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Jordan Wright
April 3, 2015
Special to DC Metro Theater Arts
Peter Chang and Gen Lee Open Their Fifth Restaurant
 Joan Nathan with Kaz Oguchi (left) and Gen Lee Joan Nathan was holding court at the best table in the house during ‘friends and family’ night at Chang’s latest Virginia outpost, the eponymously titled, Peter Chang’s Arlington, where a breathtaking 17-course dinner was served family style.
 Daisy Tofu Soup – Stir-fried Beef with Chili Peppers The Sips & Suppers gang, hot off their successful fundraising dinners, had the party in full swing by the time I arrived. Cindy and Colin Uckert, one of many couples who played host to local chefs and guests in January, were at our table of twelve. (See my January interview with Gen Lee on Whisk and Quill – – https://whiskandquill.com/no-longer-runaway-chef-peter-chang-appear-sips-suppers)
 At Peter Chang’s – Pork Dumplings – Cumin Lamb Chops I will not regale you with every tasty dish, though each one was memorable in its own way. Suffice it to say it was a true Sichuan cuisine banquet fueled by lively food and wine chatter from those in the know.
My prediction? Lines around the block. Look for Chang’s fine dining Chinese restaurant to open in Rockville this April.
For reservations and information visit www.PeterChangArlington.com.
Mango Tree is Just Ripe for the Picking
After my interview with Richard Sandoval last December my antennae were way up anxiously awaiting the opening of his new spot in the very glam CityCenterDC on H Street. Sandoval has the Midas touch when it comes to combining exotic flavors and creating trends and Mango Tree is no exception. This latest jewel in his culinary crown is the twelfth Mango Tree, with others spread out across the globe from London to Bangkok and Dubai.
The sleek concept restaurant is decorated with saffron-hued banquettes, lots of dark wood, and both an upstairs and downstairs bar. I was pleased to note that they are at last open for lunch service, albeit with a smaller menu. Some of the dishes are already getting quite a buzz.
This Spring Mango Tree has gotten on board with other U.S. chefs on the serious issue of worldwide seafood sustainability. Did you know that a whopping 20% of all fish caught are thrown overboard as U.S. fishermen pursue higher-priced target fish? As you might imagine, some of these survive and some do not.
So to address the issue chefs are buying up by-catch fish and dreaming up super delicious dishes. Right here in the Chesapeake Bay the wild Blue Catfish is considered the greatest environmental threat to our native species, consuming everything in their path. We applaud Mango Tree’s chefs who are lightly batter-frying the delicate white-fleshed Blue Catfish and serving it up with an Asian-influenced sweet and sour sauce. Enjoy! It’s for the environment.
 (l-r) Mango Tree’s Shrimp Salad – Sweet and Sour Wild Blue Catfish – Lobster Pad Thai at Mango Tree Just in – – brunch service will begin April 4th and continue to be offered both Saturdays and Sundays from 11am till 3pm.
British-born Chef de Cuisine Paul Kennedy has crafted a menu combining traditional English breakfast fare with the traditional Thai flavors of savory, sweet, sour and spice. Here’s what to expect.
Appetizers include – – Green Papaya Salad, poached shrimp, cherry tomatoes, long beans, chili-lime and a Sriracha cocktail sauce; Street-Style Pork-in-A-Bag, grilled marinated pork skewers with Thai sticky rice and a sweet tamarind sauce.
Entrées are just as enticing – – Mango Tree Eggs Benedict, toasted English muffin, poached egg and hash browns, served with a choice of grilled salmon, Kaffir lime hollandaise and sautéed spinach or braised beef cheeks with green curry hollandaise and sautéed spinach or sautéed spinach, with Kaffir lime hollandaise and shallots; Salmon Scrambled Eggs with hash browns and crispy fried bread; Thai-English Breakfast, inspired by the traditional English breakfast Chef Kennedy grew up eating; made with Northern-style Thai sausage, crispy bacon, two wok fried eggs, hash browns, grilled Portobello mushroom, grilled tomato and fried bread; Oven-Baked Blueberry French Toast with whipped cream and blueberry compote; Bacon, Bourbon and Apple Pancakes with hash browns and maple syrup; or Mango Tree Waffles, with a choice of maple syrup, crispy bacon and whipped cream or strawberry and Thai basil compote and whipped cream or fresh fruit in ginger & mint syrup. Dishes are a la carte.
