The Orbiting Human Circus

"Broadcasting to you live from the top of the Eiffel Tower!" RP blog for the latest Welcome to the Night Vale side project: the Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air). Listen to the complete first season. All pages will be updated as each episode comes out. Est. September 2016.

[hostjohncameron]

What if John Cameron reached initial fame working on the sound design/soundtrack for one of Archibald’s films? Maybe Archibald got him the job because he could see John’s talent or maybe that’s how they met….

[hostjohncameron]

#confirmedheadcanon

[hostjohncameron]

Thoughts on Fifthly, Do You Dream?

Julian has a recurring dream of John Cameron harassing him to sing a new, popular song for New Years, seemingly pained for Julian to sing the song while dressed as the baby New Year, standing on stilts, and drinking real champagne. As opposed to all of Julian's

The dream-John Cameron gives an interpretive dance to Julian's rendition of the song, still on the stilts, but having lost the champagne.

The dance is interpretive of the mistakes one makes over the course of a lifetime and shows that he's very sorry, all of Julian's childhood bullies are very sorry, and Julian's very sorry as he realises that the song is a prayer and not really a song.

Dream-John Cameron whispers something to Julian as if it was a great secret: "The singer of the song is the one singing."

"If ever there's a man of mystery, it's John Cameron."

"What is it between you and the janitor?" "Not enough.”

Actual-John's attempting to kill the flea, who keeps hiding his hair and whispering "diva" in his ear.

He's going to get a drink -- two drinks, one for him and one for the flea "a small one."

Something has always stopped Julian from telling Coco the end of the show -- it's Chouxnard, who without fail is produced by the arrival of the Platypus, a problem that only becomes funnier over time.

Coco and Julian go to the carnival and go on every ride and buy a bunch of snacks.

Coco says it's fine that Julian hypnotised him all those times.

They talk about Chouxnard's habit of hiring incompetent people

Julian's imagining this while eating day old pastry and drinking ice coffee.

The bakers at the commissary think that Chouxnard is the one binge eating all of the pastries as opposed to Julian eating them at night and leaving payment.

Actual Coco overhears the Janitor talking to himself and pretending to be drunk off of iced coffee.

Julian admits that he only ever tries to tell Coco the end of the story after he hears Chouxnard coming and after he's made him mad about something and that he intends to never tell him the end of the story.

The story of the flea is long before the end of the story and the Platypus 

We have a general timeline for RPing. Or rather, the end of a timeline

Resuming the story from many, many episodes ago... Leticia marshals the stagehands to find the flea

They decide that the flea is in the wall

And leaving the flea undiscovered in Julian's sock and John Cameron on his hands and knees looking for it, the episode ends

[hostjohncameron]

[ Hello, my original notes got eaten by an unexpected computer reboot so here’s a quick summary of what happened in last week’s holiday episode. ]

Drew Callander, The Narrator, wrote and performed a Janitor themed holiday story based on a classic Christmas tale. At one of the breaks, Christy mentioned that Drew and his wife write children’s stories and have recently released one that might appeal to fans of the OHC.

Julian tells a couple of stories about his grandparents, who his misses dearly, and plays a very pretty song with one of his saws.

At a different break, Christy mentions that her pronunciation of “Thames” as James-with-a-hard-th is intentional. This is Deeply unfortunate.

There’s a replay of season one’s Christmas story about the Jewish man giving Christmas to a Christian child in the spirit of the holidays. Followed by the only voice acting from the suspiciously absent John Cameron. (Perhaps he’s in the back set of episodes more?)

There’s a carolling section by the stagehands and Julian with the participating cast wishing everyone a happy every holiday.

And holy hell is there a lot of ads in this season if you don’t have the Patreon episodes.... 

[hostjohncameron]

[ my only note this week is regarding Christy’s pronunciation of Thames. Correctly, that would be pronounces “tems” like Tums, but with an ‘e’ or [teh-mns] phonetically. What would not be correct would be pronouncing ‘Thames’ to rhyme with ‘James’. This would be wrong.... ]

[hostjohncameron]

Thoguhts on 2.3 (Thirdly... How to Disappear (Lessons I and II))

An intriguing, but John-less episode...

Julian disappeared after his first interaction with Coco.

Julian admits that he has no idea how he came to be at the Eiffel Tower

At first, he had no idea who his grandfather was in the sole memory he had

He learned he had a narrator and would play around with that in his head in an effort to figure out who he was

Chouxnard started smoking inside the ticket booth while Julian eavesdropped

Originally, Chouxnard was the only person at the tower who had ever seen the Janitor and spooked himself into thinking Julian was a ghost or a figment of his imagination

Julian likes hiding on the girders at the very top of the Eiffel Tower

He didn't know whether the OHC was a dream or a memory. Speaking about it was completely new to him and appeared as a stream of consciousness speech.

