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Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Mets Guy in Michigan Jan 15 2017 05:39 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 19 2017 02:43 AM

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Ashie62 Jan 15 2017 06:29 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Saw the show at the old MSG. All fun.

Frayed Knot Jan 15 2017 10:47 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

The truth is that they just can't compete with the year-round circus in Washington. RB's circus coming to MSG in the spring was their regular stop each year, often to the dismay of Rangers fans because it used to cause rescheduling and sometimes forced road games if and when the Rangers got into the playoffs (so only occasionally in other words). It also made the entire Garden smell of elephants even when they did get around to hockey.

d'Kong76 Jan 15 2017 11:27 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Do I correctly recall that they used to park their trains at that train yard that you cross over on the 7 line? I never saw the greatest show on earth. I remember seeing a lesser circus at least twice at our county center and thinking it was kind of boring but maybe I was just short changed by some lack of grandness. Gimme The Harlem Globetrotters any day of the week over a circus.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 16 2017 01:01 AM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Yes Hunters Point LIRR. Their elephants used to walk around out there too.

MFS62 Jan 16 2017 01:25 AM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

What fun. What a smell. What a shame. Later

Ceetar Jan 16 2017 02:22 AM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

This is pretty much a win for the animals though.

A Boy Named Seo Jan 16 2017 02:29 AM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Yeah, what the shit. Animals enslaved and tortured to balance on little steps and play with beach balls for our enjoyment. Make Sea World next.

Lefty Specialist Jan 16 2017 01:25 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Took my son to an MSG performance about 15 years ago and he wasn't that impressed. (He was more impressed with the spinny-lighty thing that they sold us for like $32). The whips and the things they made the animals do made me uncomfortable, but I think the animal-rights thing was probably less of a factor than declining attendance. Kids have other things to occupy themselves these days.

Edgy MD Jan 16 2017 02:27 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Oh, I think the animal rights activists were a torment. They kept their lawyers occupied 24-7, they were there dampening enthusiasm protesting the parade every time the show came into town, they ran a counter publicity campaign at every stop. Yeah, attendance declined, but that's in large part due to cultural value shifts driving them out of fashion. And those cultural shifts were the product of a lot of campaigning. I think it's a shame they ultimately elected to shut down shop though. They have a brand that has stamped itself on childhood for generations. They could have kept the brand alive and made it stand for something else besides animal acts.

Frayed Knot Jan 16 2017 02:33 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

They also found themselves out-done in a lot of ways by Cirque de Soleil, although CdS would never travel their show into every medium sized town and so RB still probably could have found themselves a niche in which to operate. Probably tough to operate as a 'small' circus though.

Mets Guy in Michigan Jan 16 2017 03:07 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 19 2017 02:43 AM

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Lefty Specialist Jan 16 2017 03:44 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Big Apple Circus also filed for bankruptcy recently, so I don't know if 'going small' would have worked. It's just an institution that time passed by. Those newly-unemployed clowns should head to DC, where they'll blend right in.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 16 2017 03:53 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Circuses are a holdover from the 19th Century that haven't completely died out yet, but kids no longer get excited to go to the circus. I've gone to Ringling Bros. twice as an adult, once at Madison Square Garden with my son in 2001 when he was five, and once with my wife and both kids in 2006 in Hershey, Pa., when my son was nine and my daughter was almost five. The one in Hershey was less of a spectacle than the one in New York. I don't know if it was because they had scaled down the show some time in the previous five years, or if they do a bigger show in the big cities. Neither of my kids ever said, "When can we go to the circus again?" They were reasonably entertained, but not especially exited about the show. Tastes have changed.

Edgy MD Jan 16 2017 04:10 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

I went as a cub scout. My den mother was Mrs. Logan. She asked me which part of the show I like best, and I asked her, "Is this 'Feelings'?" Big Irish question marks appeared over her head and she looked at me gravely. "What sort of feelings, Dear?" "No," I said, gesturing ambiguously to the soundtrack. "This song: is it 'Feelings'?" She laughed herself until she rumbled, and then gave me a hug. I had three separate shows going on in three different rings in front of me and I was most interested in the identity of the pumped-in music, which was pretty culturally ubiquitous without paying for tickets and hauling a dozen crazy boys into the city by LIRR. She ignored me most of the rest of the show, until about ninety minutes later, when somebody was about to drive a motorcycle across a tightrope. She was about to ask me what I thought of the show, but saw the same glazed look in my eyes, and so she asked me, "And what song is this?" "'Twenty-Five or -Six to Four'," I immediately said. She had realized I spent the whole afternoon playing Name That Tune with myself.

