The circus has rolled into town.
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus — “The Greatest Show on Earth” — spent the weekend entertaining audiences of all ages at the Verizon Center. This year, the circus is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of P.T. Barnum with a show called “Barnum 200: Barnum’s FUNundrum.”
Headed by ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson, the first African American and youngest ringmaster the circus has ever had, Ringling Bros. truly delights children and adults alike. It would seem the days of the classic “big top” circus have passed — these days, unicycles have been replaced by hands-free Segways and high-tech screens display art from the golden days of the circus.
The classic acts remain — see the Mighty Metal: The Strongest Man in the World! — but contemporary acts such as the Torres Family’s daring motocross display puts audience members at the edge of their seats. One of the highlights of FUNundrum, the Torres’ act consists of seven motorcycles going at 65 mph while they are locked in a giant steel globe.
Another stunning sight is the high wire — with a twist. In addition to having a classic high wire act, the circus presented the motorcycle high wire, with a motorcycle balancing its rider and an acrobat as well. The bike’s twists around the fragile wire elicited “oohs” and “aahs” from an enthralled audience.
Armed with big musical numbers, enthusiastic clowns and quite the ensemble of pachyderms, Ringling Bros. provided excitement in what could have been a dull Saturday afternoon. The musical numbers might have not captivated the older audiences as much as they captivated the kids, but this was made up by the charming elephants the circus is known for — and whose treatment is sometimes criticized.
The rest of Ringling’s menagerie is not to be overlooked — the tigers, a staple of the circus, are also a great sight. One wonders how it’s possible that they behave so well, not to mention the high possibilities that something may go wrong at the blink of an eye. The suspense is enough to glue every pair of eyes to the center ring.
There were high “ups” and very low “downs” — the trapeze artists missed the connection by almost nothing — but overall, “The Greatest Show on Earth” delivers the thrills with a heap of spectacle that it has promised audiences across the country for years.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will return to the area, this time to the Patriot Center, in April.
rgonzalez@theeagleonline.com
