One of Wisconsin’s most famous attractions, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, appears to be coming back to life. Shown here are just five of the celebrated seven brothers from Baraboo, in 1905. (Courtesy Wisconsin Historical Society, ID 6050)
“The Greatest Show on Earth” appears to be coming back.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s parent corporation is looking to hire a casting director for the famed American circus, which closed in 2017.
The seven Ringling brothers’ circus was founded in Baraboo, in 1884. Its off-season quarters there have been preserved as Circus World, a Wisconsin Historical Society museum. The National Historic Landmark features artifacts, models, railcars and colorful hand-carved wagons along with live performances
The brothers’ combined show would be 150 years old this year. They purchased the older Barnum & Bailey circus in 1907 and formally joined with it in 1919. Born of canvas and literal horsepower, it survived the encroachment of vaudeville, then motion pictures and radio, and even television. However, ticket sales slipped sharply in the age of internet entertainment.
Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages mourned the loss of America’s iconic three-ring circus when its last show closed May 21, 2017, in Uniondale, NY. But it had been bedeviled by animal rights activists for decades. Though the circus retired its elephants in 2016, eight months later it was dead.
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
But like a death-defying daredevil shot from a cannon, it appears that the circus may do just that – defy death.
Yesterday on Circus Talk, an international bulletin board site, parent company Feld Entertainment Inc. posted a job notice for “Casting Director – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – The Greatest Show on Earth.”
Feld Entertainment operates all kinds of touring shows, such as Disney on Ice, Jurassic World Live Tour, Sesame Street Live and monster truck programs. The Feld family began working with Ringling descendants in the 1950s.
According to the company website, the new Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey casting director will work with producers and others to “conceptualize / develop new acts for the show; and advising on equipment and training required for existing and potential acts for the show.” Job requirements include experience mentoring, teaching, negotiating and “ability to evaluate/critique circus acts and all types of live performance.”
Perhaps most important of all, remember that if you want to run away with the circus, you “must be willing and able to travel extensively – both domestically and internationally.”
Feld Entertainment Inc. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics.
