The Reverhos - Revision history

Djando: /* The Post-War Years */

2024-11-26T19:22:56Z

‎The Post-War Years

Djando: /* The Post-War Years */

2024-11-26T19:20:30Z

‎The Post-War Years

Djando: /* The Post-War Years */

2024-11-26T19:18:59Z

‎The Post-War Years

Djando: /* The Post-War Years */

2024-11-26T19:16:45Z

‎The Post-War Years

Djando: /* The Post-War Years */

2024-11-26T19:16:18Z

‎The Post-War Years

Djando: /* The Post-War Years */

2024-11-26T19:15:45Z

‎The Post-War Years

Djando: /* The Post-War Years */

2024-11-25T21:27:57Z

‎The Post-War Years

Djando: /* The Trio Reverhos */

2024-11-25T21:25:28Z

‎The Trio Reverhos

Djando: /* The Trio Reverhos */

2024-11-25T21:25:00Z

‎The Trio Reverhos

Djando: /* From Bricklaying to The Variety Stage */

2024-11-25T21:23:27Z

‎From Bricklaying to The Variety Stage

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 That was to be their last professional appearance; Gustave, André, and Madeleine retired in 1959 in Les Sables-d'Olonne, but they didn't remain idle. They found a vast open dump at the edge of the town, bought it, and transformed it themselves in a cage-free zoological park: Indeed, André and Gustave's old construction skills had come handy! The zoological park opened in June 1963. They managed it successfully until 1975, when they passed it on to a professional zoo director, who carried on their legacy. The parc still exists to this day: the Zoo des Sables, an eco-zoo, is still a major attraction in Les Sables-d'Olonne, housing about forty threatened animal species.
-Gustave passed away on April 16, 1969: He was just sixty years old. André died on April 23, 1996, and Madeleine in February 2013, at age ninety-seven, after having been actively involved in many social and charitable activities in Les Sables-d'Olonne. She and Gustave had two daughters, Anita and Christine. The Reverhos have been laid to rest at the Cimetière Ancien in Les Sables-d'Olonne. To this day, They have remained one of the most original and spectacular "juggling" acts of the twentieth century.
+Gustave passed away on April 16, 1969: He was just sixty years old. André died on April 23, 1996, and Madeleine in February 2013, at age ninety-seven, after having been actively involved in many social and charitable activities in Les Sables-d'Olonne. She and Gustave had two daughters, Anita and Christine. The Reverhos have been laid to rest at the Cimetière Ancien in Les Sables-d'Olonne. The Reverhos were certainly one of the most original and spectacular "juggling" acts of the twentieth century.
 ==See Also==

@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 That was to be their last professional appearance; Gustave, André, and Madeleine retired in 1959 in Les Sables-d'Olonne, but they didn't remain idle. They found a vast open dump at the edge of the town, bought it, and transformed it themselves in a cage-free zoological park: Indeed, André and Gustave's old construction skills had come handy! The zoological park opened in June 1963. They managed it successfully until 1975, when they passed it on to a professional zoo director, who carried on their legacy. The parc still exists to this day: the Zoo des Sables, an eco-zoo, is still a major attraction in Les Sables-d'Olonne, housing about forty threatened animal species.
-Gustave passed away on April 16, 1969: He was just sixty years old. André died on April 23, 1996, and Madeleine in February 2013, at age ninety-seven, after having been actively involved in many social and charitable activities in Les Sables-d'Olonne. She and Gustave has two daughters, Anita and Christine. The Reverhos have been laid to rest at the Cimetière Ancien in Les Sables-d'Olonne. To this day, They have remained one of the most original and spectacular "juggling" acts of the twentieth century.
+Gustave passed away on April 16, 1969: He was just sixty years old. André died on April 23, 1996, and Madeleine in February 2013, at age ninety-seven, after having been actively involved in many social and charitable activities in Les Sables-d'Olonne. She and Gustave had two daughters, Anita and Christine. The Reverhos have been laid to rest at the Cimetière Ancien in Les Sables-d'Olonne. To this day, They have remained one of the most original and spectacular "juggling" acts of the twentieth century.
 ==See Also==

