georgia and began performing together when they were in high school. When they were students at Emory University, they took on the name Indigo Girls.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years, they established a reputation for being one of the best folk-rock acts in America. In 1987, they released their debut album \u201cStrange Fire.\u201d Almost three decades later, the ladies released their 14th album \u201cOne Lost Day.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Amanda Platt<\/p><\/div>\n

While Ray has been making music for almost four decades, Platt is just entering her second decade as a professional musician.<\/span><\/p>\n

Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters is an Americana band based in Asheville, North Carolina.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Honeycutters were put together in 2007 by Platt and former guitarist Peter James with their music based around Platt\u2019s songwriting. They released their first studio album, \u201cIrene,\u201d in 2009, followed by \u201cWhen Bitter Met Sweet\u201d in 2012.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2015, The Honeycutters \u2013 Amanda Anne Platt (songwriting\/rhythm guitar\/lead vocal), Matt Smith (pedal steel, electric guitar), Rick Cooper (bass), Evan Martin (drums) — signed with Organic Records and released their third full-length studio album, \u201cMe Oh My.\u201d Their album, \u201cOn The Ropes,\u201d was released in 2016 and their most recent studio album, \u201cAmanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters,\u201d was released in 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been writing songs as The Honeycutters since 2007,\u201d said Platt, during a phone interview Monday from a tour stop in Annapolis, Maryland.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe lineup stayed the same since then until this year. We had a lineup change when our drummer Josh Milligan left to go back to school. He was still with us when we made the live album.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The live album is \u201cLive at the Grey Eagle, which was officially released today (May 24). The Grey Eagle is an all-ages live venue in Asheville.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe released a live album because we\u2019re touring a lot and we didn\u2019t have a new album,\u201d said Platt. \u201cWe do have a lot of new songs I like to pepper into the set.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve recorded live shows with the band before but his was the first time we\u2019ve done it intentionally for a release. It was recorded last November. There was a little extra pressure performing knowing that it was for a live recording. I felt nervous for the first few songs. We recorded two nights which was good. I was more relaxed the second night. The shows were great \u2013 hometown shows, and both were sold out. Making the stew list was kind of a challenge. We put a Facebook post-up and asked fans what they wanted to har. So, we played those songs, some of my favorites and a few new ones. The album has 15 songs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A few years ago, the bands changed its name from The Honeycutters to Amanda Anne Platt & The Honeycutters.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Platt, \u201cWe switched things up a little. After four albums I\u2019ve decided to step out and start using my own name. It\u2019s something that a lot of people have encouraged me to do over the years, and I guess that 2017 just felt right.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re keeping The Honeycutters too because we don\u2019t want to confuse people\u2026really, we\u2019ve always been Amanda Anne Platt and the Honeycutters. I think I\u2019ve just gotten to a place where I feel comfortable enough to be in the spotlight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI always write all the songs. I just write on guitar. I definitely start out as a lyricist. I\u2019ll write down some lyrics but then there has to be a story. When I start to write, it has to start with a kernel of emotion I\u2019m feeling. Then, I think I end up distancing myself in the narrative.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSongwriting \u2013 sometimes it\u2019s easy and sometimes it\u2019s difficult. I wait for the muse. I was extremely prolific through my twenties. I have a lot of songs written \u2013 maybe 80 that are written but not recorded.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But those songs won\u2019t pop up on the band\u2019s next project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn July, we\u2019re going to be recording a few holiday songs,\u201d said Platt. \u201cThen, I\u2019m having a baby in the fall.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Amanda Anne Platt — https:\/\/youtu.be\/D9Es-81IdH4<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Amy Ray \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/vL93P8XTTF4<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at the World Caf\u00e9 Live will start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at the World Caf\u00e9 Live are the Smithereens with special guest vocalist Marshall Crenshaw on May 25 and Bobby McFerrin with Ranky Tanky on May 28 and 29.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times The Big Apple Circus, which is celebrating its 41st anniversary this year, up residency at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Avenue, Oaks, https:\/\/bigapplecircus.com) for a run now through June 16. Many of the world\u2019s greatest circus acts have performed under the Big Apple Circus Big Top. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24361,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5166],"tags":[8878,8877,3912,8876],"class_list":["post-24359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-amanda-platt","tag-amy-ray","tag-featured","tag-the-big-apple-circus"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=24359"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24359\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24360,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24359\/revisions\/24360"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/24361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=24359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=24359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coatesvilletimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=24359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}