Circus with stamina: Ringling Bros. still delivers family-friendly fun

IT MAY or may not still be "The Greatest Show on Earth," but the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is certainly one of the most surprisingly popular shows on the planet.

Despite seemingly endless competition for the entertainment dollar (television, video games, movies, the Internet, et al), the decidedly low-tech and old-fashioned circus remains a major attraction for "children of all ages."

Opening night of this year's edition of the circus found the soon-to-be-demolished Wachovia Spectrum, which is hosting the extravaganza for the 41st and final time, pulsating with energy as fans delighted in a potpourri of acts - from trained dogs, horses and zebras to aerialists, clowns and even a pair of women who were launched from giant twin cannons.

To be sure, there are some differences between the circuses that captivated audiences a century or more ago and the current version, which is called "Zing Zang Zoom" and runs through Memorial Day.

For instance, the traditional three-ring format, which showcased different acts simultaneously, is gone. Generally, the spotlight is taken by one act at a time.

The music - performed by a large, live band - is more rock-based than the calliope-and-marching-band sounds historically identified with such presentations.

And the "freak"-dominated sideshow has long been a politically incorrect memory.

Essentially, though, the circus has remained consistent since its two forebears, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey productions, pretty much introduced grand-scale entertainment to America in the mid-19th century.

So how does this relic of such a long-ago time survive - nay, thrive - in our iPodded, Xboxed, CGI'd society?

Some first-nighters said the key to the circus' enduring appeal is its emphasis on the novel and exotic. "There's nothing like it," proclaimed Jackie Cabrera, 33, of Washington Township, N.J., as she kept an eye on her daughter, Isabella, 3 1/2, during the circus' "pre-show."

The event welcomed visitors to the arena floor, where they could watch jugglers and other performers. Kids could even try on the performers' costumes (Isabella chose a short jacket with puffy scarlet sleeves that appeared to come straight from Carmen Miranda's trunk).

"Where else do you see animals and clowns?" Cabrera said.

For Peggy Schroeder, "It's just the whole excitement of it," although when pressed, the 81-year-old Roxborough resident, who was taking her 6-year-old granddaughter, Melody Mauer, to her first circus, named the trapeze artists as a particularly favorite attraction.

In this day and age, when even TV commercials can be borderline R-rated, the circus provides wholesome, kid-friendly fun, noted Julia McBride, of Drexel Hill, who attended with her husband, John, 49, their 5-year-old son, Danny, and a nephew, Dale Lennon.

"This is one of the few things" we can bring Danny to, she offered. McBride added that, for her, a visit to the circus also offers her a sweet trip back in time. "It reminds me of my childhood."

As far has her husband is concerned, the Ringling Bros. spectacular has some practicality as well. Nodding in the direction of Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers, John McBride suggested the circus "is a little cheaper" than a Phils' game.

Not that New York-based Feld Entertainment is a philanthropic endeavor. Most tickets to the circus are reasonably priced (most are scaled at $13 to $25), but you can spend as much as $85 a pop for a "Celebrity Circus" ticket that includes a seat on the first two rows, arena-floor seating during one act and even the chance for a parent to be levitated by his or her child during a magic bit.

Then there are the nonstop food and merchandise vendors whose style falls under the "in-your-face" category. After all, the circus was the Petri dish for modern marketing and promotion.

But even with such distractions, Yves Nutter, 37, of South Philly, finds the circus a very special place.

"It's still family-oriented, but without the gadgets and games. And it's a good way for the family to come together," said Nutter, who was with his wife, Tameka, and their two children, son Zaquez, 5, and daughter Jenna, 4.

He advised that it's also something to be experienced in person. "You might see it on TV," he said, "but in real life, kids enjoy it more." *

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, through Monday, Wachovia Spectrum, Broad Street and Pattison Avenue. Showtimes: 7 tonight, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. tomorrow and Friday, 11 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday, 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday, 1 p.m. Monday. $85, $50, $25, $21 and $13, 800-298-4200, www.comcasttix.com.