"It reminds him of something!"

Julian is actually able to remember something about his childhood because of talking to Coco

Julian remembers his childhood all night

Julian wanted to hear what Coco thought about him more than he was worried about what Coco thought about his disappearing.

Coco was very impressed and mentioned how much calmer he felt

Apparently Julian has always had the effect of calming the people around him by saying things that didn't quite make sense, but said with such conviction, the person he's talking to has to freeze to comprehend it

Julian didn't actually disappear, he hypnotized Coco with his speaking and then softly slipped away

When Julian falls asleep, it sounds like he is self hypnotising with the Circus

[hostjohncameron]

Thoughts on 2.2 (Secondly, the Past)

Another episode, another two weeks of not actually RP’ing....

Julian did not speak when he first came to the Eiffel Tower Mr. Chounard tried to learn sign language to communicate

The night watchman is presumed to be a terrifying manby Julian before meeting him

Chounard's wife sounds like Letica Apparently he signs very poorly

Julian thinks the nightwatchman's footfalls sound like his terrible step father's

Coco is 5'4" and "old," "not a day past 80...or 90..." Julian thinks Coco was a performer when he was young

Sounds like stagehand Jacques' voice is Coco's when he and Chounard are talking

Chounard asked Coco specifically for updates on Julian's past life Coco asked Julian what brought him to the Tower and that's when Julian started telling him about the ballroom

"My mother always told me if I got lost, I should look for the Eiffel Tower" -- Leticia "That Tower had personality. Almost like it was haunted by a benevolent presence" Leticia had a dream about the Janitor

John's only heard in the ending tag for the OHC (OTA) radio show

[hostjohncameron]

Thoughts, Feelings, Impressions

Orbiting Human Circus Season 1, 2.0  /Ep. 8

I found this in my drafts as I was finishing up the last post. I wrote this last year while on a trip before going to Australia after the re-release/re-issue of season one. Having now edited it, it will be published out of order from the others. 

Let's start at the end with the new recording.

The Narrator talking about Julian's audience being gone leads to an interesting question: would season two be set entirely in the real world? Or in Julian's imagination? Or in the world made real by the original ending?

Giving away free tickets? How far the show has fallen

As opposed to a few scenes here and there, the whole show seems to have been redone. I thought so with Leticia, but hearing John, I am certain.

The talking about whales is in more detail, offering a collaboration between the whales and the Orkestral

Julian talking to Coco is in more depth leading to a nice song in French

John can hear Julian far sooner than in the original version

John actually follows up on the sound in the vents

Julian elaborates about why that song was important, tells the same story about his grandfather's shadow.

The parallel with talking about his grandfather's shadow to the narrator talking about John Cameron's is nice

As someone (Saphira, @rotatinghumancircus) noted on the Discord chat last night, John is easier to hear this time in the mix between just internal monologue and the external narration of the Circus events

Julian sounding like a ghost is an interesting new addition

Julian feeling a sense of foreboding before meeting the platypus adds an interesting, if slight, shift in tone

"So it must be with our show, we don't want things to end, but they do. And how easy it is to love that which we know will not come back." Interesting expansion for a show that just (re)announced a second season....

The Narrator roasting how long Yermac is taking for the story tho

Confirming that Leticha comforts John

"You heard it too!"

Better, longer approach to setting up Julian arriving at the show with the Platypus

John Cameron still is not ready for death

Julian looks like a zombie as he arrives

"I asked him to fix all the things that I ruined."

John interrupting Jacques taking to the platypus to ask him to save the show.

"Mr. Platypus..." John pls

"The greatest event to have happened in this medium..." Um.... John? Has something more exciting happened in any medium??

Mr. Chonaurd telling Julian to stop daydreaming, to stop telling Coco stories, to stop picking up mice and insects, to stop stealing the saws and taking them who knows where, and have you gotten rid of that bird yet? And Julian "No.." "Yes, Mr. Chonard..."

"I don't want to fire you..."

Julian giving up, being too tired to tell stories

It starts raining and Julian thinks perhaps the tower will get clean after all

Mr. Chonaurd apologies for literally throwing the bucket at Julian the previous night

In the space between waking and sleeping, Julian sees the platypus

"Because when you see the platypus in the morning, there is something you must do."

Julian makes a wish to have his audience back

"He can feel that you are listening. And he believes that you can hear him."

"Julian, why don't you sing something? Go head. Come on, sing!"

Same song as the original taping of the show, but it seems longer. Maybe expanded?

Laith cutting? Ball gowns? These credits are getting a bit out of hand.... The full credits are nice tho.

[hostjohncameron]

Thought on episode 2.1 (Firstly!)

As with the previous season, the below is a collection of my notes on The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air) as I’ve understood/interpreted it and any headcanons that may have come out of the episodes. I consider these notes to be an evolving process and the more I listen to new episodes and relisten to old ones, these notes will get updated. 

