Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.

by A.D. Amorosi

Circuses come in many stripes. There was the venerable clown car of Dems around the red-nosed Larry Farnese/Johnny Doc race and the craning giraffe-neck slapstick of locals gawking at Parker Posey during yoga classes and Kate Moss at Johnny Brenda's. You could've stood on my corner and listened to neighbors make dick jokes about the big top tent-raising for Cirque du Soleil's KOOZA. The "Grand Chapiteau" had problems getting it up last week. "The raising was delayed because we had one small problem after another and they stacked up," says KOOZA GM Scott Wallace. "We do this a lot, so we're able to keep everything on schedule." They got it up. KOOZA opens May 8. Wallace's been bringing CdS to South Philly since 2001 (with Dralion). They load in the CdS village quietly and up-jump the pageantry quickly. "South Philly always welcomes us," says Wallace who'll be here 'til June 15. "We're not expecting any surprises."

► With Gemini Wolf on hiatus, look for its leaders Mikronesia and Pandar at Johnny Brenda's May 16 FUNSTIVAL benefit for Mascher Space Coop with Pink Skull and Kilroy (ask him about the brown acid).

► Next time Owen Kamihira whispers, "I got Deuce and it'll be a Mexican border bar," into my phone, I'll delay all appointments — doctors, wig makers. I Clogged April 8 that he was doing an izakaya across from his Bar Ferdinand (Liberties Walk) and a gastropub at 44th and Spruce. But Owen couldn't say he'd taken over the neighboring Deuce restaubar. Until April 29. Now the Deuce dude's hustling to open a rustic rock 'n' roll party bar El Camino Real ("rayyy all" he stresses) with chef Jen Zavala and its "El Paso through Juarez" menu. ECR ain't Tex-Mex. "It's northern Chihuahua and southern Texas foods" and simple margaritas with an anti-design decor of rough woods, corrugated metal awnings and a bathtub Mary shrine with a face that looks like Pee-wee Herman. "It's a lil' Catholic," laughs Kamihira. Plus Owen confirmed my snooping that he's checking into Blue Horseshoe's address (once owned by O.N.E. at Rittenhouse's Chris Twardy) and the financial district canyon that is South 20th Street for something in '09. Speaking of O.N.E., it's got the Broadzilla Js May 9, one month before their M.I.A. gig at the Armory.

► Guess what foodie institution gets a new owner and revamp in décor while keeping its name? Happy Rooster. More soon.

► Before CA Conrad teaches Living City Poetry workshops Sundays in July (promptly at 1:08 p.m.) and selling his new book (Soma)tic Midge, he's pitching a prose doubleheader May 10: 3 p.m. at 1509 Mifflin's South Philadelphia Tap Room and 8 p.m. at Chapterhouse Café on Ninth.

► Six degrees o' something: Not only is folk-slinging beauty Dani Mari bringing larf-mongers Danny Ozark and Dirty Diamond/Sleazy E with her for their first-ever NYC show (May 17, Rehab) with a free-booze bus trip leaving the Riverview at 4 p.m. (marthurhans@yahoo.com), Mari's teaming with Ozark for his confessional open-mic song/barb/rap Monday monthly at the Balcony starting May 12. That reminds me.

► WHOWHATWHERE: Ron Jaworski was spotted at 16th and Market's Starbucks talking football to a lurvly female. Eddie Izzard was in Bar Ferdinand Sunday. He drank Estrella Spanish lager all night, ate venison, didn't pay the bill, but his buddies did and tipped OK. We don't know if Renaissance vocalist turned Bucks County painter Annie Haslam gave Dolly Parton the portrait she painted of "Backwoods Barbie" backstage at Borgata. But we heard Annie was trying.

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► Judas Priest's Rob Halford will be at King of Prussia's Hot Topic May 8. Not because that's where he buys his studs. Rob'll sign junk in anticipation of Priest's double CD Nostradamus.

► I know Philly's getting another rodizio-style churrascaria May 27 in Chima Brazilian Steakhouse at 20th and JFK. But June 11's its big wine-dinner with Lorraine Bracco of Bracco Wines and Sopranos fame.

► We ducked our head into Bruno Pouget's friends-n-fam opening of Apothecary Saturday on South 13th. Dark in there, B. We like it. Plus don't fear Uncut Production/Jena Serbu's full-length debut Eye of the Tiger ain't coming to a big screen just because their doing a cast 'n' crew screening May 10, Fifth and Montgomery. Serbu assures me they'll screen it at Media Bureau's Independent Film Fest this summer.

► Before the Cashmans and the Pelinos there was Nina Zucker, the first gurrrrl of Philly PR doing events for HIV/AIDS with Elton John, launching the Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center at Bryn Mawr College with Lauren Bacall, working for Peter Max, WHYY and Cy Coleman. And on May 14 at Kimmel Center, Philadelphia Public Relations Association inducts Zucker into its Hall of Fame. "We develop strategy, pitch stories, write the speeches and for the most part, it's tremendously momentary and fleeting, because we're working on 20 other projects before the previous one's even finished — so this is a bit of a "Sally Field" moment as well as being exceedingly strange to be in the spotlight," notes Nina Z about getting Fame-d. "It's way hard to think I'm old enough to get what's essentially a lifetime achievement award. Especially since come May 15, it's business as usual so I can't get too big of a head with all of this."

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)