This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
There is a comforting air of familiarity to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus that rolled into Salt Lake City Wednesday night for its annual five-day run at the EnergySolutions Arena.
From acrobats to clowns to elephants to trapeze artists and high-wire motorcycle acts, this production feels as familiar as listening to an old favorite album on the way to work or reading in a comfortable chair at home.
Vendors hawk cotton candy, popcorn and lighted gadgets in the aisles before the show and at intermission. Families gleefully take photos of their kids at the pre-show event where audience members are invited on to the arena floor to interact with performers. An elephant dunking a basketball is particularly impressive.
There are also the animal rights protestors who try to guilt the thousands who come to the circus each year into not going, arguments the circus tries to counter with a message about conservation and how it tries to save endangered Asian elephants and tigers.
Yet, when ringmaster Jonathan Lee Iverson invites "ladies and gentlemen and boys and girls of all ages," to enjoy "the Greatest Show on Earth," cheers go up and the excitement begins.
There's animal trainer Alexander Lacey, who takes caged snarling tigers and lions through their paces, the favorite part of the show for my 8-year-old grandson.
The China National Acrobatic Troupe wows the crowd with amazing stunts. A personal favorite includes Hans and Maria Klose and their trained dogs and pigs, who add a touch of humor to the proceedings that is often funnier than the clowns who keep the audience entertained as sets are changed.
Alex Petrov rides a motorcycle high above the arena floor on a high-wire with two women acrobats holding on below. The crowd gasps when the contraption spins.
What would a circus be without trapeze artists? In this show, the Tuniziani Troupe offers the act near the top of the arena stage, performing a number of stunts that anyone who has been to the circus has probably seen but still finds amazing each time.
The Torres Family puts seven motorcycles into a small steel cage and rides them at breakneck speeds seemingly inches from one another. When the stunt is done in black light, the effect is dazzling.
Add to that performers riding the trained elephants and there is plenty of variety.
What you won't see at this show is the traditional "three-ring" circus, where performers compete with each other in three different rings. That's actually a good thing. It's nice to be able to give full attention to one or in some cases two acts at a time.
This show is billed as "Legends" but the re-creation of a pegasus, a unicorn and a mammoth came across as a little cheesy and certainly wasn't close to the high point of the show.
In the end, it all felt familiar. Those who go to the circus often no doubt recognize some of the performers from years past. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. In a crazy world filled with so much unpredictability, the circus brings folks back to simpler times and for two hours makes us forget our troubles.
Twitter @tribtomwharton —
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey "Legends"
A familiar but fun circus that includes animal, high wire and acrobatic acts and, of course, clowns.
When • Continues Thursday, 7 p.m.; Friday, 3 and 7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m., 3 and 7 p.m.; Sunday, 1:30 and 5:30 p.m.
Where • EnergySolutions Arena, 301 W South Temple, Salt Lake City
Tickets • $20 to $100; Smith's Tix
Running Time • Just over two hours, including 20-minute intermission