Word: barnumism
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...make much use of training in Shakespeare or Method-style character analysis. But they say acting study helps nonetheless. Kevin Kraft, 22, is a University of Southern California junior in his second summer as a clown and juggler at Hersheypark; he has also toured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Says Kraft: "If I pretend in slow motion to grab for a nonexistent ball, I'd better have a real intention to catch it, which is acting technique, or the comedy falls flat...
Like many immigrants, the short story was born in Europe and flourishes across the Atlantic. Case in point: The Barnum Museum (Poseidon; 237 pages; $18.95). Although Steven Millhauser can tell a straightforward anecdote, his true strength is magic realism. In one tale a boy steps behind a movie screen to find rooms full of ectoplasmic actors coming to life for an audience of one; in another, a certain Mr. Porter runs into inclement weather and washes away like a watercolor in a rainstorm. Brilliant parodies, pastiches and comments on Alice in Wonderland, Sinbad and T.S. Eliot show how this gifted...
...city defenders. The rabble rousing on the celebrity cocktail circuit has brought thousands of protest letters from around the world pouring into the B.I.E.'s Paris office. In Venice the city council remains categorically opposed, as do 63 organizations ranging from police to town planners. "Mounting a spectacular Barnum & Bailey circus is no way to solve real problems of sanitation, transport and tourism," says Alvise Zorzi, author of seven books on Venice and leader of the "No Expo" groups...
...their best eight. Feld's formula includes a dash of gimmickry to pack 'em in. In 1985 it was the "Living Unicorn," a goat whose horns had been surgically fused. The stunt drew criticism from animal-rights activists but boosted ticket sales by more than 20%. Says Feld: "P.T. Barnum would have been proud...
...fresh in an age when young people have a high and still rising threshold for amazement. His search for new talent and incredible feats is never-ending, but that's the way he likes it. Says Feld: "Nobody in the world has a job like this." Spoken like P.T. Barnum...