The Chazaq organization, headquartered in Kew Gardens Hills, presented five astounding circus events with an all-male cast this past Chol HaMoed Sukkos. The sold-out performances were produced by Suki and Ding and featured the marvels of the Royal Hanneford Circus Family and the music sensations of Nachi “Nachas” Baldinger. Nachas is a veteran performer who once again brought his unique talents to the Chazaq concert stage, much to the delight of his hundreds of thrilled fans, all Jewish music lovers. Nachas’ enthusiastic performances wowed the crowds with high-energy vibes, showcasing the best of Jewish music.
Continuing tradition, the Royal Hanneford Circus, dubbed “The Royal Family of the Circus,” has successfully stepped into the new age of the circus in America, solidifying three centuries at the helm of the trade. With years of experience, Producers Adrian Poema and Nellie Hanneford Poema, along with their four talented children - Catherine, Mariana, Adrian Jr., and Tommy - are focused on bringing fresh and new wholesome family entertainment, a Chazaq staple. The Hanneford family brought out smiles and laughter in each show with their wide variety of stellar acts and talents from around the globe.
Their history dates to the late 1690s with the Irish-born Michael Hanneford, who toured the dusty roads of rural England with Wombwell’s Menagerie, putting on the first show of its kind in the British Isles with horsemanship that included dancing and leaping on the bareback of a galloping horse, eventually juggling for King George III. Toward the end of the last century, under their own name, the Hanneford family toured England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales annually prior to World War I, showing under a tent and moving over the roads between towns by horse-drawn wagons.
The past Chol HaMoed, the spectacles continued with Chazaq under the Big Top Tent along the Coney Island boardwalk on Surf Avenue in Brooklyn. Young, animated faces of frum Queens youth dotted the audience, basking in the festive Yom Tov spirit.
By Shabsie Saphirstein