Feld and/or public sloughs Ringling Brothers

[Diego]

Very sad to read that the Feld family/organization, has announced they are ending the 146 year run of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus this May.
Declining sales/profits, harassment from PC groups seem to be part or all of it. Certainly a nickel-nurser like Ken Feld, who knew how to cut costs and maximize revenue, would have prevented it, if he could. Was it not making money, or just not a LOT of money, as it has in the past. How will smaller shows fair in the future? While they don't have the nut RBBB had, smaller outfits like Clyde Beatty and others can't cut it anymore.

Again, very sad.

[Roger M.]

Simply put, the form of entertainment involving dancing animals appears to have run its course in modern life, and as always ... the public speaks with their wallets.

[Tom Moore]

To claim that Ringling / Felds are representative of all circus is like claiming that Cris Angel is representative of all magicians and that the day his vegas show closes the writing will be on the wall for kids-party magicians.

The Ringling shows were phenomenally expensive arena shows - teams of 100 people involved in the presentation side were not uncommon; their physical infrastructure and logistics was outdated and physically massive with shows taking 60 trucks to move; At a time when audiences can buy tickets to see their favourite Disney character live on stage (in a show that will have maybe 3 dozen people on the presentation team and can be toured in 5 trucks) for the same price as a Ringling ticket it's not surprising that the financials for the show don't stack up. By using arena's they are working in a geographically restricted market and are forced to operate a very slow business model as arena tours require ideas to be locked-in years ahead. It should be noted that absolutely nowhere else in the world does any circus or traveling show operate anything close to the way Ringling's create their shows and tours which shows just how in-efficient it was.

I think Feld's have been very smart, closing the show now creates a wave of nostalgia - in 3 years time the brand has a significant birthday and i wouldn't be surprised to see it relaunched in a scaled-back version (They have been dabbling in creating a proper Tented version of the show for some time) that would be much more cost-effective and practical to tour and closer resemble the Ringling business model of the pre-Feld era which would then ensure that Ringling branded circus would be touring profitably for decades to come.

[Richard Kaufman]

This makes me very sad.

[Roger M.]

One thing that always fascinated me about John Ringling was the fact that he took the circus to Sarasota, Florida in order that the cast and crew could over-winter in complete comfort.

The sheer power and money that the Ringling organization once commanded is reflected in John Ringling's personal estate, now an art museum (among other things) in his name in Sarasota.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@27.381326,- ... 312!8i6656

Pop by Google Maps and look around the estate for its sheer size. Change to the "overhead view" and see what the Ringling Circus was once capable of generating for John Ringling financially.
Note that the estate is far larger than if first appears, and the Ringling family home is the building labeled Ca' d'Zan, located right on the shore of the Sarasota Bay.

[Diego]

How it's overhead compares to other shows, (especially since the pay is rather low for the work involved, and and Feld's strict hold on costs) I don't know. But for the Ringlings, the show was struggling to make money for some observers, groaning under it's own weight, before they sold it.
In his bio, "The last of the Ringlings" he recalls how Irving Feld called wanting to buy his circus. He dismissively asked, "Do you know how to manage the 100+ workers who put up/tear down the tent?"
Feld replied, "So you're in the construction business, I want to get into the circus business."
Ringling replied he also knew how to feed his workers 3 meals a day, "...and they eat better than you do Mr. Feld."
Feld replied, "So you're in the catering business, I want to get into the circus business."

Feld buys the circus, strictly plays indoor arenas, no longer the need to pay/feed the canvas workers, splits the show into two units that can cover the country in half the time more efficiently. Until the last years, the Feld's did very well with the show.
Someone who was hired as a consultant for the show a few years ago, said that circus fans are worse, (!) than magicians, (living in the past) they want to see gilded cages with a ringmaster with a booming baritone....while the Feld organization was constantly working on a show that would appeal to audiences TODAY.

[Diego]

Another important loss, is that RBBB was THE show to be on...the name, the prestige...the biggest and best. Just as playing The Palace, or The Copa, or the Sullivan Show.
While some shows have maintained a regional brand profile, and Circus Vargas and Universal Soul Circus have continued to be a familiar name to many, none will ever have the NAME that RBBB had...especially when circuses were more important...names like, Lilian or Alfredo were household names like Michael and Justin would be nearly a century later.

