CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, March 29, 2023

The Greatest Show on Earth gets a second chance

www.fastcompany.com When the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus—back after a six-year absence—begins its 50-city tour of North America this September, it will include 75 highly trained performers and a litany of extravagant acts. Tightrope walkers will flit across a triangular rope, 30 feet in the air. Acrobats will launch themselves between four spinning wheels suspended from stadium ceilings. BMX bikers will spring off a giant trampoline. And a 360-degree set studded with massive video screens and enhanced with sonic spatial technology will envelop audiences in the spectacle.

1 comment:

Allison Schneider said...

Well I had not realized at all that this circus was absent for 6 years. I haven't been to the circus in a long time. Honestly I dont really remember the experience or the atmosphere like I might have once before. The circus has gained a rough reputation over the last few years, with a raise in awareness of animal cruelty, an intense fear of clowns emerging for a few years. In addition, The Greatest Showman was released, which helped to give an indication as to the origin of the circus, but critics of the movie were quick to inform folks of how much of it was fiction, and education many folks about the bad sides the story doesn't show. It is good to know that in this reemergence of the circus, it will no longer include animals, and the acts being presented look truly fascinating. But I’m immediately reminded of cirque du soleil. I wonder if the company will find itself struggling to do a version of what cirque has already been doing for many years.