Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is easily the most enduring circus name in American history. At its peak, it employed more than 1,000 people and incorporated hundreds of animals in its acts.
P.T. Barnum, the ultimate early hype man, dubbed it “The Greatest Show on Earth,” an attraction that entertained millions of children over the years with acrobats, human cannonballs, roaring lions and clowns.
In the latter part of the 20th century, animal rights groups began criticizing the circus’ treatment of its animals, especially its elephants. In 2017, Palmetto, Florida-based Feld Entertainment shut down Ringling Bros., a victim of competition, regulatory challenges, shifting tastes and rising costs.
But Feld executives ― who also run “Disney on Ice,” “Sesame Street Live” and “Monster Jam” ― always planned to bring back Ringling Bros. The pandemic delayed its revival, but a revamped Ringling Bros. show returned to the road in 2023 minus live animals, traditional face-painted clowns or a single ringmaster.
Instead, the faster-paced, two-hour show is a major technological upgrade with better sight lines, multiple video boards and more human spectacle. Among the highlights: a triangular high-wire act, a crisscross trapeze, BMX stunt bikers with trampolines and ramps and the Double Wheel of Destiny — where performers hop between two spinning wheels, suspended high above the ground, rotating independently at high speeds.
Now, for the first time in eight years, Ringling Bros. is returning to metro Atlanta over two weekends for a collective 13 shows, first at State Farm Arena in downtown Atlanta on Friday through Monday, then Gas South Arena in Duluth on Feb. 21-23.
Tickets are $25 on Ticketmaster and, in a sign that demand is soft, upper levels of each arena are not for sale for most shows.
“We open up additional seats as we need to,” said Jonathan Vaught, senior vice president of production and operations. “The show is a 360-degree presentation. We know the audience wants to be as close as possible.”
Credit: GeoRittenmyer
Credit: GeoRittenmyer
Vaught said Feld is committed to keeping the circus alive. Over 17 months, Ringling has hit more than 50 cities, presenting hundreds of shows. Feld will wrap this current tour in April and bring back another version in January, he said.
“Ringling is the heart of our company,” Vaught said. “We believe there is still demand out there for the circus.”
Feld closed Ringling in 2017 for multiple reasons, he said. “We had a 150-year-old business model,” he noted. “We were still moving the show on a milelong train. Economically, it didn’t make sense.”
The end of animal tricks came from a mix of consumer sentiment and an increasingly hostile regulatory environment that made it more difficult for Ringling Bros. to travel with exotic animals in states including Illinois and New York. “We knew it was only going to get worse,” Vaught said. “It was a gut-wrenching decision to close the show at the time.”
Credit: Jeff Kavanaugh
Credit: Jeff Kavanaugh
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, a major voice in pressuring Ringling to end the use of elephants and other exotic animals, said it supports how Feld has changed Ringling Bros.
“We are happy to see them come back,” said Klayton Rutherford, PETA Foundation associate director of captive wildlife research. “This animal-free version of Ringling sends a message to circuses everywhere that audiences can be dazzled and entertained with thrilling human performers where no animals are exploited in the process.”
Ringling Bros., which now transports itself like other traveling acts via truck and plane, also eliminated traditional clowning, instead highlighting a comedic Ukrainian trio using plenty of physical comedy.
“There are a lot of mixed opinions on the traditional, fully made-up clown performers,” Vaught said. “Our goal is simply to make people laugh.”
Credit: RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & B
Credit: RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & B
Instead of a single ringmaster, duties are now split among three people: master juggler Jan Damm, who interacts with a robot dog Bailey, unicyclist Wesley Williams and metro Atlanta native Lauren Irving, a professional singer who has worked with cruise ships, Walt Disney World and Universal Studios in both Florida and Japan.
“I am considered a show guide,” Irving said. “I am the vocalist. I lead the production numbers.”
She loves the fact the circus is very much an international affair featuring a cast of 75 from 18 countries including Italy, Colombia, Mongolia and Ethiopia. “We celebrate where they’re from and their culture,” she said. “It’s a huge melting pot.”
Credit: RINGLING BROS
Credit: RINGLING BROS
Irving, who graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, also wants the show to capture the imagination of a new generation of children the way Ringling Bros. did for her more than two decades ago when she attended the show at Philips Arena (now State Farm Arena). “The popcorn and the trapeze stick out to me,” she said.
Chris Berry, a circus historian and member of the Circus Historical Society, attended both the final Ringling Bros. show with animals in 2017 on Long Island, New York, and the first revamped version in 2023 in Bossier City, Louisiana. He thought Ringling did a good job modernizing the show without sacrificing its core essence.
“This is one of the most engaging circuses I’ve seen in a long time,” Berry said. “The arena is like a box of Crayola crayons spilled across the floor. It’s very upbeat, very memorable. I took my nieces and nephews in Vegas, and they were singing the songs afterward, songs they had never heard before.”
He is rooting for Ringling Bros. to endure: “This is still a tremendous brand that’s older than Coca-Cola. It’s part of Americana going back to our great-great-grandparents.”
Credit: RINGLING
Credit: RINGLING
Credit: RINGLING BROS
Credit: RINGLING BROS
IF YOU GO
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Multiple shows in metro Atlanta, Friday-Feb. 23. $25. Friday-Monday at State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Drive. Atlanta. Feb. 21-23 at Gas South Arena, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, ticketmaster.com
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