It's Circus Time Again! Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Goes 'Over the Top!'

On 17 March 2008 by Ellis Whitman

Read about the 2013 edition here.

What's great about spring in New York City is that winter is no more: Park Avenue is alive with a blaze of tulips, the Channel Gardens of Rockefeller Center are abloom with an array of colorful flowers, and the circus comes back to town. That circus is, of course, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, known the world over as "The Greatest Show On Earth."

Impresario Kenneth Feld and producer Nicole Feld promise that the "all new" 138th Edition of RBBB - titled "Over the Top!" - will be exactly as advertised: larger than life and heart-stopping. So hang on to your hats for RBBB's spectacle of high-flying acrobats, amazing animals, Brazilian showgirls, and side-splitting laughs from its huge ensemble of clowns. It's all at Madison Square Garden from Mar. 20 through Apr. 5, to ring in spring and the Easter season.

Broadway veteran Chuck Wagner, most recently seen as The Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, is back, matching wits with the eccentric clowning of Brooklyn's own Tom Dougherty, an accomplished musician, theater director and actor, as they vie for control of the magical hat that brings to life their fantastic imaginations. They're alternately helped and hindered by Pepe and Royo, clowns who are a throwback to those silent screen funsters, the Keystone Kops.

Ringling Bros. is synonymous not only with spectacle but also magnificent animals. Children of all ages will be in awe of the antics of Alex Petrov's performing Asian elephants; on the edge of their seats as Daniel Raffo stands eye-to-eye with powerful Siberian, Sumatran and Bengal tigers weighing up to 700 pounds; and awe-struck at the dazzling feats of strength and agility of China's Henan Troupe on tall, swinging poles.

Have you ever met human pretzels? No? Well, Ringling Bros. gives you an excellent opportunity with the Sankars, who defy even the wildest imaginations with their twisting contortions.

RBBB is made up of an international family of artists. Colombia's Flying Caceres will be performing high-altitude feats on an enormous double-decker trapeze. Paraguay is famed for their tradition of circus thrill-seekers and the Torres family - five brothers, three cousins - aim to honor that tradition in the Steel Sphere of Death as they defy gravity, logic, and every traffic pattern imaginable on seven motorcycles at speeds of up to 65 mph in only 16 feet of space. Yes, you read it correctly: 16 feet. And don't be surprised this year if the Torreses up the ante by adding an eighth cycle.

Brazilian "Super" Wellington Silva will also be revving on a motorcycle, but seven stories off the ground in a death-defying high wire act with aerialist Gleice Ribeiro de Souza. Galloping across the breadth of the arena will be the Kassaev Cossacks, who undertake daring equestrian exploits on their snow-white Andalusians and black Russian Trotter horses.

The kids will love the acrobatics of the Duo Kurinskyy's somersaulting, Ringling's Bombastic Bouncers on inner-tubes, Maria Garcia's comedy trapeze act, Gail Mirabella's canine cutups, and Jenny Vidbel's barnyard brigade of dogs, goats, llamas, donkeys, horses, pigs, and Percy the porcupine - 40 animals in all.

Don't be late! In fact, arrive early - RBBB's Three Ring Adventure begins one hour before showtime. This is an up-close and personal hands-on show with the acrobats, aerialists, and animals. There are great photo-ops with costumed performers as you try on costumes - even become a Ringling Bros. ringmaster - for a few moments. There's also the opportunity to win a picture painted by the "Picasso of Pachyderms." Since you'll likely be chowing down on hot dogs and popcorn, you can also enjoy Ringling's CircusFit, where you exercise and learn circus skills.

Attention new moms and dads: Another RBBB tradition continues - awarding every baby up to 12 months old (and living in the continental U.S.) a ticket to a future performance. Sign up at Ringling.com under Special Offers/Baby's First Circus.

Tickets for Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus are $15-$74.50 (VIP seating). This year at each performance Ringling Bros. is offering a limited number of "Circus Celebrity" seats ($154), which put you right in the show.

City Guide is giving away four free tickets to this year's Ringling Bros. show! To enter the contest, click here: //cityguideny.com/contestform.cfm?id=23