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 In 1953, they toured Argentina and Chile with the [[Circo Las Águilas Humanas]]. Back in Europe, they performed more often in their native country: In June 1954, they were featured in ''Le fil en étoile'' at the [[Empire Music-Hall Cirque|Théâtre de l'Empire]] in Paris, a production in which circus and variety stars were dressed by Parisian leading couturiers, and in 1956, they appeared as the opening act at the legendary  Olympia Music-Hall in a program starring the jazz percussionist Lionel Hampton and his orchestra. In 1958, they toured the U.R.S.S. and China with the ''Grand Cirque Français'', which was part of a cultural exchange between France and these two countries.
-That was their last professional appearance; Gustave, André, and Madeleine retired in 1959 in Les Sables-d'Olonne, but they didn't remain idle. They found a vast open dump at the edge of the town, bought it, and transformed it themselves in a cage-free zoological park: Indeed, André and Gustave's old construction skills had come handy! The zoological park opened in June 1963. They managed it successfully until 1975, when they passed it on to a professional zoo director, who carried on their legacy. The parc still exists to this day: the Zoo des Sables, an eco-zoo, is still a major attraction in Les Sables-d'Olonne, housing about forty threatened animal species.
+That was to be their last professional appearance; Gustave, André, and Madeleine retired in 1959 in Les Sables-d'Olonne, but they didn't remain idle. They found a vast open dump at the edge of the town, bought it, and transformed it themselves in a cage-free zoological park: Indeed, André and Gustave's old construction skills had come handy! The zoological park opened in June 1963. They managed it successfully until 1975, when they passed it on to a professional zoo director, who carried on their legacy. The parc still exists to this day: the Zoo des Sables, an eco-zoo, is still a major attraction in Les Sables-d'Olonne, housing about forty threatened animal species.
 Gustave passed away on April 16, 1969: He was just sixty years old. André died on April 23, 1996, and Madeleine in February 2013, at age ninety-seven, after having been actively involved in many social and charitable activities in Les Sables-d'Olonne. She and Gustave has two daughters, Anita and Christine. The Reverhos have been laid to rest at the Cimetière Ancien in Les Sables-d'Olonne. To this day, They have remained one of the most original and spectacular "juggling" acts of the twentieth century.

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 ===The Post-War Years===
-After the war, however, there was nothing left of Germany's entertainment scene, where practically all circus buildings and variety theaters had been destroyed by the Allies' relentless bombing of all major cities. In the rest of Europe, however, circuses resumed touring, and circus buildings remained active, as were variety and revue theaters: The post-war years proved a boon for the circus industry&mdash;and the Reverhos' unusual act was still much in demand. In 1947, they signed a contract with [[John Ringling North]], who had just regained control of the family's [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]] Circus.
+After the war, however, there was nothing left of Germany's entertainment scene, where practically all circus buildings and variety theaters had been destroyed by the Allies' relentless bombing of all major cities. In the rest of Europe, however, circuses resumed touring, and circus buildings remained active, as were variety and revue theaters: The post-war years proved a boon for the circus industry&mdash;and the Reverhos' unusual act was still much in demand. In 1947, they signed a contract with [[John Ringling North]], who had just regained control of his family's [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]] Circus.
 [[File:Reverhos_Ringling.jpg|thumb|left|400px|André, Madeleine, and Gustave in the U.S. (1947)]]The Reverhos debuted at Madison Square Garden in New York, and then toured under the gigantic canvas tent, where they were featured in the center ring. They didn't renew for the 1948 season, however, as it was customary for most of Ringling's featured performers, who stayed at least two seasons with the show. It is possible that to the Reverhos, used as they were to have the full audience's focus in Europe, and a certain level of performing comfort, the "quantity over quality" that seemed to prevail in the giant three-ring circus failed to meet their expectations (although quality was there, but a little overcome by the surroundings).

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 ===The Post-War Years===
-After the war, however, there was nothing left of Germany's entertainment scene, where practically all circus buildings and variety theaters had been destroyed by the Allies' relentless bombing of all major cities. In the rest of Europe, however, circuses resumed touring, and circus buildings remained active, as were variety and revue theaters: The post-war years proved a boon for the circus industry&mdash;and the Reverhos' unusual act was still much in demand. Then, in 1947, they signed a contract with [[John Ringling North]], who had just regained control of the family's [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]] Circus.
+After the war, however, there was nothing left of Germany's entertainment scene, where practically all circus buildings and variety theaters had been destroyed by the Allies' relentless bombing of all major cities. In the rest of Europe, however, circuses resumed touring, and circus buildings remained active, as were variety and revue theaters: The post-war years proved a boon for the circus industry&mdash;and the Reverhos' unusual act was still much in demand. In 1947, they signed a contract with [[John Ringling North]], who had just regained control of the family's [[Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey]] Circus.
 [[File:Reverhos_Ringling.jpg|thumb|left|400px|André, Madeleine, and Gustave in the U.S. (1947)]]The Reverhos debuted at Madison Square Garden in New York, and then toured under the gigantic canvas tent, where they were featured in the center ring. They didn't renew for the 1948 season, however, as it was customary for most of Ringling's featured performers, who stayed at least two seasons with the show. It is possible that to the Reverhos, used as they were to have the full audience's focus in Europe, and a certain level of performing comfort, the "quantity over quality" that seemed to prevail in the giant three-ring circus failed to meet their expectations (although quality was there, but a little overcome by the surroundings).

