2025 Circus historical society convention PROGRAM

1:00 - 1:30 P.M. CHS Board of Trustees Meeting (Trustees only)

1:30 - 2:00 P.M. First of May Meeting (CHS Trustees and First of May attendees)

2:00 - 5:30 P.M. Registration Desk and Sales & Silent Auction Tables Open

3:00 - 3:15 P.M. Welcome from Convention Chair Mike Melssen, CHS Trustee & Convention Chair

3:15 - 3:30 P.M. President's Remarks, Introduction of CHS Trustees, and Recognition of High Tenure Members Bruce Hawley, CHS President

3:30 - 4:00 P.M. Philippe Petit – Le Funambule Jeanne de Keyserling

4:00 - 5:00 P.M. Growth & Impact of Circus Festivals Around the World Chris Berry (Moderator) with Maxim Popazov, Producer and Founder of Vegas Variety Circus Festival, Sabrina Wasserthal, Owner of Paderborn Christmas Circus (Germany), Mario Danee, Casting Director & European Artistic Consultant, and Dominique Jando, Founder of Circopedia

5:00 - 5:10 P.M. End of Session Announcements Mike Melssen

5:10 - 5:30 P.M. Afternoon Break

5:30 - 7:30 P.M. Opening Reception with Vegas Variety Circus Festival jurors

7:30 P.M. Free Time

8:30 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Registration Desk and Sales & Silent Auction Tables Open

9:00 - 9:15 A.M. Morning Announcements Mike Melssen

9:15 - 10:00 A.M. History of Circus in Las Vegas Chris Lashua (Moderator) with Mike Hartzell, Former Director of Entertainment at Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, Al Light, Head Coach at Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, and David DeDera, Las Vegas-based circus coach and former clown and ringmaster at Circus Circus Hotel and Casino

10:00 - 10:30 A.M. Telling the Story of Jerry Bangs Brian Hollifield

10:30 - 10:45 A.M. Morning Break

10:45 - 11:15 A.M. What is Social Circus? Jessica Hentoff

11:15 - 11:45 A.M. History of Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas Calum Pearson

11:45 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. Annual Banquet with Featured Speaker: Legendary Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson

1:30 - 2:00 P.M. General Tom Thumb: American Man in Miniature Chris Coenen

2:00 - 2:30 P.M. A Study of Circus Children from 1850 to 2024 Sarah Chapman

2:30 - 2:45 P.M. Afternoon Break

2:45 - 3:15 P.M. The Uncle Junior Project 15-Year Anniversary Retrospective Veronica Blair

3:15 - 3:45 P.M. Review of CHS Websites and Writing for Bandwagon Patrick Bracy & Rainie Themer Bosquet

3:45 - 4:45 P.M. Fabulous Fleischer Cartoons Restored Presentation: KoKo the Clown, Betty Boop Jane Fleischer Reid, Thad Komorowski, and Sam Davis

4:45 - 5:00 P.M. End of Session Announcements Mike Melssen

5:00 P.M. Free Time

8:30 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. Registration Desk and Sales & Silent Auction Tables Open

9:00 - 9:15 A.M. Morning Announcements Mike Melssen

9:15 - 9:30 A.M. Annual Report to Membership and Thayer Prize Presentation Bruce Hawley

9:30 - 10:00 A.M. Natural Born Performers in Modern Circuses Aaron Smith

10:00 - 10:30 A.M. 2025: The 200th Anniversary of American Circus? David Carlyon

10:30 - 10:45 A.M. Morning Break

10:45 A.M. Close of Silent Auction

10:45 - 11:15 A.M. 101 Ranch The Real Wild West Dale Williams

11:15 - 11:45 A.M. Howe Circus Murder in Peterborough 1888 Elwood Jones

11:45 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Lunch on your own

1:00 - 1:30 P.M. San Francisco Circuses, the Gold Rush, and Circumnavigation in the 19th Century Doyle Ott

1:30 - 2:00 P.M. Understudies to the Rescue: About Sandor and Elizabeth Raski’s Career and Circus Love Story Peggy Williams

2:00 - 2:30 P.M. Closing Remarks & Administrative Announcements Mike Melssen

2:30 - 3:00 P.M. Afternoon Break

3:00 - 6:00 P.M. Annual Auction

6:00 P.M. Free Time