In Cooperation with Handelblatt - A Family Success - Circus Sarrasani

The Sarrasanis have been a circus family for over 100 years, famous throughout Germany and beyond. The youngest head of the company is André Sarrasani. He has transformed the family's traditional circus into a modern entertainment business. Running a circus is a difficult task, often involving many unforeseen difficulties. Nevertheless Sarrasani is a success story. The circus now offers an event service, tent rental business and catering as well as the traditional circus events. We caught up with the man in the ring André Sarrasani in Dresden. ----------------------------------------------------------- The last practice session before the evening performance. The modern show combines classic circus elements with vaudeville acts. André Sarrasani co-ordinates it all and gives instructions to artists from all over the world. The director has his own ideas about how to attract new spectators. André Sarrasani, Circus Director: "They want to experience a live show and be part of it and that's what it's all about. But our focus has changed. In the past we paraded wild animals, people from different places, the strong man and that fat lady. Today we're entertainers. We want to help people forget their daily lives for 2 or 3 hours and show them OUR world - the world of acrobats, clowns, amazing tricks and illusions. That's what we aim to do." Sarrasani's Trocadero Theater has set up camp in Dreden for the winter. The company identifies closely with Dresden. The city was once home to Germany's largest circus theatre - which was founded by Hans Stosch-Sarrasani. His descendants continue in the same tradition. André Sarrasani, Circus Director: "This is where the Sarrasani building once stood, until the war. The theatre seated 5 thousand people. It was located right here. Later the city dedicated this square and the street to Sarrasani because the name was so closely linked with Dresden - and is once again. He's honoured here." Elephants were Hans Stosch-Sarrasani's trademark. It was rumoured that he once had 27 of the animals at one time. His shows drew in huge crowds. Today, the birthplace of the circus can still be seen in Dresden. André Sarrasani, Zirkusdirektor: "This is where Sarrasani was born. Hans Stosch-Sarrasani used to keep his animals here. Later he bought up a company that had gone bankrupt. There was a workshop in the house here that was used to sew and prepare the circus tent, and then it was taken on tour." The company still remains a family business. Ingrid Stosch-Sarrasani used to be a part of the show, with her cowboy act. Today she and her son are in charge of the circus. Ingrid Stosch-Sarrasani, Circus Manager: "I was part of the cowboy act and I had a partner. He had the lasso and whip and I was on the receiving end of the whip. We also performed in America in the biggest circus of all, Ringley-Barnum-and-Bailey. I was even in a show in Madison Square Garden, all by myself in the centre circle. There were three circles in all, two stages, and a big truck. We were German cowboys in the US." Modern circus life has little in common with romantic notions from the past. André Sarrasani has a photo shoot with a local car dealer who's looking to sell a special Sarrasani edition. The circus director uses every opportunity available to advertise for his company. He takes care of a lot of the business himself, in part to save costs. He doesn't have a large staff to help him with putting together a troupe and looking after marketing and planning. André Sarrasani, Circus Director: "I'm always divided. On the one hand, I'm an artist - on the other, a businessman. As an artist, I have a lot of imagination, a lot of ideas... but they all cost money. Big show productions are expensive. On the other hand, I'm also someone who says okay, we have to be realistic and our company has to grow. We have to continue developing further and that's the way business works. There's always this discrepancy between art and business. But it's also interesting. After all, how many artists can say they're their own entrepreneur and can make all the decisions themselves?" Sarrasani's goal is to draw the largest audience possible. And to achieve that goal, he's come up with a plan: Combining vaudeville theatre with show elements, acrobatics and fine dining. Tickets start at 59 Euros a person - but the price also includes the meal. The profits are used to invest in developing new shows and to buy equipment. Ingrid Stosch-Sarrasani, Circus Manager: "The circus is like everything else in life, it has its ups and downs. They say it goes well for 7 years and then it's followed by 7 bad years. I hope we're on the up." The director himself even still performs in the evening, as a magician. His work day is often 16 hours long, like many other self-employed. But for Sarrasani the audience's applause makes it all worth it.

DW-World | December 25, 2007

Tags:. .transformed. .cooperation. .dedicated. .achieve. .invest