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 Gustave and André had worked as a duo, until Gustave met in 1936 Madeleine Chapron, (1916-2013), the daughter of a pharmacist. Madeleine and her parents lived in Les Sables-d'Olonne, a seaside resort in the Vendée region of France; The Reverhos, who had settled in Les Sables-d'Olonne, appeared at a charity event organized at that city's Grand Casino. Gustave and Madeleine fell in love. They got married on November 26, 1936.
-[[File:Reverhos_-_Scala.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Trio Reverhos at the Scala in Berlin (c.1938(Their career was flourishing indeed, and the presence of a feminine element in the act was even more attractive to agents and producers. They worked indifferently on stage and in the ring of a few major circuses&mdash;although their venues of choice were the ''varieté'' and music-hall stages. In 1938, they signed a contract to perform in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. On the ship taking them to Brazil, Gustave taught the young pharmacist daughter the basics of juggling. At the end of the crossing, the Duo Reverhos had become the Trio Reverhos.
+[[File:Reverhos_-_Scala.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The Trio Reverhos at the Scala in Berlin (c.1938)]]Their career was flourishing indeed, and the presence of a feminine element in the act was even more attractive to agents and producers. They worked indifferently on stage and in the ring of a few major circuses&mdash;although their venues of choice were the ''varieté'' and music-hall stages. In 1938, they signed a contract to perform in Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil. On the ship taking them to Brazil, Gustave taught the young pharmacist daughter the basics of juggling. At the end of the crossing, the Duo Reverhos had become the Trio Reverhos.
 In the winter of 1938-39, they appeared with [[Bertram Mills Circus]] at London’s Olympia in Kensington, where they were still billed as the Duo Reverhos: Madeleine must have been seen as just the usual touch of charm in the form of an attractive female assistant&mdash;which she was to a large extent, the skills of the two brothers being quite difficult to match! The great British circus chronicler and historian Antony Hippisley Coxe complained in his book ''A Seat at the Circus'' (1951) about the way they performed their act (which he found nonetheless "remarkable"): "it is a pity that such fine routine should be worked so much in one direction, ''à la'' Music Hall" (which meant in a frontal position).

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 ===From Bricklaying to The Variety Stage===
-It was created by two French brothers who were not born in the circus, nor in the entertainment business for that matter: They began their professional lives as brick masons. Gustave Revereau (1902-1969) was born on February 8, 1902, in Bressuire, a small town in the Deux-Sèvres department, in the Poitou province. His brother André (1906-1996) followed him there four years later, on June 2, 1906. Their father, Adrien, was a Master Brick Mason, and they were destined to follow in his footsteps&mdash;which they did. Or did at first…
+It was created by two French brothers who were not born in the circus, nor in the entertainment business for that matter: They began their professional lives as brick masons. Gustave Revereau (1902-1969) was born on February 8, 1902, in Bressuire, a small town in the Deux-Sèvres department, in the Poitou province. His brother André (1906-1996) followed him there four years later, on June 2, 1906. Their father, Adrien, was a Master Brick Mason, and they were destined to follow in his footsteps&mdash;which they did. Or did at first…[[File:The_Reverhos_-_Racquets.png|thumb|left|300px|Gustave and André Reverhos (c.1925)]]
-[[File:The_Reverhos_-_Racquets.png|thumb|left|300px|Gustave and André Reverhos (c.1925)]]Predictably, the brothers were very physical and, in their spare time, they joined a local gymnasium where they learned the basics of acrobatics, mostly by imitating their elders&mdash;among whom circus artists who trained there to improve their act or create new ones during their off time between seasons, as it was customary then: Many a circus career at the time began in one of these gymnasiums. There, Gustave and André must have seen some jugglers practice, and they began to learn juggling by themselves, developing in time a solid foundation.
+Predictably, the brothers were very physical and, in their spare time, they joined a local gymnasium where they learned the basics of acrobatics, mostly by imitating their elders&mdash;among whom circus artists who trained there to improve their act or create new ones during their off time between seasons, as it was customary then: Many a circus career at the time began in one of these gymnasiums. There, Gustave and André must have seen some jugglers practice, and they began to learn juggling by themselves, developing in time a solid foundation.
 Performers who trained along them were duly impressed by the brothers' skills, and they eventually suggested they build a juggling act. Thus, so did Gustave and André, juggling with tennis rackets at first. However, they quickly began to add a few spectacular acrobatic elements to their act: André juggled upside-down, head-balancing, while passing clubs with Gustave, and Gustave performed a one-arm stand, twirling hoops on his balancing cane, his free hand, and his feet: Traditional juggling increasingly became just an appetizer to the rest of the act. It was highly original, and through their gymnasium connections, they soon attracted agents' attention.