The circus is one of our favorite pastimes, and this weekend, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will present a newly reimagined Greatest Show On Earth, which will stop in Newark as part of its North American tour.
The international cast has 75 performers from 18 countries, including Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Ethiopia, Italy, Mongolia, Spain, Ukraine and the United States. And no live animals!
The set starts off in the design of a toy box, and then becomes activated by the athletics of the performers. All of a sudden the stage is the ultimate skatepark, as bikes soar through the air. BMX riders, a trial biker and an extreme unicycler perform stunts on a unique trampoline box constructed in the center of a take-off and landing ramp. Double-sided ramps allow the athletes to mirror each other with epic side-by-side bike stunts that include high-flying flips.
Some of the never-before-seen stunts include The Triangular Highwire, led by The Lopez Family, sixth-generation circus artists hailing from Mexico and Chile. Three 25-foot-tall wires are connected in a triangular formation with performers who jump over their partner’s shoulders, ride bikes on the thin wire with performers on top in a handstand, and more incredible human feats.
The Double Wheel of Destiny is more extreme, with four acrobatic daredevils performing challenging back-and-forth leaps and somersaults atop two simultaneously spinning apparatuses suspended 30 feet above the ground and moving at high speeds.
Nick Nack, one of the show guides, and the Equivokee trio from Ukraine introduce a modern take on clowning uses the comedy of Rola Bola, juggling, acrobatics, dancing, and more silliness.
The Criss-Cross Trapeze is the ultimate swing set consisting of four pedestals where nine trapeze artists take flight. The Flying Caceres perform daring tricks and higher rotations, including a double-layout rotation from bar to bar, seen for the first time in The Greatest Show On Earth.
Wesley Williams, the One Wheel Wonder, a Guinness World Record-setting performer, will be taking on a daring new challenge as he attempts to set a new world record. Wesley will ride ten different unicycles throughout the show, including one with six stacked wheels, an accordion-style unicycle that grows taller with each pedal rotation, and the tallest at an astonishing height of over 34 feet!
Jumping, diving and tumbling across the show floor, acrobatic acts include the Teeterboard, hand-to-hand balancing, hoop diving and foot juggling.
There’s plenty of music and dancing, too. Argendance, an energetic, bombastic dance troupe from Argentina, presents a fusion of Boleadoras and Malambo. The Melody Mixer will feature audience-created musical content incorporated into the show.
Closing the show with a bang is the Ringling Rocket, featuring Skyler Miser launching across the arena at 65 mph.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – The Greatest Show On Earth will be at Prudential Center in Newark from February 29-March 3; and then UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, from March 8-10. The New Jersey shows will be 7 pm Thursday; 7 pm Friday; 11 am, 3 pm and 7 pm Saturday; and 12 pm and 4 pm Sunday. Prudential Center is located at 25 Lafayette St., Newark. Tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.com or in person at the venue’s box office. Family-friendly ticket pricing is available, and ticket prices are subject to change based on market demand.
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