Circus to come to town June 22

Ringling Bros. trades in its three rings for one big center stage

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The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's The Greatest Show On Earth is now in its 136th year, and it recently underwent a couple of substantial changes that residents can see for themselves during the circus' upcoming performances at The Orleans Arena, June 22 to 26.

The two major changes include one center ring and a plot line to the show.

"There are no rings, nothing to hold us in," said Scott O'Donnell, Boss Clown and preshow host. "Rather than watching one ring at a time and looking to another when you hear applause, you get to see it all. There is still tons of action, just in a more centralized, focused manner. That was the biggest complaint, that people couldn't watch everything at once, but now you can. Now, rather than having three 40-foot rings, we have a single, 80-foot-by-130-foot floor to work on."

O'Donnell, who has been a circus clown for 19 years, said he is ecstatic about the new show and his job.

"There is a big responsibility when you're a clown. You are a 6-foot-tall cartoon character in front of a kid. That's a big task. You have to make sure they're ready to be approached. We take it seriously, but we are more consumer friendly than clowns used to be, not as outlandish. We use softer makeup and colors. We're as palatable as possible."

As for the plot line of the show, it is simple, but draws the audience's attention, O'Donnell said.

The plot follows the adventures of a family from the audience -- a planted family -- as they are brought to the arena floor to follow their dreams of running off and joining the circus.

"It follows their dreams from beginning to end. The kids really like it," O'Donnell said.

The show runs two hours and 15 minutes, but there is a free, 45-minute session before the show begins where attendees can go on the arena floor and meet some of the show's cast, learn what they do and take photographs.

"Let's just say that it's not called the greatest show on earth for no reason," said Chuck Wagner, the circus' 35th ringmaster and the acting father of the family in the plot line.

"There is truth to my part," Wagner said. "I've been happily married for 25 years and I have two children, a 19-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter. And it's a great part for me. And every show I try my best to channel P.T. Barnum," he said laughing.

The circus is made up of three units -- the blue, which travels to Las Vegas; the red; and the gold. The blue and red units are similar in size, however, they have different themes and crisscross the country. The gold unit is a smaller, more European-themed show. O'Donnell noted that the gold unit is sometimes referred to as the hometown edition.

All of the editions feature the unforgettable nonhuman members of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's The Greatest Show on Earth -- the Asian elephants.

The elephants are lifelong members of the circus family and have their own sanctuary in central Florida.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Center for Elephant Conservation is a source of pride for all members of the circus.

Bruce Read, vice president of animal stewardship, said that the 200-acre center is meant for research, reproduction and retirement.

"We have 29 elephants at the conservation and about 10 elephants with each unit," he said.

"Everyone who sees the circus supports the conservation," Read added. "We have total commitment to their care. We are very proud of our animal care. The circus is dedicated to strong animal care and stable social groups among them, and their performance is part of their exercise program."

Read also stressed that the circus' training methods are rewarding in nature.

"What they do during the shows are all natural behaviors," Read said. "They do what they can do and what they like to do, and they learn to do it through repetition, reward and reinforcement."

More information on the Asian elephants can be found by visiting www.elephantcenter.com.

For additional information on Barnum & Bailey's The Greatest Show on Earth, visit www.ringling.com.

Circus show times are 7:30 p.m., June 22 to 23; 11:30 a.m., 3:30 and 7:30 p.m., June 24 to 25; and 11:30 a.m., June 25.

Ticket prices start at $14 and go up to $75.

Tickets for the circus performances can be purchased at The Orleans Arena Box Office or by calling 284-7777.