Reimagined ‘Greatest Show on Earth,’ based in Manatee County, hitting the road, coast to coast
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The reimagined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, The Greatest Show On Earth, hits the road this month for the first time since 2017.
It’s been a long road back for the show, which no longer includes the word “circus” in its name or animals in its show.
Ringling owner Feld Entertainment shut down the show in 2017, citing declining ticket sales, high operating costs, the public’s changing tastes in entertainment and costly fights with animal rights groups.
Feld Entertainment, which is based in Ellenton, Florida, also has a number of other touring shows, including Disney on Ice, Marvel Universe Live, Jurassic World Live Tour, Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Monster Jam.
“As we began envisioning the reimagined Ringling, it was important to balance evolving the show for today’s consumers, while staying true to who we are as a brand,” Kenneth Feld, chair and chief executive officer of Feld Entertainment, said in a press release.
“Over the past two years, we have innovated and reimagined what audiences can expect from live family entertainment. We are delivering powerful moments of connection between the performers and the audience,” he said.
The Greatest Show On Earth will officially kick off a 52-city, coast-to-coast tour Friday, Sept. 29, in Bossier City, Louisiana.
A number of Florida dates have been announced, including Tampa’s Amalie Arena, Jan. 5-7, Orlando’s Amway Center Jan. 12-15, Jacksonville’s Veterans Memorial Arena, Jan. 19-21, and Sunrise’s Amerant Bank Arena, Jan. 27-28.
The Greatest Show on Earth, dating to 1871, was Feld Entertainment’s longest running show until it was shut down in 2017.
Among those who believed that The Greatest Show on Earth might return was high-wire artist Nik Wallenda. In 2017, he told the Bradenton Herald he did not believe that anyone had heard the last of the Greatest Show on Earth.
“Why wouldn’t he (Kenneth Feld) choose to sell it unless he has something in his back pocket that none of us know about?” Wallenda previously said. “My gut tells me they’re going to sell the name eventually, or I think he will regroup and bring back the brand in a different fashion.”
VenuesNow first reported the news in 2021 that Ringling would be making a comeback after interviewing Kenneth Feld and his daughter, Juliette Feld Grossman, in Seattle.
In response, animal rights group PETA issued a statement praising the reemergence of an animal-free circus: “Ringling is back, but this time, PETA may just be in attendance, because the company has abandoned the chains, cages and whips in favor of hiring only human performers — who are allowed to go home to their families at night.”
In May 2022, Feld Entertainment offered more details, including that rehearsals would begin in June 2023 and that the U.S. tour would officially launch in September 2023.
“It’s something great for the community in the Bradenton-Sarasota area. We will produce a lot more jobs,” Feld said in a 2022 interview with the Bradenton Herald.
A Feld press release this week describes the reimagined show as a music-filled journey bursting with catchy rhythms, beats, songs and laughter that will have audiences clapping, tapping, singing and laughing along.
Promised are never-before-seen stunts, acrobatic displays, and comedic acts. The cast includes 75 performers from 18 countries, including Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Ethiopia, Italy, Mongolia, Spain, Ukraine and the United States.
“The one thing that has always defined a Ringling show is the sense of wonder, awe, and authenticity,” Juliette Feld Grossman, chief operating officer of Feld Entertainment and producer of The Greatest Show On Earth, said in a press release.
Dates and tickets are available on Ringling.com.
