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Don't You Dare Blink: Circus promising a parade of astonishing acts at a breakneck pace
Photo Courtesy of Feld Entertainment
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will be presenting “Boom a Ring” Thursday through Sunday at Joel Coliseum.
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Published: June 8, 2008
Six white-striped Bengal tigers, prompted by a trainer in her early 20s, will jump hurdles and give high-fives. One will sit atop a giant globe, and another will hop backward. The tiger described as the feistiest female of the bunch will stand on her hind legs.
Splendid elephants from Asia will parade about. Tightrope walkers will operate 25 feet above the floor -- with no net to catch them if they fall. An archer will take his talent to a new extreme, demonstrating feats with a crossbow that should never, ever be tried at home.
There will be dog acts, acrobats and stunts on bicycles.
All this and more await the circus fans of "Boom a Ring," a presentation of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey that will open Thursday at Joel Coliseum.
Jason Gibson, the production manager of "Boom," had two suggestions for those planning to step right up and watch it. The first is to arrive early enough to take part in an "All-Access Pre-Show," which will begin an hour before each of the five "Boom" shows at Joel through next Sunday.
"There are so many things to do," Gibson said, plugging the "All Access" activities. "It gives everyone a chance to get that personal connection with our performers -- and actually feel like a circus star."
Indeed, "All Access" participants can mingle with performers and pose for photos with them. They can try on costumes of past Ringling Bros. shows. Or they can get a hands-on taste of circus performance by doing a little "low-wire" tightrope walking or juggling.
"Boom a Ring" is what Ringling Bros. calls a "gold tour" show. This means that it takes place in one ring, with the action moving swiftly from one act to the next. Gold shows have been around for only about four years.
Ringling Bros. has two other, different shows on tour -- a "red" one, in which there are three rings, and a "blue" variant, which dispenses with a ring altogether. A red show, called "Over the Top," played last February at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex.
Gibson, who has also worked on red and blue shows, seemed particularly bullish on the gold one coming here. He emphasized the fact that many audience members sit so close to the action that they feel they can almost reach out and touch it.
Vicenta Pages, the show's tiger trainer, echoed Gibson's sentiments.
"It's a more intimate experience," she said. "It's easy to focus on what's going on."
Gibson also referred to "this constant cycle of energy and excitement through the entire show," adding that he's never seen a Ringling Bros. circus "that's been this quick."
The fleeting nature of "Boom," coupled with the fact that only one act is presented at a time, prompted Gibson's second suggestion, namely to buy snacks before the show begins.
"You're not going to miss anything unless you're out getting your cotton candy and snow cones," he said.
One must-see attraction would be Pages, a rarity among tiger trainers because of her gender and her age (22).
Pages grew up performing in her family's circus, called Circus Pages, and appeared in her first circus act at age 4. She has learned a range of circus skills, including flying trapeze. In her current vocation, among the most dangerous in show business, she spoke of having to "read" her animals, saying "they're just like people."
"If you're nervous, they'll know," she says in press materials. "They sense everything. You have to understand what they are thinking and know when it's time to stop."
Pages said that she doesn't intend to stop training tigers for a long while, despite the obvious risks.
"I like the thrill," Pages said. "I like the challenge. This is pretty much a dream come true. Once you're in Ringling Bros., you're at the top."
■ Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will present "Boom a Ring" beginning Thursday in Joel Coliseum. Shows are at 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. next Sunday. Free "All-Access Pre-Shows" will begin an hour before each "Boom" performance. Tickets are $15.50-$36.50, with discounts for military personnel and groups of 15 or more. Children ages 2 and under will be admitted free. Call 336-722-6400 or go to www.ljvm.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
■ Ken Keuffel can be reached at 727-7337 or at kkeuffel@wsjournal.com.
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