ENTERTAINMENT

‘Dikki’s Circus Circus Show’ comes to the Bickford

JENNIFER L. NELSON
CORRESPONDENT

The circus comes to town as clown and magician Dikki Ellis presents “Dikki’s Circus Circus Show” at the Bickford Theatre in Morristown. Performances will be held 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19.

Ellis’ show combines magic with the circus in a performance that brings feats ranging from stilt-walking to juggling ping-pong balls from his mouth.

“It’s a very colorful show,” said Eric Hafen, artistic director for the Bickford Theatre. “The audience will see everything from acrobatics to sleight-of-hand magic, and Dikki absolutely loves having fun with the kids and connecting with his audience.” The show is recommended for children ages 3 through 9.

“Dikki’s Circus Circus Show” features wild energy, wacky routines, witty banter and an array of clown skills. Ellis has become known for his unique style of slapstick comedy, as well as his energy on stage.

“The show is a little bit different every time he’s here, and he really does have a unique way of connecting with every child in the audience, whether it’s a 3-year-old or an 8-year-old,” Hafen said.

Ellis is a frequent performer at the Morris Museum, and has provided the entertainment for the museum’s popular Teddy Bear Tea event for several years. “He’s colorful, positive, high-energy, and audiences just love him,” he said.

Ellis studied at the UNC School of the Arts and the Circus Dimitri School in Switzerland. He returns each year to UNC as a clown/movement instructor. He has also served as a guest artist at New York University, the University of Texas and Wake Forest University. Ellis has been associated with groups including No Elephant Circus and If Every Fool. Inc., and has served as a clown consultant for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for over a decade.

He was first featured in the 1988 “East Meets West” and 1998 “Happy On” shows of the Big Apple Circus in New York City as a horseback rider, and later, as Dikki the flying clown, as seen on CBS’ “Great Circuses of the World.” He has been involved with the Big Apple Circus Clown Care, a program where clowns dress as doctors and visit children in hospitals, since its inception.

As co-creator of his own theater company, the Hanlon-Lees Action Theater, Ellis developed and performed on horseback with the “First American Joust Troupe” show. “Dikki’s show is the perfect activity for families to check out when the kids are off from school, and with all of the other family-friendly exhibits and events we have to offer at the museum — including Mega Model Trains, Brain Teasers and our dollhouse exhibit — it’s a great way to spend the day together and celebrate being a family,” Hafen said.

DIKKI’S CIRCUS CIRCUS SHOW

WHEN: 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 19

WHERE: Bickford Theatre, Morris Museum, 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown

COST: $10, members; $12, non-members; $9, groups of 20 or more

INFORMATION: 973-971-3706, dikkiellis.com, or morrismuseum.org