March 28th, 2011 by Stinkhead
Thursday night we hit up the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey’s Funundrum circus show at the Verizon Center in Washington DC. Step right up and click below to see all our high flying and astounding pics.
It’s amazing to think that we were here more than a month ago watching the Monster Jam truck rally, and now the arena was sporting a 3 ring circus. Here’s my rundown on what was awesome about the show.
Pre-show party
All ticket holders can get in about a half hour before the show for the pre-party on the floor and mingle with some of the clowns and performers. My son was anxious when we first met the clowns (he’s three and a half) but after watching a few tricks, he was enamored and wanted to get his picture taken with them. The clowns did great at engaging the crowd and making sure everyone felt included. It was certainly crowded, but there was so much going on, it was easy to carve out your own spot and have a good view.
Starting the Show
The lights went down and the show started right on time. We took our son to a tent circus at the Fairgrounds which was a different company all together, not Ringling Bros. They started the show one full hour after the ticket time, so that you sit and stew with your toddler and they beg you for overpriced treats while you’re waiting. I love, love, love, that this circus started on time. I only wish more people had gotten their seats ahead of time. There was a constant stream of patrons standing in our view for the first 20 minutes because they were late.
The music
It makes a big difference, but do know that it was a live orchestra providing the music. And there were what seemed to be at least 100 people in their cast of performers. When they started the show they were bursting at the seams with energy.
Entertainment
There was a constant variety of acts and it kept moving the whole time. I was having a blast watching my son watch the circus, but as far as experiencing the circus with adult eyes, I was impressed and consistently entertained. If the tiger act wasn’t your thing, then catapulting acrobats may blow your socks off. Are you not into clowns as much as you were when you were six? The fire jugglers are up in just another minute. We use the term circus frequently in our lives to describe a chaotic, busy mess. However, to their credit, the circus is more organized and planned out than anything I’ve pulled off.
It was definitely an entertaining show. And everyone has asked me if the clowns were scary. No, these clowns are not scary. Scary clowns on TV are especially creepy, but these real clowns were genuinely friendly clowns.
The cost
Yes, it’s true, you won’t squeak by just paying the ticket price. There are tchotchkes and souvenirs at every turn. Popcorn and Cotton candy dealers are walking the aisles and it seems every kid is intentionally showing off what they scammed out of their parents, directly to my little boy. I was lucky, I managed to escape with only buying a ten dollar sno-cone. Let me repeat that. A ten dollar sno-cone. But notice, it comes in a collector mug! One tip I have for parents is go to the Dollar Store and buy a pack of glo-sticks. You can get bracelets and more, for a dollar. Keep them sequestered for awhile and then make a big deal about giving them to your kids. I’ve managed to dodge buying souvenirs at Disney World, Fourth of July, the beach, and now the circus.
Do you go?
Ultimately its up to you to decide how much fun you’ll have at the circus. It’s childish and fun, and most enjoyed by young children and parents who can channel the joy and excitement from watching their small children. If you’re a shutter bug like me, there’s all kinds of amazing things to shoot, with their own sets of challenges (this was the hardest thing I ever shot, but I think I did alright, I have a lot to learn however).
The circus was actually longer than we were prepared for, which is good. The show started at 7:30, and by 9:50 we knew we had to duck out to get onto the metro. Our son’s bedtime is typically 8:30, so we were on borrowed time. They also have matinee shows on the weekends. But I was impressed that it was still going, and I didn’t ever feel short changed or let down.
The evening was a lot of fun, and our son is still talking about it. Check out our Video podcast of the Circus!
Swing by Ringling.com to see when the circus is coming to your town and to buy tickets.
And click here to check out the Elephant Parade in front of the Capitol a few days ahead of time.
Now here are my pics from the circus. Enjoy!
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Posted in 3&up, event, kids, news, picture, review, toddler | Comments Off on The Greatest Show on Earth (pics!)