[Herb]

I find this news very disappointing for a variety of reasons. Nostalgia is one...I loved the Ringling circus as a kid, mostly for the sheer spectacle of it. But also as the largest and most visible circus in the U. S. it kind of was a focal point for the whole world of circus. Losing the link to the history that the show represents is also disheartening.

However, as others have noted or implied, it seems as if the Ringling Circus never really evolved enough to meet the needs of contemporary audiences. It was outflanked by Cirque du Soleil and others. Cirque du Soleil, by the way, showed that it is quite possible to put on a great -- and profitable -- circus without animals. I was intrigued to come across information about Circus 1903, which features David Williamson as ringmaster (!) and has an interesting way of handling the issue of elephants. Looking forward to seeing what that show is about. It starts a U. S. tour in February. http://www.circus1903.com

I hope that in fact Ringling does come back with a revised point of view in the future. It's hard to imagine that the brand will vanish all together.

[merenkov2]

Does anyone remember Barnum’s Kaleidoscape show (circa 1999-2000)? It was fantastic, a one-ring circus that toured with its own tent. More like a European-style circus, it featured legendary Italian clown David Larible. The only animals I remember were a team of beautiful white horses and maybe some geese (?). The show was magical and dreamlike, with an intriguing subtext of romantic triangles between some of the performers/characters. I was bored by the typical Ringling Brothers three-ring circus (as an adult), but thought the Kaleidoscape show could have given Cirque du Soleil a run for the money. Pity they only tried the concept for one season.

[Brad Henderson]

kaleidoscape was a great show.

re closing circus:

the removal of the elephants was merely a symptom not the disease. the circus was once a magical place where people had contact with the strange and unusual. Imagine seeing a lion for the first time in the 1800's. imagine seeing acts you had never before even imagined defying death above your heads.

with zoos, nature programs and the ability to demand any act on the planet perform for you at will on your desktop, the circus is rather redundant.

especially once it became an arena show.

I remember my first tented three ring circus, it was magical. I couldn't wait to see a real ringling show - and when I did (at rupp arena) I left sad.

it was cold and sterile.

today the circus is no different from the ice capades

cirque was smart. they substituted high concept asthetics for the waning mystery and edge.

loosing the elephants didn't kill the circus. it's only after the wonder is lost that we begin thinking about their well being.

worldliness killed the circus.

[performer]

I won't be shedding any tears for Ringling. I worked in a circus once doing a card act of all things! At one time I thought a circus was not a circus without animals. As a result of my experience I have changed my mind. My own circus was a very small one and did not have much in the way of animals anyway and I can't say I saw any particular bad treatment of the tiny few they did have. It was more of the callous attitude of the veteran animal trainers that put me off. It was obvious the animals were little more than props for them and they cared not a whit for their welfare. And I do remember one veteran circus lady who had worked with Ringling Brothers explaining to a rookie trainer how to make a lion roar when you want to. She exclaimed, "Easy, just use a shocker!" This was some device on the end of a pole which was designed to give lions an electric shock when you wanted them to roar. I was pretty shocked myself when I heard it.

Another time I asked another animal trainer what he did with his horses during the off season when they weren't performing. In my innocence I imagined them resting in some green pasture grazing in the off season. Instead his retort put a chill down my spine. It was delivered in a very casual off hand manner, "Oh, I just have them put down at the end of the season"

No. As far as I am concerned if a circus cannot do without animals then I am happy to see the back of them. Having said that someone mentioned to me that most circuses in the UK no longer use animals anyway.

[Roger M.]

For those folks who may not live near a city that has a touring Cirque show troop through, an example of a Cirque show that is entirely based on the classic circus (minus the animals) is the production of "Mystere" at Treasure Island in Las Vegas.

Mystere was the original Cirque show in Vegas (dating from 1993), it succeeds entirely on physical feats of danger or amazement, and the performance of assorted "clown" figures who help move the show along and manage the transitions from scene to scene.

I've seen all the Vegas Cirque shows, and still consider Mystere the most pure, and in many ways, the shining example of what a traditional circus can achieve without animals.

Mystere is most representative of what Cirque was before they came to Las Vegas, back when they were actively reinterpreting the traditional circus in Quebec City.

