Ringling Bros

One benefit of being in circus school is occasional free tickets and opportunities to see circuses that come through the area. A former NECCA student is currently performing with Ringling on one of their tours and offered Elsie and Serenity a bunch of comp tickets so we could come and see the show. Now, Ringling is not my #1 favorite circus experience, but there are inevitable nuggets of circus gold in any show, so off I went to Worcester.

Oh, no! I hope he doesn't fall!

This particular show featured the evil character Mr. Gravity who was trying to quite literally trying to take down the circus. The music was loud and poppy, there were elephants riders and tigers tamers, overpriced refreshments, kitchy souvenirs, classic clowning complete acts with tricking dogs, lots of perplexing disappearing tricks, and people being shot out of cannons. There was also a great high wire troupe from Columbia and an impressive acrobatic act performed on swinging platforms. We were amazed, impressed, and at times a little overwhelmed.

Performers practicing in the arena after the show.

After the show we got to go down on the floor and check out what happens in the aftermath. Turns out that the moment the audience leaves the performers break out their apparatuses and 

start training and practicing new acts. Keep in mind that this is at 9:30pm after they have just completed a two hour long performance. Impressive, to say the least.

One of the managers talked to us a bunch about what it's like to work with Ringling as a performer. He really didn't pull any punches. As it turns out, the only performers who have any job security with are the people who work with the animals. Most everyone else, clowns, aerialists and acrobats, works on contracts that are terminated at the end of each show. Like other circuses Ringling scouts throughout the world to find acts that will compliment their various tours. And like other circuses they are looking to show the audience something they have never seen before. So the competition is pretty fierce and in any case it's not a job you'll have for long unless you are a lion tamer. 

One of the sweetest things I saw all night happened after the show while we were down in the arena. A little latino boy, maybe three or four years old, came tearing out from back stage yelling "Papa, papa!", and threw himself into the impressively muscular arms of one of the tight-wire performers. Turns out Ringling offers free childcare services to performers with children so that their families can join them on tour. Not bad...

So overall my Ringling traditional circus experience was educational and entertaining. And just one message for all you kids out there..."DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!" Every time they said (or sang) that I thought, is that an invitation?