Ceetar Jan 16 2017 04:14 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Neither of my kids ever said, "When can we go to the circus again?" They were reasonably entertained, but not especially exited about the show. Tastes have changed. Definitely. I think that's true of a lot of things of course (including baseball) There are just SO MANY options that it's really hard for one to stand out. Half the internet is high-def, slo-mo, silly animal tricks (and more humane) too. That's why the 'solution' to make kids more interested in baseball is not silly things about attention spans and shortening games or instant replay, it's about not sending cease and desist commands to people that share clips, highlights and gifs of the media. It's about letting players be stars, have personality, flip bats, etc. And it's about creating an experience. A random kid randomly watching the World Series or a random game is unlikely to get hooked, it's the going with friends, or family, and talking about it with them. It's integrating it into daily life. And things like "Did you see that crazy play Mike Trout made last night?" going viral via a gif or a meme that helps that.

RealityChuck Jan 16 2017 10:10 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

I saw it at MSG in the early 60s. Didn't care for it, mostly because we had cheap seats and could only see one ring. I liked the clowns, but didn't care for the acrobats. Cirque de Soleil bores me, but there are still quite a few in operation in the US. They're small and stick to small towns. I would guess they do OK in areas outside of big cities. If you're two hours away from a city, a circus in town is a nice entertainment option. I saw one a few years ago, and enjoyed it more than Ringling.

Nymr83 Jan 16 2017 10:23 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Mets Guy in Michigan wrote: If I read an article correctly, the last-ever show will be at the Nassau Coliseum. A more appropriate location could not have existed for the last gasp of a dying broken down industry than this dying shitty stadium!

themetfairy Jan 16 2017 10:24 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

I remember seeing the 100th anniversary edition of Ringling Bros. at MSG as a kid, and I took my kids to the circus a couple of times when they were young. It was sometimes overwhelming because so much was going on simultaneously, but it was impressive. In recent years it was produced by Kenneth Feld - whatever you think about these kinds of things, he puts on big, splashy productions that appeal to kids. I see how its time has passed, especially since they don't have the draw of the elephants anymore. But it was fun while it lasted.

Zvon Jan 17 2017 03:20 AM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

The only thing I remember really loving about the circus was that they sold these little almost penlike flashlights when you popped the top, it would light up. I went in the 60's as a kid and that was my first flashlight. It was a prized possession for years (meh, probably months, being a kid and all). Wow, I even found an picture of one. [fimg=200:3g5s80zx]https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8142/7307223016_37cd0d2b51_b.jpg[/fimg:3g5s80zx] The first image doesn't show it but the long chord attached allowed you to swing it in a circle, which was pretty kool. [fimg=500:3g5s80zx]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SBQMc6x58LA/UZDgYV_d0uI/AAAAAAAAMDg/Ll0sj0rQXjU/s1600/Circus*Flashlight.jpg[/fimg:3g5s80zx] I guess that's a collector's item now. Wowzers.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 17 2017 05:10 AM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Zvon wrote: The only thing I remember really loving about the circus was that they sold these little almost penlike flashlights when you popped the top, it would light up. I went in the 60's as a kid and that was my first flashlight. It was a prized possession for years (meh, probably months, being a kid and all). Wow, I even found an picture of one. [fimg=200]https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8142/7307223016_37cd0d2b51_b.jpg[/fimg] The first image doesn't show it but the long chord attached allowed you to swing it in a circle, which was pretty kool. [fimg=500]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SBQMc6x58LA/UZDgYV_d0uI/AAAAAAAAMDg/Ll0sj0rQXjU/s1600/Circus*Flashlight.jpg[/fimg] I guess that's a collector's item now. Wowzers. I can't believe you wrote that post because that light thing is the only thing I remember about going to the Ringling Bros. circus. I remember those lights came on a small string or loop and lotsa kids in attendance would twirl that string so that the light would spin in a circle. Also, I conflate the circus with the Harlem Globetrotters even though the two acts have nothing in common. But I also once saw the Trotters at the Garden when I was a kid, so maybe I conflate the two because I saw the two acts close in time. Those were probably my first visits to MSG. I definitely saw the circus and the Trotters before I ever attended a Knick game.

Lefty Specialist Jan 17 2017 11:33 AM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

I think the spinny-lighty thing my son got was a descendant of that, after the circus people realized that thousands of kids swinging flashlights around could be, you know, kinda dangerous.

