Ontario, CA — The North American tour of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s “The Greatest Show On Earth” returns to Southern California beginning on Aug. 9 at the Toyota Arena in Ontario and ending on Aug. 25 at their last SoCal show at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
According to a press release, this “reimagined American Icon” will include modernized versions of classic performances that will raise the stakes for the 75 performers who hail from 18 different countries.
Hosted by Lauren Irving, Alex Stickels and Jan Damm playing the characters Aria, Stix and Nick Nack respectively, this year’s show features music, comedy, death defying feats and more performed in what is described as a 360-degree environment designed to make sure every member of the audience remains close to the action.
“Essentially, we have a center stage, an upstage and downstage,” Lauren Irving told Inland Valley News (IVN). “There’s not really a bad seat in the house because if something’s going on at the other side of the arena, something will also be going on close to you.”
Irving said that one of her favorite aspects of The Greatest Show On Earth is its enduring history.
She cited the circus’s 153 years of history and how it can inspire a sort of generational joy.
“This is a rare thing to be able to experience something that your grandparents also experienced,” Irving said.
She also told IVN about the amazing athleticism exhibited by the performers, comparing it to the Olympics.
“I feel like I travel with these Olympians doing these things that you don’t really think your body is capable of doing and they do it, sometimes three times a day for an audience,” Irving said.
Among the modernized acts is the triangular highwire led by The Lopez Family.
This act assembles three incredibly thin wires connected in a triangular formation, suspended 25 feet above ground, making it a twist on the classic highwire circus act.
Four daredevil performers will also perform acrobatic feats on the “Double Wheel of Destiny.”
The show features a “Criss-Cross Trapeze” act that stars The Flying Caceres trapeze troupe.
“I mean, they’re missing each other by literally inches,” Irving said about the act. “And if they’re off one second, it would be a huge crash in the air. So watching them, they’re like superheroes.”
Nick Nack and the Equivokee Trio perform an “unexpected” clown act devoid of traditional clown makeup but abundant in juggling, acrobatics, dancing and other fun performances associated with the classic clown experience.
“The Ultimate Playground” utilizes the 360-degree stage to showcase stunts performed by bikers and unicyclists when said stage transforms into the “ultimate skatepark.”
Irving told IVN about her role in the show, saying that her passion for music and people makes the interactive aspect of the tour feel like her “sweet spot.”
“Just being able to feel the energy of the audience, that’s the thing, to me, that just really energizes me and fills me with gratitude.”
There are many other acts that Irving said are difficult to put into words.
“You do have to kind of see it to believe it,” she said. “But I’d say it begins and ends with a bang, literally.”
The Greatest Show On Earth performs at the Toyota Arena in Ontario from Aug. 9-11, at the Honda Center in Anaheim from Aug. 16-18, and at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles from Aug. 23-25.