 Fresh fruits at Mango Tree – Coconut Sticky Rice with Coconut Gelato and Ginger Syrup The new brunch menu continues to reel us in with cocktails such as the Traditional Mimosa; Mary in the Mango Tree with Mekhong and house-made bloody Mary mix; Mango Mimosa with Champagne and fresh mango purée; Lychee Bellini with Champagne and fresh lychees; The Spirited Thai with Mekhong, fresh lime, lychee and pineapple, and the Thai Tea-ni with Thai tea infused vodka with star anise and evaporated milk.
Have I got your attention? For reservations and information for Mango Tree at CityCenterDC call 202 408-8100 or visit www.MangoTreeDC.com.
The Daily Dish – A Neighborhood Favorite in Silver Spring
Last month a lavish 5-course luncheon was prepared for twelve of food writers at The Daily Dish. How I wish you were there as we gobbled up lump crab cakes with remoulade, duck confit on endive with smoked bacon and roast grapes, house-cured gravlax with crème fraiche and wild mushroom soup. And those were just the appetizers which we washed down with either Blood Orange Margaritas or Elderflower Caipiroskas with a sprig of rosemary. There is nothing delicate about a horde of foodies with an appetite for good food and a penchant for fine wines that were gratefully served with each course.
 Lump crab cakes with remoulade, duck confit on endive with smoked bacon and roast grapes, house-cured gravlax with crème fraiche — Salad of roast beets on arugula paired perfectly with goat cheese, fennel and oranges A salad of roast beets on arugula paired perfectly with goat cheese, fennel and oranges comprised our second course followed by purple sweet potato gnocchi and diver scallops with pancetta and a Spanish romesco sauce. As we segued into beef short ribs with baby carrots and a savory bread pudding of mushrooms, bacon, pea shoots and smoked Gouda. There were three types of desserts to swoon over, but I can only recall the vegan chocolate cake with berry wine sauce. What do you expect after seven different wines were poured?
 Diver scallops with pancetta and a Spanish romesco sauce — Beef short ribs with baby carrots I don’t know how the chef and his small staff can handle such volume in the teensy open kitchen, but they have one of the most extensive menus I’ve ever seen. Their brunch menu reveals dozens of dishes – – ditto for lunch and dinner – – while a hearth oven cranks out pizzas all day and night. More on that later…
 Vegan chocolate cake with berry wine sauce With a heartwarming dedication to sustainably raised seafood and a keen eye for purchasing produce and meats from small farms and Amish suppliers, owners, Zena Polin and Jerry Hollinger have developed a reputation for quality comfort food. Hollinger is the executive chef in their mutual enterprise and Polin handles selecting the wines, over thirty are available by the glass or bottle with a rotating “Reserve” list of special wines. At our lunch I enjoyed a surprisingly memorable sauvignon blanc 2012 Bodegas Carrau from Uruguay, another from Portugal, two from France, one each from California and Oregon and, I’m happy to say one from Virginia, Nebbiolo Ice Wine from Breaux Vineyards in Purcellville.
 Blood Orange Margarita Polin also enjoys dreaming up specialty cocktails. A particular favorite of mine is Pimm’s Cup. The perfect summer refresher, we love it for sipping between chukkas at a polo match. That it is served here, is a wonderment.
Another of the restaurant’s offerings is the Bloody Mary bar, here each drink is concocted according to the guest’s exact specifications. Choose a vodka and a rim frosting, next add your own juice, tomato or V8, then make it as mild or hot as you like with spices, horseradish and the like, popping in a smoked bacon stirrer or poached shrimp topper. What a way to brave the day!
