No rings and no stripes, yet it's still a great show
BY JANET CAGGIANO TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Feb 16, 2006

Cheryl Miles walked into the Richmond Coliseum last night for the opening performance of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus expecting to see some stripes.

So was her 4-year-old cousin, Eunique Lawson. Both were disappointed.

"I told him we were going to see the tigers," Miles said. "Oh, no! I can't believe they aren't here!"

For the first time in 50 years, Ringling Bros. is undergoing major changes. Gone is the three-ring circus, replaced with an open arena and a jumbo video screen. And, to the surprise and disappointment of some, no more tigers.

"The tigers were the best part!" said 15-year-old Megan Lewis as she visited a concession stand between acts. "But this is still fun. There's so much to see."

But is it still the Greatest Show on Earth?

"I haven't been to the circus since I was a child, and this is way different," said Amanda Goodrich, who brought her 2-year-old daughter, Maggie, to last night's show. "But I like it better. It feels more updated. It's not like an old-time circus anymore. It's sleek looking."

The costumes have been updated to a more contemporary look, from strapless dresses to shiny vests. And for the first time, Ringling Bros. weaves a fictional story throughout its performance.

The characters, portrayed by circus performers, are average family members who live out their dream of joining the circus. The father becomes the ringmaster, the mother a glamorous trapeze artist, the teenage daughter a circus dancer and the son a juggler.

One of the night's favorite acts involved household cats and pigeons. Amazingly, the felines seemed uninterested in eating their feathered friends. Instead, they pushed them around on a cart.

Other acts included the world's largest pie fight, the Globe of Death featuring seven motorcycles, an equestrian performance, a dog routine and a NASCAR parody. Mighty Herkules astounded all when he let a 2-ton Jeep drive over his stomach.

With just one ring to watch instead of three, spectators had little trouble keeping up with the action.

"I like it better this way," said Brian McMullin, who brought his 4-year-old son, Brendan. "It's great because you don't have to look back and forth and worry about missing something."

No matter how hard you strain, though, you won't find those tigers. "It's too bad they aren't here," Miles said. "But we are still having a great time. It is the circus, after all."