Biography of Barry Lubin – “Grandma”
(July 3, 1952 – )
A member of the 1974 class of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College, he performed for 5 years with the Greatest Show on Earth. He also performed at the prestigious International Circus Festival of Monte Carlo in 1977. Since 1982, Barry has been featured in 15 productions of the Big Apple Circus and has become that show’s Director of Clowning conceiving, co-writing and starring in the Big Apple Circus’ production Grandma Goes to Hollywood. He performed at the 6th International Circus Festival of Budapest in January, 2006 where he was awarded the Special Prize from the Director of The Great Moscow Circus. Outside the ring he has appeared (sans makeup) 4 times on the Late Show with David Letterman. His directorial credits include comedy segments for music videos on MTV, Snappy Dance Company in Boston and CBS’s Circus of the Stars. He was a creative consultant for NBC’s Cheers, and served as Executive Producer, Creator, and Writer of two pilots for Nickelodeon Networks along with partner Yvette Kaplan, for which he also starred. He directed Cousin Grumpy’s comedy pig act, Carlos Swenson’s comedy horse act, and his cat, Romeo, making him America’s Foremost Animal Comedy Director.
Barry Lubin was inducted into the 2002 Clown Hall of Fame.
” I talk about clowning as a spiritual experience. What you talked about revealing that story is exactly that. On the surface, what we do is cool and it’s fun for us and for the audience when we are at our best. What it… is really is something far deeper, more significant, and emotionally farther reaching than we ever intended it to be. Sometimes I just have to stay out of my own way and let the magic happen, or just be present enough to enjoy, truly enjoy the person standing right in front of me, or the audience that is there to enjoy. I have a hard time describing it, but with you, you know exactly what I am talking about and I know what you mean. I pray before every show, and I am not religious. I pray to be of service, to be humble and grateful for the gifts I have been given, and to go in faith. Another clown taught me that…”
— Barry Lubin, from the International Clown of Fame’s Facebook page