Cirque de Flambé may have torched its last clown in Seattle. Artistic Director Maque Da Vis says the incendiary circus troupe can no longer afford the city's permit fees for its outdoor shows. According to the fire marshal's office, the cost of permits went up 43 percent last year. Flambé's expenses are particularly high because its annual shows include fireworks, not just fire, which require an on-site inspector. Da Vis paid $860 in fees this year for In the Shadow of the Giant, which just closed at Magnuson Park; next year, he's looking at a bill of close to $5,000. "I raised the ticket price, from $15 to $20 this year, and that has negatively affected our attendance," Da Vis reports. "I believe that Seattle is losing the creative class of citizens that made it the lively place to live. Look at Fremont; I once lived there but cannot afford to do so [any longer]." LYNN JACOBSON
ELVIS RETURNS
A couple weeks ago, when two of this year's Bumbershoot lineup heavies—Devo and Ani DiFranco—bowed out of the festival (and their summer tours as a whole), it left organizers scrambling. Their first solution: Elvis Costello, who not only stepped in to play the top of Sunday's bill but will be doing it by himself. This is too bad, in one regard—anyone who caught his April 7 tour opener at the Paramount (or the following night in Portland) can attest to the greatness of his backing band, the Imposters. But a solo show can go even further, a trade-off we'll gladly settle for. One Reel's second solution: Iggy and the Stooges, once one of the most ferocious rock bands ever. Given that Iggy's remained a powerful live presence despite decades of indifferent albums, and that the Stooges' three albums remain among the most primal ever recorded, let's call those cancellations a blessing in disguise. MICHAELANGELO MATOS
GARY VAUGHN REMEMBERED
The life of longtime Seattle-area technical director Gary Vaughn was celebrated earlier this month by dozens of friends and colleagues in the Northwest Rooms at Seattle Center. Vaughn was an early force at the experimental performance venue On the Boards; in recent years, he resided in Montana but remained technical director for Seattle International Children's Festival. He died on June 16, at age 47. He was remembered as a lover of nature and art, a loyal friend, and a gritty personality. Children's Fest Producing Director Brian Faker said, "He gave no quarter to fools or slackers. His devotion to his friends was surpassed only by his devotion to Lori [his wife, former Seattle-area dancer Lori Mitchell.]" Vaughn was memorialized with hours of talk, music, a slide show, Ping-Pong, a barbecue, and his beverage of choice, ice-cold cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. LYNN JACOBSON
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