Opened 2009 the duo have a faithful neighborhood following. With dishes changing every night according to Hollinger’s whim and what’s in season, locals and their families often dine here more than once a week. For those short of time, there’s “Dough to Go”, a kit containing dough, sauce and cheese for making your own pizza. I took one home, followed the instructions and felt like a pro.
For more info or to make reservations visit www.thedailydish.com.
A Singularly Smashing Night at the Embassy of Spain
 Ambassador Ramon Gil-Casares (center) at the Embassy of Spain’s lavish buffet As reported in late March, I planned to attend a supper and talk at the Foxhall Road Embassy of Spain. After some delectable hors d’oeuvres and wine, Ramon Martinez, Executive Chef of Jose Andres’ noted restaurant, Jaleo, presented an illuminating power point presentation on the evolution of Spanish gastronomy, noting the connections between the two continents and crediting America for green peppers and tomatoes.
He gave credit to Spain for inventing hot chocolate mentioning, “The Americas discovered cacao, but we are the ones that put sugar in it.” On a more conciliatory note he demurred, “It’s all about collaboration.”
 The embassy sets a pretty table – Desserts on the patio at the embassy Ambassador Ramon Gil-Casares then invited the attendees to follow him downstairs where the Embassy’s Executive Chef, Rive Perez, had prepared a spectacular traditional Spanish dinner where tables were set with white linens on a candlelit patio. If you’ve been following my peregrinations lately you couldn’t be faulted for thinking that Spain has had a firm hand in feeding me every week. Or so it seems.
A Chance Meeting with the Prime Minister of Ireland
 Prime Minister of Ireland Enda Kenny with Fionnaula Kelly and Daniel O’Connell’s manager, Trini Hughes (center) After spending a frigid morning covering the British Royals at Mount Vernon the day after St. Patrick’s Day, I met up with a colleague for a late lunch of corned beef and cabbage at Daniel O’Connell’s in Old Town Alexandria, when who should be at the next table of the near-empty restaurant but Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), Enda Kenny and his wife, Fionnuala Kenny.
 Jordan Wright with the Prime Minister of Ireland Kenny We sent a message through our waiter and the Kennys immediately came to our table. We had just left the future King of England and ten miles away we were chatting it up with the Irish Prime Minister. I’m still delirious from it all.
 Corned beef and cabbage at Daniel O’Connell’s Photo credit: Jordan Wright
Jordan Wright
March 30, 2015
Special to The Alexandria Times
 Joshua Morgan (Steven), Natascia Diaz (Adrienne), Alex Brightman (Jonah), and
Jessica Hershberg (Charlie) in Soon at Signature Theatre. Photo by Teresa Wood. The world is ending and Charlie (Jessica Hershberg) is obsessed by the lurid headlines. Listening to broadcasts of the President’s speech declaring the planet’s demise, she becomes consumed by Wolf Blitzer. “His voice reminds me of my father’s,” she admits. Her dwindling stash of peanut butter explains her inability to rise up from the imagined safety of her sofa to venture out into the world to replenish it and she holes up in her tawdry East Village apartment while indulging in the schadenfreude of CNN’s apocalyptic reports of the devastating effects of climate change. Agoraphobic, depressive, defeatist and snide, she’s hardly anyone’s idea of a heroine.
Her sometime boyfriend, Jonah (Alex Brightman) can’t lure her outdoors and neither can her mother, Adrienne (Natascia Diaz), nor her roomie, Steven (Joshua Morgan). “I’m busy acknowledging the inevitable,” she moans, forgoing her dreams of starting a neighborhood bakery. And as she stays put in her apartment with her pet goldfish, Herschel, life goes on around her while the others appear and disappear both in the present and from the beyond.
