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Clown Hopefuls Take Over Grand Central for Ringling Bros. Circus Auditions

By Mary Johnson | February 28, 2012 5:37pm

MIDTOWN — Red-nosed hopefuls put their best oversized foot forward at Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall Tuesday, as Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey hosted auditions to recruit their next batch of circus clowns.

The auditions — part of a daylong circus takeover of Grand Central to promote the new Ringling Bros. show “Dragons” — attracted more than 30 would-be clowns from across the country eager to show the producers of the "Greatest Show on Earth" what they have to offer.

At stake were about 32 openings in the circus’s roster of clowns, with auditions taking place across the country throughout the year for various shows.

"We’re looking obviously for people that are funny," said Nicole Feld, producer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. "But we’re really looking for people that have that inner clown that is just trying to be unleashed."

Feld said potential recruits also need to be able to move well and "play big."

"They really need to be able to reach from the first row all the way to the top of the arena," she said.

The circus hopefuls didn’t disappoint.

The tryouts included group workshops, the teaching of mime techniques and encouraging wannabes to bring "even more clown" to the stage. There were also individual auditions, during which participants juggled and sprawled slapstick-style on the floor. Some danced, others hula-hooped, and laughter echoed through the hall.

Feld said it will likely take time before the clowns know if they’ve secured a spot in the Big Top, but the current show, "Dragons," will begin touring the tri-state area starting Thursday.

For more information on dates and cities, visit the Ringling Bros. website.