MayJune_2012
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The Amazing Clown Adventure<br />
continued from page 5<br />
Bros. and Barnum and Bailey is somewhat different. I<br />
understand that you perform as part of a charitable<br />
program for children. Would you please share what<br />
you do as circus performers?<br />
We toured with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s<br />
Blue Unit for three years and the Red Unit for two years.<br />
This is our sixth year as the “Ambassadors of Laughter”<br />
representing “The Greatest Show on Earth.” We<br />
travel about a month ahead of the show, mostly with<br />
the Gold Unit, and bring free programs to the<br />
community. We go to schools, libraries, hospitals, Boys<br />
and Girls Clubs, YMCAs and also television and radio<br />
stations. As clowns, we do programs like Reading with<br />
Ringling, Science of the Circus and Circus Fit. A lot of<br />
times we perform for children who may not get the<br />
chance to see the Big Show when it gets to town. While<br />
touring around the country, we also get to bring lots of<br />
silliness and laughter to children in hospitals, helping<br />
create new fun memories and letting them forget reality<br />
for a while. It’s one way that Ringling Bros. and Barnum<br />
& Bailey gives back to the communities where the circus<br />
plays. We are honored to be the ones who get to do this<br />
full-time.<br />
I read you celebrated your 20 th wedding anniversary<br />
while on The Amazing Race. Were you clowns before<br />
you met and married?<br />
Cherie: We met at the 1990 Clown College auditions in<br />
Boston. To let the other know if we got a contract, we<br />
exchanged telephone numbers. Dave kept calling and<br />
calling and calling. After Dave came back from Clown<br />
College, we started clowning around together and got<br />
married in February of 1992.<br />
What process did you follow to gain a slot as cast<br />
members on The Amazing Race? What was your<br />
motivation for being on the show?<br />
At the end of season two, we saw an episode of The<br />
Amazing Race and both said “WOW! How can we do<br />
that?” We watched season three and sent in an audition<br />
video for season four. We didn’t realize our friend and<br />
co-worker, Jon Weiss, and his friend and former Ringling<br />
clown, Al Rios, had also submitted an audition tape.<br />
They were selected for season four.<br />
We sent in a tape for season five but never got a<br />
response. We figured it was probably too soon for<br />
another clown couple to be on the show. Fast forward<br />
10 years and 15 seasons (for The Amazing Race); we got<br />
Page 6<br />
The New Calliope
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