 Alex Brightman (Jonah) and Jessica Hershberg (Charlie) in Soon at Signature
Theatre. Photo by Teresa Wood. In Soon a compact musical with book, music and lyrics by Nick Blaemire, the four intersecting lives are highlighted through some pretty quirky tunes. “Peanut Butter” and “Bar Mitzvah for the First Jewish Fish” are two of the eleven numbers that express the mood of the characters.
Director Matthew Gardiner, who last year brought us the brilliant Sunday in the Park with George, has assembled a capable cast of top-drawer talent to push this musical to the next level. In particular Natascia Diaz, who we raved about in last year’s The Three Penny Opera, and Joshua Morgan, whose performance as the campy gay roommate electrifies the stage and provides necessary comic relief.
Also of note are the production values enhanced by the work of Projection Designer, Matthew Haber, who splashes across the walls the gloom-and-doom newsreels of the world’s natural disasters; and Dan Conway whose set design, replete with crime prevention bars on the apartment, reflect Charlie’s self-imposed, emotional prison.
 Jessica Hershberg (Charlie) in Soon at Signature Theatre. Photo by Teresa Wood My only complaint is with the story. It is overly challenging to drum up empathy for Charlie, even when we discover that she has contracted a disease through her own mother. She is heartless and dismissive to Jonah, who begs for her affections. “Everything I ever wanted never happened,” she whines. Who puts up with that? Well, the long-suffering Jonah, the man who gives her a goldfish in hopes that it will bond him to her forever, does. Even in a particularly tender moment when he tells her that his parents have offered to pay for her medical care, she blows him off.
By the time we get to the fairytale ending and Charlie has caved to Jonah’s unfathomable love, it is of little satisfaction to watch them picnicking while the world ends to the strains of the number, “Make Love”. Think post-apocalyptic sci-fi romance. Millennials will thrill to the futility and despair.
Through April 26th in the ARK Theatre at Signature Theatre (Shirlington Village), 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206. For tickets and information call 703 820-9771 or visit www.signature-theatre.org.
Jordan Wright
March 25, 2015
Special to DC Metro Theater Arts
 Ziggy Gruber with Zellagabetsky Paula Murphy Glorious six-inch high pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, matzoh balls floating airily in a rich chicken stock the color of fresh hay, chopped chicken liver blended with onions and hard-cooked egg served in baseball-size orbs, smoked whitefish and Nova sliced so thin you can see right through a single silken slice to see your bubbeleh across the table. Fat red cherry blintzes.
 Erik Greenberg Anjou and Fyvush Finkel In the The Deli Man, the third and last of Director Erik Greenberg Anjou’s trilogy about Jewish culture, we are given a seat at the tables of some of North America’s greatest delicatessens where third and fourth generation deli men, whose grandfathers and great-grandfathers brought their treasured recipes across the Atlantic to Canada and the U. S., still keep the beloved traditions alive. And where men without money, or a country to go back to, came by the droves to the Lower East Side of Manhattan determined to open a restaurant with the food their families held dear.
 Director Erik Greenberg Anjou and crew with Jerry Stiller Many of these delis, Reuben’s, Lindy’s, the Stage Deli, Katz’s, Nate n’ Al’s and Carnegie Deli, served the vaudevillians that worked in the nearby theater district. Comedians like Jack Benny, Henny Youngman, Eddie Cantor, and my late father, Georgie Price, had sandwiches named after them and you could find a deli on every street corner in New York. A few of these iconic delis are still around. Hundreds more around the country closed their doors due to the changing American cultural and culinary landscape.
 Ziggy Gruber at serving counter The Deli Man is a loving documentary portrait of the hardworking men, and women, who have kept their delis alive despite the rising costs of meat and fish, and the never-ending hours. The film is informed by the backstory of David “Ziggy” Gruber, owner of the Houston, Texas-based Kenny & Ziggy’s Delicatessen. Ziggy, an overachiever with a big heart, explains his devotion to his Hungarian roots and the dishes that he loves so well, “When I cook I feel my ancestors around me.”
