The day the circus came to town
by Mary Pankow
On July 27, the Gowanda Central School grounds took on a different look as the Kelly Miller Circus rolled in.
Brightly painted wagons, semis and trucks, accompanied by a caravan of RVs transported the animals, performers props, equipment and tents needed to put on a traditional circus.
Referred to as a little city on wheels, the Kelly Miller Circus travels with nearly everything it needs. There is even a “schoolhouse” and a commissary that provide food for the brain and nourishment for the body. With the circus on the road 32 weeks of the year - visiting 220 cities and towns, 18 states and putting on 536 performances - the nine children who attend the school (in grades kindergarten through ninth) are able to keep up with their studies and grade-level course work. In fact, four of the youngsters are honor students at their regular “winter” schools.
Aside from the traveling school teacher, there is also cook, “parts guy,” mechanics, performers, animal handlers and set-up and tear-down crew. The most important guy on the tour? Chris Beckett.
Known as the “24-Hour Man,” Beckett is the circus’s logistics guy. Twenty-four hours before the circus arrives, Beckett coordinates everything: site preparation, location of utilities (electricity, etc.), local stores for supplies, delivery of feed for the animals and a multitude of other details that ensure a smooth experience for both Kelly Miller Circus personnel and the hosting town or village.
One of the few remaining traveling circuses, the Kelly Miller Circus’s pride and joy is their “Big Top.”
Imported from Italy, the custom-made tent is comprised of five sections that, when lashed together, measures 150 feet by 150 feet and stands 38-1/2 feet high. It is supported by a number of heavy-duty poles and stakes that are mechanically driven into the ground at three- or four-foot intervals.
The most exciting part of seeing the big top go up? Watching 33-year-old Viola, an Asian elephant, maneuver the support poles into place.
A seasoned veteran, Viola needs little coaching when working under the canvas. The powerful pachyderm seems to enjoy her job and needs only to be told “stop” in the tent-raising process.
Watching the big top reach skyward is a popular event wherever the circus travels. On this particular day, many Gowanda-area residents were joined by youth and counselors from the Gowanda Recreation Program to witness the event.
But, Viola isn’t the only elephant that performs “before” and in the circus. She is joined by two other female Asians and they are all very popular with audience members. Other animals that regularly perform include three dromedaries (camels), three llamas, 16 “lead stock” that include horses, ponies and Sicilian don keys, and a number of canines.
Once the big top is up, the rest of the tents and stands are organized and stocked for showtime. On this day, the sponsoring Gowanda Honor Society has arranged for two performances, one at 4:30 and an evening show at 7:30.
Before long, hundreds fill the stands to watch the circus, attending performances that are about an hour and a half to two hours long.
Once the lights dim and the excitement is over, the circus that took approximately two hours to set up is torn down in only an hour and loaded back onto the fleet of vehicles. The Hugo, Oklahoma-based Kelly Miller Circus is then off to another venue in Pennsylvania to entertain crowds. Of course, 24-Hour Man Chris Beckett is already there and has everything under control.
