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| DATE | 2017-01-15 |
| FROM | mrbrklyn
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| SUBJECT | Subject: [Hangout-NYLXS] End of the Circus
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Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to face final curtain after
146 years
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Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, performing on Saturday in
Orlando, Fla., will close after being in show business for 146 years.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, performing on Saturday in
Orlando, Fla., will close after being in show business for 146 years.
(Chris O'Meara/AP)
BY
Rich Schapiro
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Updated: Saturday, January 14, 2017, 11:47 PM
The Greatest Show on Earth will not go on.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is folding up its big tent for
good in May after an epic 146-year run, its owner announced Saturday.
Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, said a variety of
factors doomed the circus — declining attendance, high operating costs
and prolonged battles with animal rights groups.
“There isn't any one thing," Feld said. “This has been a very difficult
decision for me and for the entire family.”
Daily News reporter joins circus pros, talented stunt dogs
Ringling Bros.’ two touring circuses will perform 30 shows until May.
The tours are slated to hit Atlanta, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston
and Brooklyn. The final shows will be in Providence, Rhode Island, on
May 7 and at the Nassau County Coliseum on May 21.
Animal rights groups celebrated the news.
“After 36 years of PETA protests, which showed the world the plight of
animal captivity, PETA heralds the end of the saddest show on earth,”
the group tweeted.
Jiminy Cricket, Dumbo!
dnp; Exported.;
Elephants of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus feast on a buffet
of vegetables at Madison Square Garden in NYC. (Rosier, Linda)
But the shocking announcement also drew anguished messages on social media.
“Devastated. The circus is one of my favorite childhood memories. Thank
you for 146 years,” wrote Twitter user Alex Cabrera.
Even former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee chimed in.
“Ringling Bro. Circus shutdown-very sad; Greatest Show on Earth won't be
seen by future generations,” he tweeted.
“Thanks for the memories, RB!”
Since the mid-1800s, the circus has dazzled crowds of parents and
children across the country with its exotic animals, elaborate costumes
and high-flying acrobats.
But in recent decades, the show had largely lost its luster as TV, video
games and the internet provided new and addicting forms of entertainment.
0
The final shows will be in Providence, Rhode Island, on May 7 and at the
Nassau County Coliseum on May 21. (ANDREW KELLY/REUTERS)
Then came a major blow — after a costly legal battle that stretched
years, the company removed elephants from its shows last May.
Attendance had been falling for 10 years, but the move triggered a
“dramatic drop” in ticket sales, said the company’s chief operating
officer Juliette Feld.
“We know now that one of the major reasons people came to Ringling Bros.
was getting to see elephants,” she said. “We stand by that decision. We
know it was the right decision. This was what audiences wanted to see
and it definitely played a major role.”
Still, the announcement seemed to come at an odd time.
Just two nights earlier, the Ringling Bros. circus debuted its
first-ever female ringmaster.
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