NEW YORK (Reuters) – The clowns, animal acts and acrobats of the storied Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus are taking their final bow at an arena outside New York City on Sunday in the farewell performance of the “Greatest Show on Earth” after nearly 150 years.
Capping a legacy that stretches back to the legendary 19th century showman P.T. Barnum, the circus bids adieu at a series of shows this weekend at newly refurbished Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale on New York’s Long Island.
The final show on Sunday evening was a sell-out and a worldwide audience can watch the event via a live stream on the Ringling website.
The finale, announced by parent Feld Entertainment Inc in January, comes a year after the company bowed to pressure from animal rights activists and agreed to stop using elephants in its performances. A featured attraction for more than a century, the elephants had come to symbolize the Ringling Bros brand. read more
The circus will still be performing at the DNC.
The DNC – a circus without a ringmaster
The irony is that clowns and animals are inappropriate but LGBTQRSTUVWXYZ is all good.
250 MILLION people got an otherwise impossible first hand view of elephants, tigers, lions.
Without that, in the future, will people be more or less sympathetic to the safety and health of these animals?
And they were not abused or humiliated. This small sampling of wild animals served a noble purpose. Why do we have zoos?! Stupid self-centered activists!
I can still recall when my first grade class attended the RB&BB Circus as a group and my mother was our class volunteer. She passed away a few months later, but I can still remember as if it way yesterday. We both had fun and I loved her being there with me, even though I didn’t know she was so sick and didn’t want to ruin my circus day. Thank you RB&BB Circus for giving me that special day and good memories to a 6 year old little girl!
The phrase “run away and join the circus” will disappear.
The Ringling Museum in Sarasota has a great building of circus memorabilia. Well worth the stop.
I’m so glad I took the grand kids 2 years ago. I thought it was going to be really dumb, but it was really a great show. Lots of stuff happening and some amazing effects. The “protestors” were out front, of course, and I engaged with one of them. “These elephants cost like, $50,000 to feed and care for and transport to the show. Why would the circus ruin/abuse that investment?” She gave some smarmy answer and we walked off. My 5 year old grand daughter asked me, about two minutes later, “Why don’t they like elephants, Mimi?” WOW! What a great response from a little kid. She was talking about the protestors!! Thanks, Feld Entertainment, for doing your best to save the circus! Gonna miss your show!
Shame… now kids will never get to experience the circus. I still remember going when I was young. Wonderful. Animal rights activists suck.
What next? Taking down statues of Confederate soldiers? Naaaa… can’t happen.
Rufus – It’s “Run away and join the DNC” now.
End of an era.
went out of business since they are no longer able to dress mooch obama
Gotta see them on a school field trip in
the 70’s in Lincoln. What a great show!