Brian Dewhurst, the clown “Brian Le Petit” in Cirque du Soleil’s Mystère, has been performing in circuses for 67 years. Tuesday night he celebrated his 80th birthday… in style.
Brian Dewhurst grabs a pipe above his head and cranks out a few chin-ups while waiting for his next cue.
It’s a twice-nightly routine, something he does to loosen up before climbing a 14-foot ladder and emerging on the “Mystere” stage at Treasure Island. Dewhurst pulls himself up effortlessly, displaying an easy strength not uncommon to Cirque du Soleil artists.
But Dewhurst is no typical Cirque artist. He’s a clown. And this particular Tuesday is not an ordinary day; it is Dewhurst’s 80th birthday.
If that doesn’t sound amazing to you, consider this: Dewhurst is 15 years past the age at which he could retire and receive full Social Security benefits. In fact, Dewhurst was born in 1932, three years before Social Security came into existence. Yet, 10 times a week, he is climbing ladders, tumbling around onstage and captivating “Mystere” audiences with his timeless comedic act.
“It’s fun. I enjoy it,” Dewhurst says of performing. “It’s never boring.”
How did he celebrate his 80th?
When he woke up Tuesday, Dewhurst thought the day would be like any other. His birthday plans included nothing more than a “little family lunch,” he says in a soft British accent.
But Cirque du Soleil, famous for throwing epic parties, doesn’t do “little.” And the 80th birthday of one of their veteran performers deserved special recognition.
His family worked with Cirque to plan a series of surprises that had Dewhurst nearly speechless by night’s end. They planted Nicky in the show, reuniting a comic duo that hadn’t performed together for seven years. They handed out clown noses and prepped the audience to wish him a happy birthday at curtain call. A champagne toast after the show distracted him while 175 friends and family members filled the Mystere stage at 11 p.m. to throw him an unforgettable surprise birthday party. Three of those friends were secretly flown in from around the world.
AWESOME! We wish you a happy birthday, Brian, and hope to see you in Mystère for many years to come!
Read about Brian Dewhurst in Sonya Padgett’s column in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
AND, check out this fantastic video of Brian by Justin Yurkanin, also of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
{ SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal }
