Master Of The Rings, Lord Of Laughs

The ringmaster and the star clown of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus left the three rings long enough to offer a glimpse of the big top on The Saturday Early Show's Second Cup Cafe.

Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson introduced Bello the master clown and four of his funny friends. Not present in body but definitely there in spirit was Bo the elephant, Bello's customary "partner" in comedy.

Iverson, 25, was born in New York City and began performing when he was 11 years old as a member of the Boys Choir of Harlem, where he eventually became lead tenor. During his seven years with the choir, he became familiar with musical genres from hip-hop to classical, and performed on Broadway and during the intermission at Luciano Pavarotti's concert in Central Park.

He holds a degree in voice performance from the University of Hartford, but his plans for graduate study were interrupted when he was selected to perform with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. In 1999, the year after he graduated from college, he was named one of the 10 Most Fascinating People of the year by Barbara Walters.

Master clown Bello Nock is a seventh-generation member of a Swiss circus dynasty. He started performing in 1971, when he was 3 years old. That's when he dressed as a clown for the first time.

When he was 6, he played Michael Darling in a touring company of "Peter Pan," starring Cathy Rigby. Three years later, his family began performing in the Tommy Bartlett Thrill Show in Dells, Wis. That's when Bello presented his first clown act on a nine-foot low wire. His first tent show, in 1998, was with the Big Apple Circus.

For more information, see the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Web Site.

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