Roll up, roll up! The magic is back! After a six-year hiatus, the legendary Ringling Brothers Circus has returned. For 150 years Ringling Brother Circus was a part of America’s family experience. When you ask adults “What do you remember from your childhood”, they remember the circus. The sight of the clowns, the smell of the animals, fighting with siblings over popcorn, and having a very, very memorable day with the family.
Then, one dark day in 2017, the circus closed. Why? Entertainment changed a lot in 150 years. Caged animals were no longer a good idea. Freak shows were cut loose from circuses years earlier. Clowns? Way too scary! Even the role of the Ring Master was awash in controversy. It wasn’t just Ringling Brothers. At almost the same time, America’s second-largest circus, the Big Apple Circus, shut down. As did other smaller circuses. Perhaps, in normal times, the circus would have reopened in a few months. But then, COVID came along.
That was then, and now in 2024 both Ringling and the Big Apple Circus are on their way back. Children of all ages will be able to experience the circus once more. Many familiar circus elements will return, but not every element of the circus is destined to make a triumphant return.
We need to remember that the circus constantly reinvents itself. At the height of traveling circuses, Wild West shows and horse riding were big. Very BIG. Today audiences don’t have much interest in a show with a lot of guns and the mock killing of native Americans. Back in the mid-1980s, circuses were in decline and on their way out. But in 1984, Circe Du Soile pulled together some of Montreal’s best street performers. They managed to get the government of Canada to fund them, and they were a huge hit. They were the next evolution of the “BigTop”.
Meanwhile, just outside of Greenwich Village in New York, a small group of very educated entertainers reimagined the circus with new elements and new technology and opened in 1987. They called it “The Blue Man Group”. The original show still runs at the Astor Place Theater, with 4 other permanent shows around the US, and several road shows that tour around the world.
Ringling Brothers has retired the classic Whiteface clown in favor of other types of clowns, jesters, and comics. Big animals are out entirely. High wire, acrobats, trapeze, and stunts remain and are sure to be more daring than ever. Music will evolve into new forms (as happened at Circe Du Soile). Dance, comedy routines, pyrotechnics, and ever more elaborate costumes will be on display. Over time, expect robots and drones to become a standard element of a modern circus.
The new Ringling Brothers, and all other circuses, will have stiff competition in the 21st Century. Not only have movies and TV shows (and streaming) evolved, but home entertainment systems, computer games, and other entertainment have millions of loyal customers. This competition was part of the decline of Circuses. While Ringling Brothers was on hiatus, something new arrived… the “immersive experience”. This is often a mash-up of live activities the audience participates in, often with new technology and/or classical art. For example…
- Museums: Before P.T. Barnum revolutionized the Circus, he created the American Museum in New York, making it the world’s earliest attempt at a “theme park”. COVID has forced museums to innovate. High-interest, limited-time exhibits (King Tut, Titanic, Van Gogh) merged with live human actors, computer-generated images, personal interaction, and technology for a unique experience.
- Wonderland Dreams: One of the most popular and elaborate of these experiences in New York is based on Alice in Wonderland. Art, statues, live artists, and other elements merge together into a family event.
- Teenage Mutant Turtles: Movies often morph back and forth with other forms of media such as comics, graphic novels, streaming series, and video games. The Turtles have been translated into all of these forms, and more. So, why not an “immersive experience”?
- And The Rest: Brigerton spawned the “Brigerton Ball”, the TV Series “Friends” has it’s own experience. Harry Potter has a store that is almost an immersive experience, with “in-character” sales staff, decorations, animatronics, and other immersive elements.
So, the Circus is back, but if you want to be here decades from now, you need to start booking your tickets now! What do you think? Is the circus a vital part of American culture and our childhood experiences, or would you rather spend a day with the family doing something else? Let us know what you think!