Historic Boston landmark, site of revolutionary fervor and pride, plays host to new sort of spectacle

 

FANEUIL HALL IN BOSTON,  "Altar of Liberty" since 1742. Historic site of town meetings where blue-bloods and farmers alike protested the British tea tax and helped foment the American Revolution. Following British occupation and the colony's independence, famous orators such as George Washington, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Lafayette and John Adams spoke there about the future of the new nation, defending the radical concept of government by democracy.

 

New Year's eve, December 31, 1983. The tradition of landmark events in Faneuil Hall continues, as the radical concept of an entire evening's entertainment by jugglers makes a big hit with more than 4,000 spectators.

 

The crowd represented part of the total audience for "First Night," one of America's largest public celebrations of the performing arts. This year, Bostonians could choose from more than 100 performances occurring at 40 locations during the course of the evening. It was also the first time in the eight-year history of First Night that they could choose to see a dedicated "Festival of Juggling, Manipulation and Equilibristics."

 

R.W. Bacon (Mr. Slim), organizer of the juggling event, views it as an important step in identifying juggling in the area arts community as a legitimate category of its own, on a par with dancers, dramatists, musicians, and other performers. He said, "At the very least, the event focused plenty of positive attention on juggling as a legitimate performing art, and not just a streetcorner curiosity."

 

In the past, Bacon and his wife, L.J. Newton, had presented their "Old-Time Music and Vaudeville Revival" as a part of other events. Likewise, The Amazing Fantasy Jugglers, Jud the Jester (Randy Judkins), and Dario Pittore had been included in First Night. But this year, festival administrator Zeren Earls and museum curator Martin Connelly agreed to let Bacon stage a dedicated juggling event, featuring his own show, Jud, and The Amazing Fantasy Jugglers.

 

Appearing on a small stage beneath an enormous painting of Daniel Webster, the jugglers gave their audiences far more than their $3 worth.

 

Jud the Jester, an IJA member from Raymond, Maine, opened the proceedings comically, juggling puff balls. He did mime pieces dribbling an imaginary basketball and spinning a ball. Next came some serious juggling with up to five rings, followed by a comedy approach to multiple box stunts. He showed prowess with three hats, and closed with a ball routine.

 

Mr. Slim and L.J. were on next. Slim rode his unicycle, performed with balls, toilet plungers, nesting cups, and plates. In a piece titled, "The Legacy of W.C. Fields," he manipulated hat and cane and boxes. The couple then did a team routine with balls, clubs, and odd objects. Their part of the show concluded with Slim playing "The Great Slimkoff," a juggler of Eastern European origin. In that role he performed tricks of balance, juggling, and contortion, ending up four levels high on a rola-bola juggling a sickle, hammer and vodka bottle.

 

The Amazing Fantasy Jugglers, (IJA members Don and Lana Reed with Rawd Holbrook and Jim Cunniff) finished the evening with three shows of their own. Using a style driven by music and per­cussive effects, they opened with Holbrook's three ball routine, Lana then did a ball and parasol, and spinning with a giant ball. Don and Lana passed hoops, and Holbrook did a musical devil stick routine. Don performed four ball manipulation to the eerie musical accompaniment of a flexotone. Lana danced and twirled a giant ribbon. Holbrook performed with cigar boxes and balanced a conga drum. Next he juggled a tennis racket, football, golf ball, and basketball on 6-foot unicycle. The show wound up in comic fashion with a two- and three­person passing routine.

 

Bacon believes the enthusiastic audience response assures the establishment of juggling shows as First Night events. And therein may lie a golden opportunity for other jugglers. He noted that this year's event featured 13 classical music groups and 11 dance companies! Why not a dozen jugglers as well?!