By John Tredrea, Special Writer
LAMBERTVILLE — Want to help a duo of Lambertville filmmakers work on a movie about the Lambertville Music Circus? Here’s your chance.
But let’s back up. Maybe, if you’re relatively new to the Lambertville area, you’re wondering what the Lambertville Music Circus is, or was. If you’ve never heard of it, once you know what this “circus” was, you’ll doubtless wish it were still here. What music lover wouldn’t? But, alas, the circus folded up its last tent 42 years ago.
From 1949 to 1970, a man named St. John Terrell produced Broadway-style musicals, presented rock and pop artists and housed jazz and children’s programming in a huge tent, first in Lambertville and then in West Amwell. He was a pioneer in this type of musical venue. His effort led to a chain of musical tents that were operative until 1970.
ACCORDING TO A WEBSITE, St. John “Sinjin” Terrell “contracted incurable theater-it is” early on.
”He was the first Jack Armstrong on the radio series, Jack Armstrong, All-American Boy (see http://www.rusc.com). He worked as a fire-eater in a carnival when he was 16 years old. Later in life, his daring feats continued, when as a producer, he launched two prominent professional summer theaters in this region. In 1939, he produced the Bucks County Playhouse’s first season. He opened with a hit, “Springtime for Henry,” starring Edward Everett Horton (which he revived 25 years later at the Music Circus), followed through with a successful season, and closed with a profit.
”In 1949, he created and produced the country’s first commercial arena-type theater under a tent, the Lambertville Music Circus, which he ran until 1970. He originated the reenactment of Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware in 1953 and for 25 years on Christmas day he played the role of George Washington.
”He was an actor on Broadway in the 1930s, appearing in Elmer Rice’s “Judgement Day” and Maxwell Anderson’s “Winterset.”
NOW, GARY P. COHEN AND PAUL KAYE, two Lambertville filmmakers who made the acclaimed documentary, “Halloweenville,” have announced that their next film will be “Music on Magic Mountain: the story of the Lambertville Music Circus.”
With photographs, programs and other memorabilia, plus interviews with people who worked on both sides of the curtain, the in-depth documentary will trace the history of the circus and explore the many interesting personalities involved.
Messrs. Cohen and Kaye want to talk to anyone who might have first-hand knowledge of Mr. Terrell and the circus. Scrapbooks, photos and other memorabilia will help the filmmakers on the project. Of special interest to them are any 8 mm films or audio recordings from the circus.
”We feel like paleontologists, chipping away at shreds of information, trying to discover why this great form of entertainment suddenly folded its tent in 1970,” said Mr. Cohen.
Anyone wishing to communicate with the filmmakers can reach Mr. Cohen by email at [email protected].
There is also a Facebook page dedicated to the project at www.facebook.com/Magic on MusicMountain.

