The circus has always been fun from my childhood watching it with my grandparents in Venice, Florida up to enjoying it as an adult as I write these reviews. There is something magical about the circus that P.T. Barnum introduced and Feld Entertainment has learned to keep. That magic has stayed with the current Ringling Brothers circus. I never been able to put my finger on what that magic was until tonight. I went with a 3 year old boy and when I saw his eyes bulge and go “WOW” when the elephant came into the ring for the national anthem, I then saw what it was. It was the ability to capture our youth and transform it magically into fantasy, and somehow that fantasy sticks with us as an adult. Would this be the same if I saw the circus for the very first time as an adult? I do not

know, and glad I do not know.  I am just very glad I was able to help that 3 year old not wonder the answer to that question when he is an adult.

The circus fulfilled it’s billing as “Legends.” From the start when Johnathan Lee Iverson introduced us to this 2 hour journey as ringmaster. During this journey we saw a lot of acrobatic skills, animal skills, motorcycle skills, and of course the skills of the clowns to make us laugh. The highlight for me was seeing the motorcycles in the Globe of Steel. Seeing 4 of them in any venue is impressive enough, how about 8?  You must go and see.

Alexander Lacey was nothing short than amazing with all of his lions and tigers in the ring. You can see the love that those magnificent cats not only have for him, but for each other also. How do you train a tiger to simulate attacking you? I personally hope to never be in the position to find out. The Solar Hawks are enthusiastic on the trapeze and the Riders of the Wind will remind you what a horse lover you are as it did myself.

Of course, the Asian Elephants was the “WOW” factor that the three year old continuously reminded me of. If for anything else, enjoy these last few years of the elephants before they are retired from the circus. If going, be sure to arrive early and visit the animals outside up close and get a closeup and new respect for these animals that perform out of love for their trainers and the children of all ages.

The circus is a must see and whether it is hear in Tampa for the next couple of days or if visiting your city and you are reading this wondering if it is worth going too. Let me tell you, it is well worth the money. Out of 5 stars I give it a rating of 4 1/2 stars. The missing half star has nothing to do with the performance in any way. The missing star is due to the sound. It was really hard for me to hear all of the talking. I was able to figure it out, thought, because I was enthralled by the magic that was set forth at the beginning.

The performances left in Tampa are Jan 7-8 (at 7:30pm), Jan 9 (at 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:30pm) and Jan 10 (at 11:00am, 3:00pm). Tickets can be purchased at www.ringling.com or at ticketmaster. For further information you can visit ringling.com, facebook, twitter, or Instagram.

David “Thrills”
The Thrill Freak @TampaAmazeMe

David “Thrills” is an avid enthusiast of thrill parks and entertainment activities in the Tampa Bay Area. Be sure to follow me on twitter for live tweets or email me at tampathrillme@gmail.com for any questions or concerns. Ringling Logo is the courtesy of Feld Entertainment. Pictures are the property of  David “Thrills” and may be used giving David full credit.