I feel it should go without saying that the below contains spoilers, but you know... just in case....

The program before OHC is a more traditional program featuring Old Time Radio music

Audiences around the world are waiting for a new star – the flea

John has to ease into his radio voice during the broadcast compared to last season’s episodes

First act of the night is Romika, the singing saw performing a version of the song that’s brought them all there that night

Julian is hiding in the heating duct.

He’s nervous and excited at the size of the audience

He sings along to the singing saw and the narrator is concerned that the audience will overhear

Jacques are Leticia are singing along to the same song

John is having a drink dreading going on stage with the mysterious new star and on their first night back....

Something bit Julian backstage

John starts in with the small/short/tiny jokes regarding the new star, something Julian’s narrator warns expressly about not doing -- not that it matters since John can’t hear Julian’s narrator.

The guest takes many, many introductions to actually appear...and never does

John has to end up looking for his new guest -- “you little blood sucking bastard” -- on the ground on his hands and knees

The flea is currently hiding in the janitor’s sock

“And isn’t it when we’re dreaming that we’re closest to our dreams.”

Julian is actually sleeping on the outside of the Eiffel Tower

[ This season is coming out more specifically with the OHC being in Julian’s head. Perhaps the idea that the Circus was made real by believing in it wasn’t as solid of a theory as it appeared at the end of last season....]

Julian tells us about going to see a radio show with his great grandfather and the night he was encouraged to participate. The night that his grandfather hypnotised all of Paris to be happy

Julian’s grandfather told him he needed Julian to believe to be able to make the trick work. 

That he needed to be able to see him from the side of the stage

Julian says that it’s the same act he’s seen before and then…that’s it. His grandfather comes off the side of the stage and says “I think we pulled it off”

And Julian starts noticing all the people around Paris seemingly happy for no reason

Julian accidentally kicked his bucket off of the top of the tower and worried for Coco, he heads down as fast as he can

Julian spends 15 minutes a day telling Coco about the OHC and the rest of the time alone

The flea is to sing from the palm of John Cameron’s hand and the narrator tells us that the only way to hear the flea – and the OHC itself – is to believe. Even for a moment.

Mr. Chouixnard says to his wife that Julian has a reason to be the way he is and that Coco might suspect it, but can never know the truth as to what’s going on with the janitor

Apparently Julian never talks outside of it and he started telling the story the moment Coco asked about – something to be discussed again later

Julian having run out of story, freezes and Coco leaves, after making an awkward goodbye to him

[hostjohncameron]

@canasta-disasterously sent via email “ange”

 esthétique meme || interrogéz

ange (angel): what’s your opinion on religion? do you believe in anything?

John’s pretty neutral on the idea of religion. It’s not something he personally puts a lot of faith in, but if others do, that’s fine.

[hostjohncameron]

Two and a half years on.... John’s generally pretty neutral as to the idea of there being a higher power, but on the odd occasion he does get religion, he’s fairly certain that if there is a god, god hates him.

[orbitinghumancircus]

The Orbiting Human Circus in Naughty Till New Years begins November 6, 2019! Trailer out now!

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/orbitinghumancircus/episodes/orbiting-human-circus-naughty-till-new-years-trailer

[hostjohncameron]

‎Show The Orbiting Human Circus, Ep Coming Soon: OHC News and Anthem: Homunculus - 23 Apr 2019

[ Awww!! ❤️ ]

[hostjohncameron]

Any Aussie John Cameron Mitchell fans? His last Australian show is tomorrow at QPAC in Brisbane. Think we can get it to sell out for him?

[orbitinghumancircus]

The real ending of OHC Season One comes out on Monday! Really can’t wait to share it with you. Till then, Day 7 of WNYC Studios’ and Night Vale Presents’ very special edition of Season One: https://apple.co/2IwSnQM

[hostjohncameron]

.

[orbitinghumancircus]

So, so, excited that WNYC Studios’ special OHC reissue with commentary, all leading up to a new season finale, begins with Episode 1 now!

Day 1: John Cameron Mitchell and Julian tell the story of some calamities Julian subjected John to in real life…

 https://apple.co/2KjNSWk

[orbitinghumancircus]

Dear Friends! So excited to tell you I’ve made a new director’s cut of the end of Season One! In it you will hear the complete vision for the ending of The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air) for the very first time. It will be released as a part of WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents’ special reissue of Season One starting on May 14th (Monday), with one episode a day featuring commentary with John Cameron Mitchell and the gang, all leading up to the new definitive version of the Season Finale. –Julian

[hostjohncameron]

robrothnyc: Opening night of @basiltwist3 ‘Symphonie Fantastique’ last Monday. Go see the magic ! 🧜🏼‍♀️