In the end though, it's all about the quality of a shows artistic direction ... true of any show anywhere (and most definitely includes the circus).
The creative artistic brilliance of Cirque's Franco Dragone was first seen in a permanent setting with Mystere in Las Vegas, to be followed by all the other Cirque productions that prospered (and essentially took over Las Vegas) under Dragone's hand.

[observer]

Another time I asked another animal trainer what he did with his horses during the off season when they weren't performing. In my innocence I imagined them resting in some green pasture grazing in the off season. Instead his retort put a chill down my spine. It was delivered in a very casual off hand manner, "Oh, I just have them put down at the end of the season"
.

He was pulling your leg.

You don't just nip down to the corner store at the start of the season & pick up a set of performing horses.

[performer]

He was not pulling my leg. He was deadly serious. And it wasn't just him anyway. There was a culture of disregard for animal welfare. And being stuck in a tiny cage for hours on end is not fun.

[Daniel Z]

In 2000 and 2001 I travelled two seasons with The Garden Bros, (at that time) the largest and oldest Canadian circus. I was directing a documentary TV series and was accompanied by two three person crews as well as by my two children. My 16 year old son, a vegetarian since he was 8, worked as a production assistant. My 12 year old daughter (a dedicated carnivore) was a butcher (i.e. she sold concessions for the circus).

We spent all our time with the the acts on and off stage. We had access to every person involved with the show and access to all areas. There were a number of animal acts which varied from season to season. These included: elephants, large cats (tigers and lions), horses (a liberty act) dogs and cats. Our filming included the animal activists who confronted the show at many stops.

In the 70s I worked briefly on both small beef and dairy farms. The attitudes in these very different environments were somewhat similar. These were people whose livelihoods depended on their relationship with their animals. They valued them but rarely (though occasionally) related to them as family members. Even more rarely did I see evidence of any cruelty — beyond that which some see as inherent in the fact of using animals for our own ends in shows or farms.

Beyond that (perhaps) inherent cruelty no doubt there are, in circus and farms (and in film, tv and theatrical production venues), cruel and unthinking people who treat the animals (and often their fellow humans) badly. In my experience (admittedly limited) they are anomalies.

[performer]

I can't say I saw any actual cruelty. Perhaps some rough handling at times which disappeared instantly the moment members of the public came to visit the animals afterwards. And of course the confinement in small cages for hours on end didn't look too pleasant to me. It was more the attitude and conversation of the veteran acts that made me feel queasy.

Maybe Garden Brothers was different or perhaps they made sure not to misbehave and watch what they said in front of cameras-I have no idea. My experience was also limited as I was only with them for about 8 weeks or so although I did a lot of individual gigs for them in years to come. Let us just say it made me somewhat cynical.

[Daniel Z]

I agree Mark. Seeing the animals confined in small cages is disturbing to most of us. I feel the same way about animals in the zoo, even in landscaped containment. But really I'm not sure that they feel the same -- though I prefer to err on the side of leaving them alone. Of course, though I hope it isn't true, in a world where wilderness and wild animal habitat is vanishing the choice may already be, confinement or extinction.

[performer]

Confinement is one thing. Close confinement is another. Areas where they can spread out and wander around is one thing. Tiny cages are another.
Incidentally the guy who told me he killed his horses off at the end of the season also told me a story about elephants. He told me, "It is perfectly true that elephants never forget" He then related to me a tale of an elephant trainer he knew that mistreated a young elephant for a long time. (see-it does happen). He then said that the trainer then left the circus and the elephant was left in peace. However, some decades later the same elephant (much bigger now) met the same trainer (much older now) again and the instant he saw him went berserk and crushed the guy and killed him.

[performer]

Daniel. On a related matter I don't know if you ever get a chance to go on the Toronto subway system. They have the most incredible ads to discourage people from eating meat and they emphasise the cruelty to animals aspect. They are incredibly effective and I wish the guy who came up with the campaign was handling MY marketing! Here is some info about it.

http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/wh ... ystem.html

[Daniel Z]

Thanks Mark I'll check out those links. Meanwhile, back at the circus...
I have heard similar tales and I knew one elephant trainer who suffered a similar fate, apparently because he tended to harass his charges, and one of them just got tired of it. As I understand it the elephant just stopped what it was doing and leaned on him. But I also know elephant handlers and trainers who love their animals, and whose elephants seem to love them.

PS from what I saw in my small experience (one circus, two seasons) the big cats were transported and slept in small individual cages but also spent time in larger ones.