Performers
Rose himself performs in between acts, often committing masochistic deeds such as attaching paper currency to his forehead with a staple gun, driving a long nail into his nostril and having darts thrown into his back. During the show's final act, he would escape from a straitjacket. His most outrageous trick followed: he would invite audience members to stand on his head after he'd placed it in a shallow crate of broken glass.
The Amazing Mister Lifto (Joe Hermann) who hung heavy weights (cinder blocks, steam irons, beer kegs, etc.) from his body piercings, including those in his nipples and genitalia. At Lollapalooza Lifto would perform the "genital lift" feat after spraying shaving cream on himself.
Bebe the Circus Queen (Beatrice Aschard) would perform a variety of stunts such as having a watermelon placed on her back and split with a sword, lying on a bed of nails while weights were placed on her chest... or the "Plastic Bag Of Death", where she gets into a large plastic bag and one of the other performers sucks all of the air out with a vacuum cleaner. She would also employ an electric grinder in her act (for example, she would create a shower of sparks from a metal chastity belt covering her groin area).
Matt "The Tube" Crowley, whose moniker came from the seven feet of tubing that he would swallow. The other end of the tube was attached to a crude hand pump. Rose himself would fill the pump with a variety of fluids and proceed to pump it into Crowley's stomach, then back out again. Audience members were invited onstage to drink the vile concoction after it had been extricated from Crowley. He would also provide a demonstration of sheer lung power by blowing up a hot water bottle with his mouth until it burst.
Torture King (Tim Cridland) had a segment that featured him walking barefoot up and down a ladder of razor sharp sabres, piercing himself with long needles and meat skewers, eating pieces of a broken lightbulb (he would hold a microphone near his mouth so the audience would hear the sound), and touching an electrical generator while holding a fluorescent lightbulb that would glow. In 1994, The Torture King left the Circus to create his own show. The Torture King Show toured the US and Canada many times. He currently lives and performs in Las Vegas.
The Enigma (Paul Lawrence). Originally known as Slug, he was billed as a man who would eat anything (worms, grasshoppers), and swallow a variety of swords. He also doubled as the show's organ player. His body is completely tattooed with blue jigsaw puzzle pieces. He left the show in 1998 and has toured the world since, appearing in such acts as Ken Harck's Brothers Grim Sideshow, The Human Marvels and most recently, the Show Devils.
The Lizardman Completely tattooed performer with a surgically split tongue (featured on Ripley's Believe It or Not) joined Jim in 1999 on the Godsmack Voodoo Tour and in 2001 toured with just Jim and Bebe doing comedy clubs. He performed several acts previously done by members who had left (Lifto, Enigma, Matt the Tube) and added new acts and routines to the circus. He left the circus in 2001 to return to his solo show endeavors.
Cappy (David Capurro) Award-winning yoyo artist. Featured in The Jim Rose Twisted Tour.
Rupert (Ryan Stock) performed the traditional sideshow stunts. He now stars in his own show on the Discovery Channel with partner Amber Lynn.
Preacher Muad'dib Joined the circus when he was 19 for an Irish tour. Now resides in the UK and is an internationally renowned Performer and urban martial artist who holds multiple Guinness world records. He and Jim Rose both refer to each other as 'my hero'. They most recently worked together opening for Alice Cooper in London, UK for Cooper's halloween spectacular.
John Chaos Performs traditional stunts. He now performs his own One Man Show called the John Chaos Sideshow but still performs with the Jim Rose Circus from time to time.
Jake "the Snake" Roberts
SiNn BoHdi (formerly of Carnival Diablo, also known as Kizarny of the WWE)
Brianna Belladonna Female sword swallower who performed at Sturgis with the circus in 2010
Jimmy Coffin Working act, performing with the circus on 3 dates on the Revco Lubricatour and over 350 shows at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas for the Slots Palladium
Fatt Matt Worlds fattest contortionist
Amber Lynn
Leonid the Magnificent
Stormy Leather
Melody Sweets
Amelia Danger
Johnny Favor
Kinichi
Mark "the Knife" Faje
Throughout their tours, additional acts have included many other "fringe" artists, including wrestlers and Pyro-X.
Read more about this topic: Jim Rose Circus
Famous quotes containing the word performers:
“The reason I’m in this business, I assume all performers are—it’s “Look at me, Ma!” It’s acceptance, you know—”Look at me, Ma, look at me, Ma, look at me, Ma.” And if your mother watches, you’ll show off till you’re exhausted; but if your mother goes, Ptshew!”
—Lenny Bruce (1925–1966)
“... we performers are monsters. We are a totally different, far-out race of people. I totally and completely admit, with no qualms at all, my egomania, my selfishness, coupled with a really magnificent voice.”
—Leontyne Price (b. 1927)