Big top to burlesque, circuses offer it all

Which circus really is the greatest show on earth?

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey? Big Apple Circus? Cirque du Soleil? Maybe even the bawdy Spiegelworld?

With an ever-growing number of opportunities to experience life under the Big Top, it is a question that begs to be asked.

The Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil troupe introduced a contemporary style of circus two decades ago, blending storytelling with death-defying artistry. It now has 15 shows running throughout the world and drawing 10 million circus-goers a year. The troupe is adding three shows — in Las Vegas, Tokyo and Macau — in 2008.

The Big Apple Circus, a one-ring affair that started 30 years ago playing within New York City’s five boroughs, now has an 11-month touring schedule that takes the company from New Hampshire to Georgia.

There’s also Feld Entertainment’s Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus, which for decades has billed itself as “The Greatest Show on Earth.” To maintain a strong national presence, it has added a scaled-down third show to its traditional lineup of three-ring touring circuses. The “Gold,” a one-ring edition touted as an “intimate, interactive event,” is playing in smaller markets throughout the country.

So with all this circus fuss, we decided to gather the kids and visit five shows spread in New York, Nevada and Florida.

We were curious about the variety of acts, the ambience and the concession-stand offerings. Would the cotton candy taste as sweet as we remembered it in our own youth?

Our verdict: Each show has its niche, and its strengths and weaknesses. So while there may be no such thing as a one-size-fits-all circus, there is probably a circus that appeals to your taste and budget.

Just don’t load up on the cotton candy. When we caught the Ringling “Gold” edition touring show, called “Boom A Ring,” at the South Florida Fairgrounds in West Palm Beach, we got a rude awakening. Though Ringling’s tickets were the cheapest of any circus we saw — $15 to $22 ($45 for VIP seats close to the front) — that cotton candy ran us 10 bucks since it came packaged with a circus hat.

But Ringling, which has been around longer than many can remember, still offers relative value, since admission includes a free preshow. We got to see a few featured performers and animals, and to try on costumes from the circus wardrobe. As for the performance itself, it is Ringling writ small — that is, the usual pastiche of acts (a tiger tamer and her big cats, a clown who rides a tiny bicycle, a group of high-wire daredevils) — but with some allowances made for the space (instead of a parade of elephants, you get a couple). Though some acts proved stronger than others, the one-ring nature of the show made it a satisfyingly intimate affair. Plus, the relatively compact venue afforded good viewing from just about any seat. Too bad the “theater” — more an expo center than a true arena — felt drab.

The Big Apple Circus is another one-ring affair. We saw the show in New York (tickets ran $38 to $125) during its annual run as part of the 11-month tour. The venue proved inviting enough — a cozy bright-blue tent in the middle of the city at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park. (One drawback: portable-style bathrooms.) As with Ringling, there isn’t really a bad seat in the fairly small space. But as with Ringling, there is a hit-and-miss mix of acts: A female trapeze artist got plenty of “oohs” and “aahs”; a two-man gymnastics team’s segment was a bit repetitious. But the Big Apple’s big draw may be its star clown, the grey-wigged Barry Lubin, better known as “Grandma.” Some kids and adults find him funny; others rate him mildly amusing at best.

With Cirque du Soleil’s Beatles-themed “LOVE” show, at Las Vegas’s Mirage casino, you enter a different world. The theater’s promenade recalls the cartoonish realm of the Fab Four’s “Yellow Submarine.” And the performance, which incorporates 34 Beatles songs, brings an element of stylish sophistication to the circus. Artists serve up acrobatics and other circus arts with musical sensitivity.