Closing of a circus marks the end of an era in entertainmentDate: 1/23/2017 The phrase “the end of an era” is one that has received plenty of use of late and here is one more era that has shuffled off its mortal coil.
I was surprised the other day when I heard the venerable Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus was shutting down operations after 146 years.
According to a statement released by Kenneth Feld, the CEO of the company that has operated the circus for years, “After much evaluation and deliberation, my family and I have made the difficult business decision that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will hold its final performances in May of this year. Ringling Bros. ticket sales have been declining, but following the transition of the elephants off the road, we saw an even more dramatic drop. This, coupled with high operating costs, made the circus an unsustainable business for the company.”
He continued the decision was “even more difficult because of the amazing fans that have become part of our extended circus family over the years, and we are extremely grateful to the millions of families who have made Ringling Bros. part of their lives for generations. We know Ringling Bros. isn’t only our family business, but also your family tradition.”
Some news stories have reported the elimination of elephants from the traveling show due to pressure from numerous animal rights activists was in part responsible for the declining ticket sales.
The concept of trained animals as well as the fact they are being transported across the country was seen by an increasing number of people as cruel.
I acknowledge these criticisms are valid but I can’t help but feel a small twinge of emotion about the most well known circus in the world shutting down.
In 2015 I had the pleasure of covering the Worldwide Circus Summit that was conducted at the Eastern States Exposition. Part fan event and part circus trade show, the five day meeting gave me a fascinating perspective inside the history, art and commerce of the circus.
People see the circus as a celebration of a very different kind of entertainment that was almost equal parts skill and ballyhoo. The circus was simply like nothing else.
The concept of a circus is based on a traveling show that came to your hometown and presented things so outside of your everyday life it seemed magical.
The circus was made for the 19th Century and for a nation such as ours where so much of the population lived in rural areas or small towns.
How could the institution of a circus survive in the age of the Internet? Could the offerings of a variety of live entertainers match what YouTube delivers?
Many of the institutions of the circus appeared terribly politically incorrect today – animal acts and portable zoos featuring exotic beasts that probably were not being treated well, as well as “freak shows” in which people with various birth conditions performed or were exhibited.
The various sideshows may also have presented attractions that would not be acceptable today.
What is considered entertaining years ago is now seen as inexplicable. The concept of what is entertainment changes all the time.
Of course there are other circuses successfully operating in the country with a greater emphasis on human performance rather than animal acts or attractions that might cause a picket line.
With these revised circuses I’m sure much of the art of the performance will continue. There is nothing like seeing someone doing something live that defies both gravity and your own ability.
With the death of Ringling Bros. the kind of institution it represented becomes more historic and less contemporary.
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