Appearances by Larry King and Jerry Stiller brighten this Jewish culinary love story. Stiller explains its importance in daily life, “The deli was something you deserved after working your ass off.”
 Larry King The Deli Man opens on Friday, March 27th at AMC Mazza Gallerie and AMC Shirlington. Rated PG-13.
Highly recommended if there is a deli within ten minutes walking or driving distance – – otherwise you will drool like a bulldog and your Yiddishe Mama will kvetsh.
Jordan Wright
March 24, 2015
Special to The Alexandria Times
 Anthony Warlow as Don Quixote in the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s production of
Man of La Mancha, directed by Alan Paul. Photo by Scott Suchman. Set Designer Allen Moyer’s two-story iron grid with drop down catwalk provides the stark background for Director Alan Paul’s revival of Man of La Mancha now playing at the glamorous Sidney Harman Hall. Set in a bleak Spanish prison during the time of the Inquisition, the beloved musical is loosely based on Cervantes 17th century neo-biography, “The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha” – – a man known for tilting at windmills and spinning a tale or two which is precisely what he must do to stay alive in this den of iniquity where the prisoners become the masters of the Inquisition.
While awaiting their sentences, Quixote’s fellow prisoners charge him with being an idealist and bad poet in their own mock trial. In order to spare his life and keep his only manuscript of a play he has written, he cuts a deal with them. He will present his defense in the form of a charade using them as the characters in an epic adventure of knights, wizards, warlocks and maidens. And in the way of that great Arabian storyteller, Scheherazade, who saved her own life with 1001 tales, he devises a play in which he is an old man on an indefinable quest and his motley cellmates fulfill the other roles. In doing so he empowers the lowly to dream beyond their dismal lives and achieve a modicum of dignity. Ever the optimist Quixote insists, “Too much sanity may be madness.”
 Amber Iman as Aldonza and Anthony Warlow as Don Quixote
Photo by Scott Suchman. His slightly daft but ever-faithful squire, Sancho Panza (Nehjal Joshi), is a veritable font of proverbs. Quixote (Alan Warlow) soon engages them all in his life-affirming chimera as the hapless sidekick with his charmingly goofy brand of loyalty provides much of the show’s comic relief.
Through his narrative he casts the rough-hewn Aldonza (played by the lovely and dulcet-voiced Amber Iman) as his fair maiden, “A knight without a lady is like a body without a soul”, and he insists on calling her Dulcinea, a name he invents to lend a softer side to her low birth.
Iman, Warlow, Joshi, Martin Sola as The Padre and Robert Mammana as The Duke and Dr. Carrasco are all spectacular with Iman and Warlow bringing down the house with their solos. Add to that a beautiful partnership between Lighting Designer Robert Wierzel who skillfully evokes the paintings of Goya and other Spanish masters of the period; Costume Designer, Ann Hould-Ward, who plays on that dynamic; and Choreographer, Marcos Santana, who amps up the scenes with slapstick, sword fights and bench dancing (yes!) into every scene that has motion.
 Sidney DuPont (Paco), Joey Elrose (Juan), James Hayden Rodriguez (Jose), Ceasar F. Barajas (Pedro), JP Moraga (Tenorio), Nathan Lucrezio (Anselmo), and Robert Mammana (The Duke)
Photo by Scott Suchman. Many will thrill to Composer Mitch Leigh’s and Lyricist Joe Darion’s sweeping orchestration and twenty memorable songs. “To Dream the Impossible Dream”, “Dulcinea”, “I, Don Quixote, Man of La Mancha” and “I’m Only Thinking of Him”, iconic numbers from this classic musical that are brought to life by an 11-member orchestra under the deft direction of George Fulginiti-Shakar.
This is a must-see production of a must-see musical.
Through April 26th at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall at 610 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information contact the box office at 202 547-1122 or visit www.ShakespeareTheatre.org.
