CWM in 2009

2009 season taking shape for Circus World

Brian D. Bridgeford / News Republic
Circus World Museum Executive Director Steve Freese and ringmaster Dave Saloutos plan to emphasize magic acts and more live animals in next summer's performance season.
By Brian D. Bridgeford / News Republic
More magic and animal acts will be featured along with a classic American circus show when Circus World Museum begins its 2009 performance season in May, museum managers said Thursday.
Members of the Circus World Museum Foundation Board, Executive Director Steve Freese and program director and singing ringmaster David Saloutos discussed budget issues, particularly the summer performance season. CWM Foundation is the nonprofit group that runs the museum on behalf of the Wisconsin State Historical Society, which owns the museum property.
A plan put forward by Saloutos proposed continuing popular events such as an American-style circus performance and the Kids World Circus. It would drop the Razzle Dazzle Revue Variety Show next summer in favor of a large magic show in the hippodrome and an additional animal act. A second magic program would end each day, he said.
The Chinese acrobats who were the centerpiece of the show in 2006 and 2007 were popular with many people, Freese said. However, American circus performers are more popular with the museum's circus enthusiasts.
Saloutos said he talks with visitors regularly and bases his proposals on their comments. Also, visitors should know CWM offers something new every year so they will be inspired to come back, he said.
"Although the Razzle Dazzle was probably one of our most popular performances, I'm recommending not doing that this year and going with a magic show instead in there just to change things around," Saloutos said.
Circus World Museum officials plan to contract with an elephant trainer who will have the staff and number of animals to make more rides available, Freese said.
"The animal encounters is clearly something people wanted to see," he said.
Freese said the cash-tight museum plans to spend the same as the last two years for the summer performances, about $318,000. However, they will be reducing costs for some programs and shifting more funding to animal acts and other areas.
State Historical Museum Director Ellsworth Brown encouraged CWM's managers to keep a close eye on whether their choices match what the public wants and balances financial issues.
"I'm interested in the economies that should or shouldn't be affected by what we are doing," he said.
Freese said CWM's visitor numbers for 2008 had risen over 2007 until June floods forced the museum to close for a week. Popular special events like a Wild West Show and growing popularity of the museum with previously untapped groups such as Hispanic families show CWM can grow its audience, he said.
After discussion, board members voted unanimously to give Freese and Saloutos a go-ahead for their plans.
Saloutos said popular illusionist Tristan Christ will return next summer. However, he would not reveal which other acts will join the lineup until he has contacted them and confirmed they will sign contracts.
Freese said that CWM's staff will be tight next summer. Saloutos will be devoting most of his time to organizing the Great Circus Parade, which is set to take place July 12 in Milwaukee.