The circus ISN'T coming anymore

[barahona44]

Due to declining ticket sales and increased expenses, Ringling Bros. circus has announced they are going out of business this May, after more than 100 years.

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/14/entertainment/ringling-circus-closing/

[davew]

another win for PETA :(

[Tom]

End of an era.
When I was kid, the circus was about the biggest thing out there.

We waited every year for it to come to Rochester, inside the War Memorial, but still, the circus. The schools took us there on buses and it was the highlight of the year.

We watched the acts in amazement. This was better than anything on TV.

[Inner Dirt]

another win for PETA :(

Screw them, they are happy for an American tradition ending and helping put 500+ people out of work who will have trouble finding suitable jobs. Peta is just an organization of extreme nut jobs.

[OntheRail]

It is sad. The Greatest Show on Earth's farewell tour.

The loss will not just be the employees... but those people in every town that helped year after year. Feed sellers to dirt haulers.

Won't be long till the last small one folds it's tent. But hey there's always Vegas.

PETA a group that will kill any animal to further it's agenda to protect animals.. :rolleyes:

[pandy]

When my dad worked for the now defunct Muller's Bar and Grill, he took us to the circus at Madison Sq Garden, the old Garden. I was around 8 years old. Since Muller's was across the street, my dad knew people who worked at the Garden and they let us take a walk behind the Big Tent before the "greatest show on earth" started.

It's one of those indelible things that's burned in my memory. Everyone was warming up and getting ready. There were animals and performers everywhere but what really stuck in my memory was walking past the so-called freak show performers, The Bearded Lady, The World's Tallest Man, and of course, the little people. It was really something. I had never seen anything like it and I was amazed. The circus show itself was magnificent.

[Benni]

I still have posters from the circus when my parents took me as a child. It was really neat because they'd arrive by train and then the streets between the train station and the sports arena were closed so they could walk the elephants over. It was great parade! When my daughter was little her father and I took her when we lived in Atlanta and it was so fun to watch her reactions and remember what it was like for me when I was her age.

Interestingly they just hired the first female ringmaster. Sad the circus is coming to an end.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/first-female-ringmaster-with-ringling-bros-gets-to-do-favorite-things-on/2306234

[TJDave]

A few years out of college I got a hired as musical director for King Bros circus. Damn near the best two years of my life.

A shame abou RB but they couldn't or wouldn't change with the times. Cirque de Soleil ate their lunch.