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Circus Icon Ringling Bros. Says Goodbye After 146 Years
NBCNews.com ^ | May 21 2017, | Daniella Silva

Posted on 05/22/2017 1:54:04 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult

UNIONDALE, New York — Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus folded up its Big Top for the last time on Sunday night in New York, as emotional performers, wistful crowd-goers and ecstatic protesters said farewell to an institution in American live entertainment after nearly a century and a half.

The circus gave the final performance of "The Greatest Show on Earth" to a sold-out crowd at Nassau Coliseum, showing off its death-defying stunts and exotic animals for the last time after 146 years.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: americana; animalrightactivists; animalrights; barnumandbailey; circus; culturewar; feld; finalperformance; greatestshowonearth; newyork; peta; ringling; ringlingbros; theend
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

I’m surprised they lasted this long. Another piece of Americana gone and it saddens me.

My Dad was an “out the door at 5:30 am and home at 7:00 pm” executive type. Anything he did with me was usually something he enjoyed doing. But he took me to The Ringling Bros. once and I’ll never forget it, just love the memory. Looking back, he must’ve hated it. He’s 91 now, I’ll have to ask him if he remembers.


21 posted on 05/22/2017 4:03:49 AM PDT by SoCalConservative
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

The circus of congress attracts more viewers.


22 posted on 05/22/2017 4:05:11 AM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (Hillary Clinton IS a felon)
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

I was listening to local talk radio this morning and they were mentioning that one of the reasons that Ringling Bros. attendance started lagging was because the average circus act last around 8 minutes and that children no longer have the attention span to watch. I think there is some validity to that...especially for kids under 10.


23 posted on 05/22/2017 4:07:28 AM PDT by woweeitsme
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I think the competition from CSPAN was too intense in the end


24 posted on 05/22/2017 4:11:46 AM PDT by dsrtsage (One half of all people have below average IQ. In the US the number is 54%)
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To: woweeitsme

I also think the circus is a form of entertainment that simply doesn’t translate well to the digital age in any way, shape or form. Other than buying tickets on the internet and seeing circus acts on YouTube, I don’t see how the circus could possibly keep up with other forms of entertainment in this era.


25 posted on 05/22/2017 4:16:53 AM PDT by Alberta's Child
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To: Will88

They had it outdoors. That must have been cool. How did they set up the trapeze?


26 posted on 05/22/2017 4:17:14 AM PDT by castlegreyskull
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To: Salman
It was still the best of all the American circuses. The smaller ones you speak of were ratty and tacky with tired animals and lousy clowns. The only good acts were the high wire acts. At the Cole Circus we walked out after the first half. Ringling was an American institution and it's only right to mourn its demise. For those who care, Cecil B. DeMille captures it all in his famous movie The Greatest Show on Earth./p>
27 posted on 05/22/2017 4:34:08 AM PDT by miss marmelstein
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To: xp38

That’s a fabulous movie. Features the midget/clown Cucciola, who is absolutely hilarious.


28 posted on 05/22/2017 4:40:46 AM PDT by miss marmelstein
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To: miss marmelstein

I remember going to see the Ringling in the late 70’s at the Hartford Civic Center, now the XL Center. It was wonderful and I was much younger.


29 posted on 05/22/2017 4:52:16 AM PDT by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism5" - Ephesians 4:5)
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

The animal rights freakazoids managed to get our small local rodeo shut down last year, after over 100 years.

The local fishwrap applauded the closure.

If I want to see a live rodeo now, I have to travel 6 hours. Humbug!


30 posted on 05/22/2017 4:59:01 AM PDT by Don W (When blacks riot, neighbourhoods and cities burn. When whites riot, nations and continents burn.)
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To: miss marmelstein

Do not be surprised if the animal rights folks go after the smaller circuses next.

Their idea of the circus is the Cirque which has human performers only.


31 posted on 05/22/2017 5:01:47 AM PDT by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism5" - Ephesians 4:5)
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To: woweeitsme

I wonder if some small part of the decline is from the increase in scary clown sightings during the last year.


32 posted on 05/22/2017 5:05:57 AM PDT by Hillarys Gate Cult
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To: Alberta's Child

Please see post 20.

The Cirque rip-roaring success even in the digital age.


33 posted on 05/22/2017 5:09:34 AM PDT by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism5" - Ephesians 4:5)
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

Passing of an icon....though sad, not unexpected....The animal portion was a small factor....other major factors are:

1. It became incredibly expensive compared to other entertainment venues for a family of four.....
2. Wasn’t that entertaining, they didn’t adapt to new ideas....
3. Clowns.....


34 posted on 05/22/2017 5:09:56 AM PDT by nevergore
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To: woweeitsme

The daughter took over the company and caused the hemorrhage of cash to come to a close


35 posted on 05/22/2017 5:11:23 AM PDT by bert (K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;WASP .... Hillary is Ameritrash, pass it on)
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

At least we still have Congress.


36 posted on 05/22/2017 5:12:18 AM PDT by fungoking (Tis a pleasure to live in the 0zarks)
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To: castlegreyskull

My father told me when he was a young’n back in the 30’s the Elephants walked past his house on their way from the train station to the fairgrounds and if you helped with the tent raising you got a free ticket to the show.


37 posted on 05/22/2017 5:12:31 AM PDT by Rebelbase (Deportation mayhem is just birthing pains for a new America.)
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To: fungoking

...and the media.


38 posted on 05/22/2017 5:12:44 AM PDT by fungoking (Tis a pleasure to live in the 0zarks)
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To: Biggirl

Correction:

The Cirque is.


39 posted on 05/22/2017 5:13:34 AM PDT by Biggirl ("One Lord, one faith, one baptism5" - Ephesians 4:5)
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To: fungoking

That’s the Freak Show.


40 posted on 05/22/2017 5:15:45 AM PDT by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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