THE CIRCUS BACK IN TOWN - BETTER THAN EVER!

“Funundrum” this years Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey show, is filled with new technology and harks back to the circus’ roots and tradition. I have to say that it may be their best show in recent years.

THEY ARE PLAYING IN LOS ANGELES AT STAPLES THIS WEEKEND(JULY 16, 17,18), AND THEN WILL BE AT THE CITIZEN’S BANK ARENA IN ONTARIO (JULY 21-25), AND THEN ANAHEIM HONDA CENTER (JULY 28-AUG 8). TICKETS AVAILABLE — CHECK THE WEB….

What I liked most is that it is filled with acts and full of FUN!!!– the three rings have returned and are being filled and the pace is fast — one of my objections to the Circque du Soleil shows is that every motion is protracted to squeeze the maximum amount of artiste sensibility, but there is too much time between acts and the whole thing moves somewhat glacially.

Most of my readers know that I have a soft spot for the circus — particularly for the old fashioned three ring variety, full of showbiz hokum and razzle dazzle, with high wire artists, acrobats, and animal acts.

For the last several years my daughter has been kind enough to indulge going with me. Each year I fear she’ll say she’s too old, and each year she says she still wants to go. And, in truth, I always think: If I’m not too old for the circus, why would she be?

My daughter’s review: “It was really great — really eye-catching. We loved the llamas! And the family of motorcyclists in the metal cage was really scary — and cool.”  And there you have it!

There was much use of Segways and other new technology: There were metal scrims on which there are projections of images and illustrations harking back to Barnum of old — the sideshows, the wild west show, even a souped up version of the old clown car routine, etc…. At the same time the acts themselves now wear brighter colors and often like like cartoon and superheroes to hold the attention of kids reared on a steady diet of TV and video games.

There were some truly mind boggling acts this year: from chinese contortionists and Ukrainian acrobats, to a Mongolian strongman and a high wire act that involved going up a 45 degree angle.

The other night on cable I watched Trapeze, the Burt Lancaster-Tony Curtis-Gina Lollabrigida circus love triangle movie, that centered on the attempt to do a triple on the trapeze. That film is around 50 years old. Well The Flying Carceres Trapeze act began with a triple, but when they attempted to do a quadruple they failed — showing that the essential verities and boudaries of human ability are still being pushed and as difficult as ever.

There were clowns aplenty (although we did miss BELLO) and dancers and singing numbers.  There was the ringmaster who, at every opportunity called out to “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND CHILDREN OF ALL AGES.”

And yes, there were the animal acts — jumping dogs, prancing llamas, donkeys. There were horses, and tigers of course — (not as fearsome as in years past) and yes there were the elephants and even a 1 year old baby born the day before the current president’s inaugauration and named Barack in his honor.

This show was produced by sisters Nicole and Alana Feld and written by Bradley Zweig and what they have figured out brilliantly is that at this point the Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus is a matter of tradition — of people who recall going with their parents, and of people wanting to create memories and traditions of going with their children — and that it is the traditional elements that people are paying to see when they come to this circus — they want more animal acts not less, more death-defying trapeze and aerial acts –they want the traditions [AND YES PLEASE ONCE AGAIN BRING BACK THE HUMAN CANNONBALL]at the same time using the technology to make it all seem as contemporary as possible — and fast paced!!!! provides for a three ring circus that remains, a treasure for CHILDREN OF ALL AGES, such as my daughter, her friend, — and me!

THEY RINGLING BROTHES BARNUM AND BAILEY CIRCUS IS PLAYING IN LOS ANGELES AT STAPLES THIS WEEKEND(JULY 16, 17,18), AND THEN WILL BE AT THE CITIZEN’S BANK ARENA IN ONTARIO (JULY 21-25), AND THEN ANAHEIM HONDA CENTER (JULY 28-AUG 8). TICKETS AVAILABLE — CHECK THE WEB…

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