"Circus Caps for Sale": The Sweetest Show in Town!

By C.J. Hirschfield

The delightful Circus Center is a San Francisco institution, bringing circus arts to our community so that everyone, great and small, can experience the innovation, creativity and wonder of circus. So step right up, ladies and gentlemen, because for the very first time, Children’s Fairyland is partnering with the Center to present “Circus Caps for Sale” under our very own Oakland big top.

And judging by the squeals of dozens of happy children who attended the first performance on the morning of July 7, we’re pretty sure we have a hit on our hands.

Our production of “Circus Caps,” based on the classic children’s books by Esphyr Slobodkina, features not only an array of accomplished performers but also the stage debut of Fairyland’s mini-horse, Pixie.

Fairyland's mini-horse, Pixie, takes a turn in the ring with trainer Corinna Rezzelle.

The featured clown is not just any clown. She is the remarkable Sara Moore, who holds the title of “Boss Clown” and is the head of the clowning department at the Center. Sara brings over three decades of experience as a performer, director and educator; she’s worked with Ringling Bros, The Krofft Puppets and New Pickle Circus as well as cruise lines, multiple New York theaters and theme parks. Accompanied by a very naughty monkey puppet, Sara is a huge hit and a favorite of our under-5 crowd.

Sara Moore, the mischievous monkey, and Slater Penney

Our acrobat/hand balancer is the limber Leah Samelson. A Berkeley native, she says she's "been standing on her hands for almost as long as she can remember.” She studied at the Quebec City Circus School and is now living and working in Oakland. 

Leah Samelson

​Our ringmaster with the angelic, operatic voice is Emily Rice; our aerialist is the fluid Felicity Hesed. (Yes, Fairyland’s theater hosts a trapeze for the very first time!) Playing the role of the peddler who gets drawn into the circus is Emmy award-winner Slater Penney.

Felicity Hesed

(A personal note: In this nearly all-woman cast, I love the way the women flex like the circus strongmen of old prior to their acrobatics. It’s a not-so-subliminal message about strength to all the little girls in the audience.)

Emily Rice

And then, there’s Fairyland’s Pixie, the mini-horse. Sporting a rainbow colored mane for the festive occasion, she participates in an act that is a variation on the circus tradition of the “liberty”—a riderless horse that performs tricks. Her trainer, Corinna Rezzelle, wears her own many caps at Fairyland. In addition to working in the animal department – she got her experience training her own two horses in her home state of Georgia – Corinna helps out in with both our puppet theater and Children’s Theatre.

Corinna and Pixie

Corinna worked with Pixie for three months before the show opened, using alfalfa pellets and loving scratches as incentives. “Pixie is a bit of a prima donna,” Corinna confided. “She likes to sleep in, so the 10:30 show is a bit of a stretch. But she’s raring to go for the 2 o’clock!”

And how about those colorful caps themselves, which are specially designed and suitable for juggling and stacking? An interactive portion of the show has the hats flying around the theater as the kids try to catch them. They feel like characters in the show.

The original music for “Caps,” which is suitably whimsical and wonderful, is by Johannes Mager, the musical director/composer/bandleader for Make*A*Circus from 1996 to 2002.

During the show, I watched the faces of Circus Center Executive Director Barry Kendall and Fairyland’s Children’s Theatre Director Doyle Ott (who directs “Circus Caps”), without whose vision and talent this special collaboration could not have happened. They were both smiling. Because (shhhhhh) this show is as entertaining for adults as it is for kids. I tip my cap to them both.

"Circus Caps" cast and crew. Director Doyle Ott is seated at left.

So come one, come all, to the sweetest show on earth. The circus is in town!

“Circus Caps for Sale” plays on weekends through July 29. Separate tickets required; see our website for details.

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C.J. Hirschfield has served for 16 years as executive director of Children's Fairyland, where she is charged with the overall operation of the nation's oldest storybook theme park.