The Greatest Show on Earth: Ringling Bros “Built To Amaze” show really was Amazing!

The Greatest Show on Earth: Ringling Bros “Built To Amaze” show really was Amazing!

I don’t even know where to begin about the circus so I guess I’ll begin at the beginning.  :)  We got to go down to the circus floor before the pre show and hangout.   Bug is a tad skittish in new surroundings so we watched the acrobats and juggling clowns and the guy on stilts warm up from a distance.  Ashley Vargas (@circusashley on Twitter) – the ring announcer – tried very hard to get close to him but he was adamant about hiding behind my legs.  Maybe it was because she was so sparkly.  :)

Bug did try on some costumes!  Those things are HEAVY!  But he was a trooped and tried to smile while wearing the red jacket (it looks like a pirate coat – so he says…)

If you arrive early enough, you can take part in the pre-show activities also!  Right down on the circus floor!  Doors open one hour before show time.  You can meet the performers, try your hand a walking a (very low) tightrope, juggling and more!  About 30 minutes before showtime, you can catch the pre-show at one end of the arena (just don’t wait too long, so you can get a good spot right up front!)  We saw horses, clowns and elephants!  The elephants were SOOOO close to us!

I haven’t been to the circus in many years, I had almost forgotten just how AWESOME it really is!  I remember when I was very young at my first Ringling Bros Show, watching Gunther Gabel Williams and all his tigers!  That began a love of these amazing creatures that I still carry around today.  This year’s show did not disappoint!  The tigers and their trainer were amazing!  Since this was Bug’s first circus, I had been telling him about some of the things he would see and when I told him about the tigers I mentioned that those were my favorite.  So when the tigers came out, he said, “Look!  There’s your favorite part!”

He said he liked the acrobats best.  When I asked “Which ones?”  (Because they have acrobats on the tightrope, acrobats that swing from the ceiling, acrobats that run and jump and do flips….) and he said, “All of them.  All of the acrobats are my favorite.”  And he mentioned he liked the Ringmaster too.  I think it was because of the top hat.  ;)

If you’re in the Birmingham area and you still want to go, there is still time to get tickets for one of the last FIVE performances!

Performance Schedule: 

Thursday, January 24 at 7 p.m.

Friday, January 25 at 7 p.m.

Saturday, January 26 at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7  p.m.

Sunday, January 27 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Ticket Prices and Purchase:

Tickets are: $89 and $94 (Circus Celebrity), $48 (Front Row), $38 (VIP), $24 (Lower Level) and $14 (Upper Level).

Ticketmaster service charges and facility fees not included.  All seats are reserved. Tickets are available at www.ringling.com or www.ticketmaster.com, at any Ticketmaster outlet, by calling 800-745-3000, or at the BJCC box office. For group ticket sales and information, call the box office at 205-458-8400 or 866-248-8740.