Jordan Wright
March 18, 2015
Special to The Alexandria Times
 George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate Wide-eyed tourists were gobsmacked to shake hands with and get hugs from His Royal Highness, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, as the couple toured George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate last Wednesday. In town for four days the Prince was eager to return to the historic home he had visited in 1970 when he was accompanied by his sister, Princess Anne, and the daughters of then-President Richard Nixon, Julie and Tricia. For Charles and Camilla it was their third visit to the area since they toured as newlyweds in 2005.
The royals have always shown a fondness for Mount Vernon, despite rocky relations with the monarchy in Washington’s day. Queen Victoria’s son, King Edward VII inaugurated the first royal family visit in 1860 and many of his descendants followed. In 1991 Charles’ mother and father, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip arrived. Fifteen years later his brother, Prince Andrew, presided over a ceremony marking the beginning of the restoration of George Washington’s Distillery. It seems they delight in the historic destination as much the swarm of tourists and scrum of official photographers who braved the chilly afternoon for an epic photo op or hoped-for ‘selfies’.
 The Prince of Wales talks with Governor McAuliffe (at far right) and Carol Cardou (left of the Governor) – Camilla is seen on the left of the column with Mount Vernon’s President Curt Viebranz After signing the register and touring the mansion’s bespoke rooms, the couple emerged onto the porch along with an august group that included Virginia’s Governor Terry McAuliffe; Mount Vernon’s President, Curt Viebranz; Regent of the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, Barbara Lucas; and Senior Vice President for Historic Preservation & Collections, Carol Cardou. Fashionistas take note – – the Prince sported bright blue casual trousers with a dark navy overcoat and patterned blue silk tie while the Duchess looked elegant in a slate gray coat with Greek key embroidery by Bruce Oldfield, one of her favorite designers.
While Camilla stayed behind admiring the artworks, Charles headed down along the river to view the wharf his mother had dedicated so many years before. Much has been written about the Prince’s passion for organic gardening, conservation and sustainable farming and fishing and Viebranz was eager to show him where Washington once netted over a million pounds of shad each year and walk him around the walled organic gardens so much like the Prince’s own gardens at High Grove.
 Heritage breed baby lambs with mother Greeting school children along the way, Charles took note of the newborn lambs and later stopped for a quiet moment to lay a wreath at the tomb of the American general who led the army that defeated his kinsmen. Apparently all is forgiven.
The entourage, who were joined by Director of Trades, Steve Bashore, then strode briskly up the hill. The Prince paused briefly to greet the heritage breed Austrian oxen with a gentle pat on the head before entering the sixteen-sided Pioneer Barn where he watched ponies tread the wheat.
 Prince Charles with Steve Bashore (center) and Curt Viebranz (left) All smiles, local resident, Kitty Morgan, a British ex-pat who had allowed her two boys to play hooky for the historic moment, was thrilled to glimpse the Prince who graciously shook hands with her children. When was asked how her countrymen felt about Americans since the Revolutionary War, she was quick to say, “Oh, we love the Americans!”
Just as excited was Dean Norton, Mount Vernon’s Director of Horticulture, whose crew was busy painting the roses red (to borrow a phrase) in advance of the royal visit. Noting that Washington pored over English gardening books of the period and looked to the English for guidance as to how to farm the land, Norton remarked, “The Prince’s cause is a noble one in which we share a common thread.”
 In the thick of the collegial scrum
Photo credit – Jordan Wright
By Cary Pollak for Whisk and Quill
March 21, 2015
Special to DC Metro Theater Arts
We can all recite the famous intro from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, “Ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages.” It’s the opening line from the ringmaster – – the signal you are about to be entertained, something the legendary Ringling Bros. has fine-tuned for over a century. Prior to opening night of a four-day run at DC’s Verizon Center, I joined a group of journalists invited to dine in the fabled “Pie Car”. On Thursday afternoon a small shuttle bus whisked us off to a far-flung corner of the District where we were amazed to arrive at a lengthy one-mile long, 60-car train. The locomotive-driven stream of boxcars houses the circus’s animals, handlers, cast and crew as they travel by rail around the country.
