Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey are bringing back “The Greatest Show on Earth” – but without the animals. The circus has been closed since 2017.
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Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey are bringing back “The Greatest Show on Earth” – but without the animals. The circus has been closed since 2017.
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey are revived its circus, revealed plans to bring back the modernized “Greatest Show on Earth” – a show devoid of iconic elephants and other animals. Instead, its producers are scouring the world for people with rare talents and skills who can appeal to today’s audiences.
According to Feld Entertainment, where the circus is produced. The goal of the new show, Feld said, is to “celebrate amazing talent from around the world, demonstrate incredible feats of strength that push the limits of human potential and create moments of great joy.” amazing carving.”
The company added that auditions for the new circus are underway in countries such as Ethiopia, France, Mongolia, Argentina and the US.
Ringling closed the circus in 2017
Circus Ringling Bros. closed Five years ago, after nearly 150 years of operation. Its production company said financial worries forced it to arrange the show.
The closure drags the circus’ phasing out the use of elephants — a move lauded by animal rights activists.
The new circus will not bring animals on tour, Feld chief executive Juliette Feld Grossman confirmed on NBC’s Today show.
Feld says it’s re-imagining what the circus could be. That includes building a “lifestyle brand” around the Ringling name, where live performances are complemented by digital content, consumer products, said company CEO Kenneth Feld. and other services.
Circus game is now a new arena
While public attitudes about animals in captivity were one of the reasons Ringing closed, it is now returning to a more changed circus industry. In many areas, live circus performances have only recently resumed, following widespread closures due to the pandemic.
Cirque du Soleil – art-house, human-centered shows that seem to resemble Ringling’s new paradigm – officially returned to the stage last spring, but it still in process back to all its programs. The Montreal-based company is making a comeback of its own, having been forced to find new ownership after file a petition for bankruptcy protection in June 2020.
There’s also a new circus in town: Circus Omniumwhich includes former ringling foreman Ringling, Johnathan Lee Iverson. It Offer “an extraordinary multi-ethnic, multi-racial and multi-ethnic talented cast.”
