Fair crowds roll up to see the jugglers and acrobats

Edward Russell and his son Stephen Michaels didn’t need to run away to join the circus ? it was the family business.

Russell has been in the circus trade for more than 40 years and Michaels ? who “changed his name for the show” ? grew up learning and teaching himself the tricks of the carnival trade. At 38, Michaels has been at it for 26 years.

With a booming deep voice and dressed in a sparkling black-and-red-tailed tuxedo, Russell welcomed a crowd of eager onlookers to a show Tuesday at the Orange County Fair.

“It’s all free, it’s all fun, so come on in and get your seats. We’re going to entertain you,” Russell said to young and old spectators gathered under the blue-and-yellow tent.

Russell remembers the circus coming to town and knew he would someday operate a traveling circus show of his own.

Russell’s traveling circus features magic, balancing, juggling and animal tricks. The show is well established, and used to travel internationally, but Russell now sticks to fairs in California.

“The fairs are a much easier way to entertain people,” Russell, 72, said.

Father and son, who perform as the Russell Brothers Family Fun Circus, hold six shows a day, including two shows where they teach kids tricks beforehand and let the kids be the performers.

This year, show attendances at the fair have risen, with most attending the evening shows because of the daytime heat. At the late show, the crowd is sometimes eight to nine people deep, extending out from under the tent onto the cement walkway, Russell said.

At the Tuesday afternoon show, kids munched on cotton candy and sat at the edge of the red bleacher seats. Adults, mouths open with perplexed expressions on their faces, appeared baffled at the magic tricks and balancing acts that played out before their eyes.

Michaels twirled a saucer while balancing atop six stacked chairs. Edwards “transformed” a bird into a cat and Michaels juggled knives.

Russell does the magic and Michaels specializes in what he calls “the hard work” ? balancing, juggling and disappearing.

Like any good circus, the Russell Brothers show features some talented animals: a big house cat named Tigger and Hugo, a bird dubbed “the avian cannonball.”

After the show, 4-year-old Nicholas Manske thought that the circus life may be in his future plans.

“I wanna go in the circus,” Manske said. “When I’m big.”

FROM THE FAIR

ATTENDANCE

Tuesday’s crowd as of 6 p.m.: 18, 518

Monday’s crowd: 18, 518.

TODAY’S BEST BET

Radio Disney presents Jump 5 and Jonas Brothers (seating is limited and available only on a first-come, first-served basis) at 8 p.m. at the Washington Mutual Arena.dpt.26-ocfair-logo-BPhotoInfo0H1TA3IE20060726j207elncCredit: Caption: (LA) dpt.26-fair-BPhotoInfo0H1T9V1T20060726j2zglzncCredit: MARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT Caption: (LA)Stephen Michaels puts on a juggling show for the crowd during the Russell Brothers Family Fun Circus at the O.C. Fair Tuesday.