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Season 2:
The Orbiting Human Circus in Naughty Till New Years
The Orbiting Human Circus in Naughty Till New Years is the perfect place for new listeners to begin. All your favorite Orbiting Human Circus characters return in a brand new adventure, inviting you into the mystery surrounding the lonely young janitor who lives at the Eiffel Tower... and has no idea how he got there.
The Orbiting Human Circus is co-production of WNYC Studios and Night Vale Presents.
Season 2 was written and directed by Julian Koster and produced by Christy Gressman. Full credits below.
Featuring
John Cameron Mitchell, Drew Callander, Susannah Flood, David Barlow, Dan Solomon, Jessie Shelton, Miche Braden, Nicholas Carter, and Harrison Beckwith, with Walter Lowery, Julian Koster, and many more!
Season 2 Credits
Written and Directed by Julian Koster, and further workshopped with the cast and crew of The Orbiting Human Circus
Produced by Christy Gressman
Musical Composition & Arrangement by Thomas Hughes
Music by The Music Tapes
Lead Editor | Grant Stewart
Lead Sound Designer | Jonathan Siri-Mohs
Sound Design and Foley by John Ringhofer, Steve Espinola
Additional Production and Mixing by Will Stanton
Engineering by Vincent Cacchione
Assistant Editors | Jaanelle Yee, Emily Marinoff, Jeff Tobias
Associate Producer | Robbie Cucchiaro
Select archival materials provided by the Rodgers & Hammerstein Archive of Recorded Sound, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations. To learn more visit nypl.org.
Season 2 Episodes
Firstly, the Janitor
This is the perfect place for new listeners to begin. All your favorite Orbiting Human Circus characters return in a brand new adventure, inviting you into the mystery surrounding the lonely young janitor who lives at the Eiffel Tower... and has no idea how he got there.
Secondly, the Past
We travel back in time to the janitor’s first nights at the tower in this, Naughty Till New Years’ second installment.
Thirdly... How to Disappear (Lessons I and II of III)
We are introduced to a startling ability of the Janitor’s.
Fourthly... How to Disappear (Lesson III of III)
If you haven’t disappeared yet, don’t worry — there’s still time! Listen now!
The Orbiting Human Circus Holiday Vacation
Take a holiday break with The Orbiting Human Circus.
This episode isn’t a part of the story of The Orbiting Human Circus in Naughty Till New Years, but the flea and the whole OHC gang will return in Naughty till New Years with our next episode.
Fifthly, Do You Dream?
Dreams run amok as we learn new things about John Cameron, Laeticia, the stagehands, Coco, and of course the Janitor, when we return to a stunning cliffhanger moment in the Broadcast Ballroom.
Sixthly, the Flea Talks
Tim Robbins stars as the flea. Yes, we convinced an Oscar winner to portray a flea. Poor man. He did nothing to deserve this.
Seventhly, the Gift
The story of an unusual gift and several strikes of lightning.
Eighthly, a Booth by the Seaside
What was REALLY in the shoeboxes?
Ninthly, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner!
Fun with 2000 telescopes, and the stunning return of somebody very special.
Tenthly, a Time for Dreamers
We left the door open for you, come and see what’s inside...
Eleventhly, It's a Scream (Pt. 1), plus Season Recap
How to escape. Escape with the Janitor! The Orbiting Human Circus returns with twice the fun: the first half of a special double episode. It’s a scream! The first half of a scream.
Twelfthly, It’s a Scream (Pt. 2)
Tim Robbins plays our beloved flea and it's an absolute scream. The second half of a scream.
Season Finale, Part One
Our season begins its grand conclusion.
Season Finale, Part Two
Our grand conclusion.
Season 1:
The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air)
Atop the Eiffel Tower, a lonely janitor stumbles into a series of alternately surreal and comic adventures as he becomes part of a mystery: what is the secret behind the wildly popular, bizarrely impossible live radio variety show being broadcast from the tower’s top?
The Orbiting Human Circus (of the Air) was first released as an 8-episode podcast by Night Vale Presents in 2016–2017. It was re-released by WNYC Studios, with a new director’s cut of the finale, in 2018.
Season 1 was written and co-directed by Julian Koster, co-directed by and developed with Ellie Heyman, and produced by Christy Gressman. Full credits below.
