by Karen Tortora-Lee on September 24, 2011
Barry Lubin as Grandma
I’ve known Grandma The Clown for as long as I’ve known the Big Apple Circus. Grandma is as much a part of that circus arena as the sawdust and the trapeze rigging. But it wasn’t until I saw the PBS documentary CIRCUS that I got to know Barry Lubin – the man underneath the gray wig and pearls. Meeting Barry Lubin through the six part series was a wonderful way to see exactly how much work goes into making people laugh year after year. It’s no easy job, and the life of a clown is serious business.
Last week I spoke with Mark Gindick about Wing-Man which opens tonight and plays this weekend as part of The Brick’s Amuse Bouche 2011: A NY Clown Theatre Festival Hors d’Oeuvre. Today I follow up that interview by speaking with Barry, who directed the show. I’m thrilled that he was able to share his story with us and give us a glimpse into his world. Read on to find out what it takes to be Mark’s Wing-Man, how Barry makes a 20,000 person venue feel intimate, and how getting out of his own way is when the magic happens. Continue Reading…
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by Karen Tortora-Lee on September 16, 2011
Mark Gindick in Wing-Man (Photo by Florence Montmare)
If you were lucky enough to catch the PBS documentary Circus then you’ve already met Mark Gindick whose antics as a Big Apple Circus clown were prominently featured in that six-part mini series which followed the lives of the performers and crew during their 2008 season. Or, you may have been lucky enough to see Mark perform live as he captured Big Apple Circus audiences with his delightful Singing In The Rain routine alongside Grandma The Clown (Barry Lubin).
Of course, you may have caught any one of a number of Mark’s other great performances with Big Apple Circus or The New York Goofs. He’s also no stranger to The Brick’s Amuse Bouche having performed in their 2009 festival. He now returns to The Brick for this season’s Amuse Bouche as creator and performer of Wing-Man, a show directed by Barry Lubin. I was lucky enough to chat with these two very talented men to find out what it took to get Wing-Man off the ground.
Today I kick off the two part series with Mark. Read on to find out how he fell into clowning, what set him on the path that changed his life, and what he’s most excited about for this year’s Amuse Bouche …
Continue Reading…
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