 The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Train. Once on board Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson ushered us into one of the many dining cars. Iverson, a commanding fellow who was dressed in one of his dazzling costumes of sequined tails and top hat, is the first African-American ringmaster and at twenty-two, the youngest ringmaster in Ringling Brothers’ history. At a towering 6’ 5”, he must surely be one of the tallest. An award-winning tenor and student of voice in college, Iverson had hoped to become an opera singer. But when the role was offered, Iverson gladly gave up Pagliacci, to be the singing and speaking voice of ringmaster. In addition, he proved to be a gracious host.
 Ringmaster John flanked by Brazilian circus dancers Deborath Aranjo and Carol Grego Our lunch was billed as a culinary journey with dishes from a few of the more than fifty countries represented by the cast and crew of the troupe’s current show, LEGENDS. The menu featured Japanese spaghetti and meatballs, Brazilian cheesy bread and Chilaquiles con chorizo (a dish of deep fried tortilla wedges, salsa verde, onions and chorizo sausage, topped with a fried egg). While this may not be the Greatest Chow on Earth from a gourmand’s perspective, the food is hearty fare geared to please the carb-craving performers.
 Lunch aboard the Pie Car Chef Matt Loory, who became Pie Car manager two years ago at a mere twenty-two years of age, produces nearly 1,000 meals each week for 48 weeks a year. I asked Loory why it’s called the Pie Car. It seems there are three competing stories about the origin of the name. One is that coffee and pie were all that was served on circus trains in the early days. Another holds that meat pies were commonly served to the roustabouts employed by the circus. But the tale most popular with the diners is that Pie Car is an acronym standing for, “privileged individuals and employees.” Everyone agrees, however, that it is a catchy name no matter how you slice it.
 Elephant on pedestal Attending the show the same night after meeting some of the performers in the Pie Car, was like watching friends step into the limelight from backstage. While we took our seats, skillful clowns (grads from the Ringling Bros. Clown College) did rope jumping tricks and slapstick while families watched from the floor of the arena for a one-on-one experience. Then Ringmaster John appeared, no longer relaxing and chatting with a few journalists, but now the riveting centerpiece of a spectacular display of swirling lights, bright colors and breathtaking acts.
 Elephants walking in line Soon a line of elephants entered the ring lumbering along tail to trunk. These graceful giants have fascinated audiences ever since Ringling introduced Jumbo, “The World’s Largest Elephant,” in the 1880’s. (Recently Ringling Bros. announced plans to phase out their elephant performers and keep them at their 200-acre Center for Elephant Conservation in central Florida.)
 Motorcycles in steel globe One of the first acts of the evening was a troupe of Asian bicyclists performing gymnastics while on top of the bikes – and each other! Next came the amazing Torres siblings who ride motorcycles at speeds of up to 65 miles per hour in a now iconic 16-foot steel globe. If they ever slow down long enough to look like anything but a blur, you can see that there are eight of them racing in circles at once.
 Dogs on hind legs Tumblers who vault through 10-foot high hoops, trapeze artists who defy gravity, and sidesplitting clowns are among the many attractions. Magnificent horses, roaring lions and tigers, and adorable dogs of all sizes round out the evening. We even saw a pair of kangaroos leaping over high jumps.
 Lions and tigers Any one of these acts alone would be worth the ticket. Put together they provide an entertainment experience that truly is “The Greatest Show on Earth.”
 Masters of the horse – Photo credit Jordan Wright The circus will be in the area for five weeks with the following schedule:
Washington, DC, Verizon Center:
March 20, 2015 – March 22, 2015
Baltimore, MD, Royal Farms Arena
March 25, 2015 – April 05, 2015
Fairfax, VA, Patriot Center
April 08, 2015 – April 19, 2015
For further information or to buy tickets, visit www.ringling.com.
Photo credit Cary Pollak (unless noted otherwise)
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