After a six-and-a-half-year hiatus, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey returned with a reimagined production that premiered September 29, 2023, in Bossier City, Louisiana. Feld Entertainment.
FROM A RECENT ISSUE OF BANDWAGON
After six years away, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey returned in 2023 with a bold new vision. Go behind the scenes of the historic revival of The Greatest Show on Earth.
Re-Imagining Ringling
By Chris Berry
Volume 67 • Number 4 • 2023 • Pages 36–89
A Blank Slate
“Very seldom in life are you given the chance to start all over again.” – Kenneth Feld
“It was the most emotional, toughest day of my life,” Kenneth Feld said, as he reflected on the decision to close Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey in 2017. Six-and-a-half years had passed since the final performance at Long Island’s Nassau Coliseum. Now, the circus was back – once again filling arenas with a dazzling display of superhuman feats and cutting-edge technology, yet without the tremendous operating expense associated with what was a 146-year-old business model. And—for the first time—without animals.
The complete article is available to members of the Circus Historical Society through the members-only Backyard.