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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Ringling Bros. circus to close after 146 years
2017-01-15
[YAHOO] After 146 years, the curtain is coming down on "The Greatest Show on Earth." The owner of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named that the show will close forever in May.

The iconic American spectacle was felled by a variety of factors, company executives say. Declining attendance combined with high operating costs, along with changing public tastes and prolonged battles with animal rights groups all contributed to its demise.

"There isn't any one thing," said Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. "This has been a very difficult decision for me and for the entire family."

The company broke the news to circus employees Saturday night after shows in Orlando and Miami.

Ringling Bros. has two touring circuses this season and will perform 30 shows between now and May. Major stops include Atlanta, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston and Brooklyn. The final shows will be in Providence, Rhode Island, on May 7 and in Uniondale, New York, at the Nassau County Coliseum on May 21.
Posted by:Fred

#8  So the circus leaves town at the same time as the Obama administration. Redundancy alert.
Posted by: Matt   2017-01-15 13:39  

#7  Too bad - Obama's best suited as the carnival barker of a three-ring circus...
Posted by: Raj   2017-01-15 13:37  

#6  ... and currently snowflake meltdowns combined with ATWS (Anti-Trump Whining Syndrome). More family fun!
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839   2017-01-15 11:51  

#5  Well at least we still have Congress...
Posted by: CrazyFool   2017-01-15 11:09  

#4  I think the closing was more due to the ever diminishing attention span of younger people. They would rather sit in their room and "play" on social media than go outside and experience something first hand. Combine that with those asshats of PETA, and it was just a matter of time.
Posted by: bbrewer126   2017-01-15 11:07  

#3  Trapeze and high-wire acts were the first to go. Neck muscles no longer permit elevation or non-electronic viewing.
Posted by: Besoeker   2017-01-15 08:19  

#2  ...Without denying for a second that the animal rights whiners and changing tastes had a lot to do with it, I suspect that the often outrageous cost to SEE said circus had a lot to do with it. Last time we went was IIRC 2011, and between tickets, parking, food and a souvenir, for three of us it was within spitting distance of $300.00.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2017-01-15 08:09  

#1  Ann Coulter, of all people, explains this
Posted by: Bov Flimbers   2017-01-15 03:09  

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