Season 1 Credits
Written and Co-Directed by Julian Koster
Co-Directed by & Developed with Ellie Heyman
Produced by Christy Gressman
Musical Composition & Arrangement by Thomas Hughes
Music by The Music Tapes
Chief Sound Designer | Eric Sluyter
Chief Recording Engineer | Vincent Cacchione
Editing by Grant Stewart, Julian Koster
Lathe Cutting by Steve Espinola
Copywriting & Piano Performance by Andy Lauer
Associate Producer | Robbie Cucchiaro
Production Managing by Christy Gressman, Callie Jane Farnsworth, Mary Ellen Stebbins, Blaze Ferrer
Additional Creative Contributions by Jeff Mangum, James Anderson, Aaron Ardisson, Drew Callander, Ben Chase, Brian Dewan, Peter Tedeschi
Logo & Artwork by Christy & Julian
Gowns by Lilith
Season 1 Episodes
Episode 1
Welcome to the world of The Orbiting Human Circus: discover the surreally impossible radio show broadcast from the top of the Eiffel Tower, meet the lonely janitor who longs to become part of it, and settle in for the chilling tale of Goolsby and Rue.
Featuring John Cameron Mitchell, Drew Callander, Susannah Flood, Julian Koster, Brian Dewan, Jessie Shelton, Dan Solomon, Hy Wolfe, Cecil Baldwin, John Zdrojeski, and Joan Hirsch.
Episode 2
Hear Mandy Patinkin perform an extraordinary musicological demonstration and a cricket (Tim Robbins) spin the spellbinding tale of Ladislas Koskovsky. Plus, learn the remarkable history of Julian the janitor’s famous great-grandfather.
Featuring John Cameron Mitchell, Mandy Patinkin, Tim Robbins, Drew Callander, Julian Koster, Susannah Flood, Dan Solomon, Shannon Conley, and Walter Lowery.
Episode 3
Will the famed storytelling cricket return? Plus, Charlie Day and Mary Elizabeth Ellis perform Shakespeare, and the janitor pushes host John Cameron to the very brink.
Featuring John Cameron Mitchell, Tim Robbins, Drew Callander, Julian Koster, Susannah Flood, Dan Solomon, Charlie Day, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Ron Berman, Meg Bashwiner, Jessie Shelton, Hy Wolfe, Becky Lauer, and the Alicia Svigals Klezmer Ensemble featuring the late Evan Harlan (Julian’s uncle) on accordion and North the Singing Saw.
Episode 4
Hear the tale of history’s greatest rhythmic genius, meet a remarkable platypus, and follow the janitor as he wanders Paris by night.
Featuring John Cameron Mitchell, Drew Callander, Julian Koster, Walter Lowery, Susannah Flood, Dan Solomon, Ron Berman, Gavin Roca, Vin Roca, and Dennis Koster.
Episode 5
An on-air hypnosis demonstration goes horribly wrong. Plus: the janitor sings!
Featuring John Cameron Mitchell, Drew Callander, Julian Koster, Susannah Flood, Dan Solomon, Ben Chase, John Zdrojeski, Ron Berman, Chris Ferry, and JJ Gonson.
Episode 6
A special tale for the holiday season—or any season. Plus, the saws sing for the janitor!
Featuring Larry “Ratso” Sloman, John Cameron Mitchell, Drew Callander, Julian Koster, and Susannah Flood.
Episode 7
Hold onto your hats – extraordinary events strike the Orbiting Human Circus!
Featuring John Cameron Mitchell, Drew Callander, Julian Koster, Susannah Flood, Dan Solomon, John Zdrojeski, Meg Bashwiner, and Robbie Cucchiaro.
Episode 8
The fate of the janitor—and the show—hang in the balance as the Orbiting Human Circus races towards its breathtaking conclusion! (Updated Director’s Cut of the finale.)
Featuring John Cameron Mitchell, Drew Callander, Julian Koster, Susannah Flood, Dan Solomon, Cecil Baldwin, Shannon Conley, and Chris Ferry.
An Orbiting Human Circus Special:
The 2nd Imaginary Symphony
Found in a rubbish pile in Paris, this astonishing recording was passed from hand to hand until it became a French holiday classic. A story about one who disappeared, one who ran away, and the secret of how clouds are born.
The 2nd Imaginary Symphony has existed in many forms and sharing it has become an Orbiting Human Circus holiday tradition.
Listen
The 2nd Imaginary Symphony Credits
Written, Directed, and Audio Produced by Julian Koster
Performed by Brian Dewan
Produced for Podcasting by Christy Gressman
with
Augustus Plumb as Himself
2nd Imaginary Symphony Music by Julian Koster & The Music Tapes
PBC Music by Thomas Hughes
Sound Effects/Musique Concrète by JM Koster with W Cullen Hart, J Dahl, and JN Mangum
Magic Tape Organ by Eric Harris
Euphonium and Trumpet by R Cucchiaro
Fun Machine by Jeremy Barnes