The Greatest Show Returns: Ringling Bros Circus returns six years after shutting down
It announced it was closing down for good in 2017. But now it’s making a comeback with a whole new look. National correspondent Mark Hyman got a sneak peek at the new Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. And he had exclusive conversations with management and performers.
There are ever-expanding choices for remote entertainment tailored to individuals. But an American icon is returning to an old formula: live, in-person, and in the middle of a crowd.
“Everybody comes together. They share a moment of joy,” according to Giulio Scatola.
"Everybody comes together. They share a moment of joy,” Giulio Scatola, Ringling casting director
After shutting-down more than 6 years ago, the Ringling Brothers Circus has reemerged reimagined. Citing a change in public attitudes, there are no more elephants, big cats, or other animal acts. Full-face make-up clowns are history. But some acts remain. These include trapeze, high wire, and teeterboard.
The past two decades have not been kind to big circuses. Cirque du Soleil went through bankruptcy reorganization. Ringling closed in the face of falling attendance and a years-long legal battle with animal rights groups. That was settled when the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the US collectively paid more than $25 million to Ringling for their unproven allegations of animal mistreatment.
The Humane Society issued the following statement to Inside Your World:
“The Humane Society of the United States celebrates the momentous news that Ringling Bros. will be joining the many popular animal-free circuses and shows touring the U.S. This decision not only aligns with what the public expects from modern entertainment, but also sets a powerful example for the remaining circus industry holdouts that continue to abuse wild animals by hauling them around the country and bullying them until they execute meaningless, unnatural tricks. The HSUS cheers Ringling Bros. and any other business that opts to rewrite their script to create a humane, animal-free big top experience.” Laura Hagen, Humane Society of the United States, Director of Captive Wildlife.
The ASPCA did not respond to our request for comment.
It might seem surprising that in the midst of government covid policies discouraging public gatherings that Ringling would begin planning a return to live entertainment. But to Ringling officials it made total sense.
“Ringling is one of those experiences in your lifetime that stays with you." Juliette Feld Grossman, Ringling producer
Juliette Feld Grossman said, “Ringling is one of those experiences in your lifetime that stays with you, and it's because of that whole experience of being in the arena and being with people you love.”
A Ringling producer, Feld Grossman told Inside Your World there is no substitute for the in-person experience. The excitement and joy allows people to put aside their worries for a little while.
“You're kind of the Ted Lasso of in-person entertainment, that you make people feel pretty good about themselves, at least for a few hours, right?” asked correspondent Mark Hyman.
Laughing, Feld Grossman replied, “Yeah. Well, that's the nicest thing anyone's said to me.”
“It's challenging, it's scary, but it's great.” Casting director Giulio Scatola on building a new Ringling from scratch.
Casting director Giulio Scatola, who conducted auditions on five continents, was tasked with building an entirely new Ringling from scratch. He selected 75 performers from 18 nations. He admitted, “It's challenging, it's scary, but it's great.”
Inside Your World watched a dress rehearsal of the new show. Animal acts and clowns have been replaced by human endeavor performances.
With NFL, theme park and concert tickets fetching hundreds of dollars each, a family of four can still go to Ringling, and buy snacks and souvenirs for about $200. Feld Grossman emphasized that point stating, “We're for families and so we always consider, in our pricing, making sure that we are accessible to families.”
“There's just too much excitement to be concerned with what's on social media." Show presenter Lauren Irving
Show presenter Lauren Irving who also sings the opening and closing numbers said the energy level is so high throughout the nearly two-and-a-half hour show that audience members will not look at their phones. She told us, “There's just too much excitement to be concerned with what's on social media, truly. It's just energy, energy, energy.”
Fellow show presenter Jan Damm made it clear this is not entertainment with subtitles. Or pause and rewind buttons. “You cannot experience what our audience will experience on streaming service, at a movie theater, anywhere else. You can only get it here, the Greatest Show on Earth,” he said.
Jan also explained the meaning of that Ringling phrase “children of all ages.”
“You have that sense of wonder, that sense of awe." Show presenter Jan Damm
“You have that sense of wonder, that sense of awe, the expansion of what you thought was possible that some of us haven't experienced since we were grade school age.”
And those “children of all ages” reactions are what drives these performers.
Feld Grossman remarked, “The joy of getting to see our audience respond. That’s the ultimate compliment to the show.”
Opening night for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus two-year tour is September 29th in Shreveport, Louisiana.