Centerfield Jan 17 2017 02:16 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Circuses are a holdover from the 19th Century that haven't completely died out yet, but kids no longer get excited to go to the circus. I've gone to Ringling Bros. twice as an adult, once at Madison Square Garden with my son in 2001 when he was five, and once with my wife and both kids in 2006 in Hershey, Pa., when my son was nine and my daughter was almost five. The one in Hershey was less of a spectacle than the one in New York. I don't know if it was because they had scaled down the show some time in the previous five years, or if they do a bigger show in the big cities. Neither of my kids ever said, "When can we go to the circus again?" They were reasonably entertained, but not especially exited about the show. Tastes have changed. This. My kids, though they tried to be good sports, were clearly bored. In similar fashion, I recently saw a commercial for the Harlem Globetrotters and wondered how long they would be around.

MFS62 Jan 17 2017 02:33 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

The only thing I remember about the circus is that basketball games were moved from Madison Square Garden (the one on 50th street) to the 69th Regiment Armory to make room for it. And a bunch of clowns crammed into a tiny car. But never fear, boys and girls. A new circus will be starting up by the end of the week, led by an Orange clown. Later

Vic Sage Jan 17 2017 06:45 PM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

The circus had a big impact on me as a kid. They were still doing the "side show" when i first went, but that was the first thing to get shunned out of the big top (you can still see some pretty amazing things at the Coney Island Circus Side Show [url]http://www.coneyisland.com/programs/coney-island-circus-sideshow). Then the animal rights activists rightly fought the abusive practices that the animals endured, giving the industry another black eye. But you can still have animal exhibitions which treat animals humanely, and so put kids in awe of the other species on the planet, inspiring their empathy and desire to work to help preserve those species. Of course, humane treatment is more expensive and Kenny Feld (who i worked for at one time) was not about to spend a nickel to do that. Still, the circus always had an air of disrepute... from the midway carny barkers, to the creepy clowns, to the flamboyant acrobats. It was part of its appeal, so i don't know that the animal rights activism was solely responsible for its decline. But just like vaudeville, burlesque, commedia d'elle arte, and lute players, sometimes certain forms of entertainment can't keep up with changing tastes and they just disappear over time. When i took my kids, they were bored, and it wasn't because the treatment of the elephants wasn't sufficiently humane, or that the rep of circuses gave them preconceived notions as to its cultural appropriateness. They were just bored. My son, who was 4 at the time, was a big fan of JOJO'S CIRCUS, a tv show that engaged young kids in activities. So he was excited by the idea of going to the circus, but, after we were sitting and watching for a while, he turned to me with tears in his eyes and said: "you mean this is just a WATCHING circus?" He was devastated; he thought it would be interactive, like JOJO, and immediately became a boneless carp, flopping out of his seat onto the floor, I had to carry him out after a while.

Zvon Jan 18 2017 01:56 AM Re: Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus closing down

batmagadanleadoff wrote: Zvon wrote: The only thing I remember really loving about the circus was that they sold these little almost penlike flashlights when you popped the top, it would light up. I went in the 60's as a kid and that was my first flashlight. It was a prized possession for years (meh, probably months, being a kid and all). Wow, I even found an picture of one. [fimg=200]https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8142/7307223016_37cd0d2b51_b.jpg[/fimg] The first image doesn't show it but the long chord attached allowed you to swing it in a circle, which was pretty kool. [fimg=500]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SBQMc6x58LA/UZDgYV_d0uI/AAAAAAAAMDg/Ll0sj0rQXjU/s1600/Circus*Flashlight.jpg[/fimg] I guess that's a collector's item now. Wowzers. I can't believe you wrote that post because that light thing is the only thing I remember about going to the Ringling Bros. circus. I remember those lights came on a small string or loop and lotsa kids in attendance would twirl that string so that the light would spin in a circle. Also, I conflate the circus with the Harlem Globetrotters even though the two acts have nothing in common. But I also once saw the Trotters at the Garden when I was a kid, so maybe I conflate the two because I saw the two acts close in time. Those were probably my first visits to MSG. I definitely saw the circus and the Trotters before I ever attended a Knick game. Yep. I remember the hefty smells, the rings, the Circus-master or whoever he was, and maybe one animal act when they were running in concurrent circles on each other backs. That was interesting. Other than that, I remember swinging the flashlight in circles out in front of our row and seeing all the other kids also doing it in the crowd. It was magical to me at that age (probably 8).