On March 30th, I went to the Barnum's Funundrum Circus at Madison Square Garden. I haven't been to a circus since I was eight and I can't remember too much about that experience. Originally, I thought of the circus to be an old timey form of entertainment, but there was nothing old timey about this event.
When walking into MSG I was bombarded with all sorts of circus ephemera. There were light up disco balls that twirled with a circus tiger on the top, circus hats, cotton candy, popcorn, etc. When I looked around I only saw families with children, or grandparent with grandchildren. I saw no one my age and no adult by themselves. I got the idea this would be a kids show.
I went to my seat and observed what was going on around me. I saw many different ethnicities (white, Latino, Indian, African American.) However most of the families appeared to be working class people.
Before the circus got started, all over the arena you could see light up disco balls twirling around in the dark. All I could think is that each one of those twirly things cost $15. Talk about consumerism. When the circus started everyone got quiet.
As the first circus performers began the procession into the arena, I could tell this was not what I thought the circus would look like. I thought it looked like everything was very poorly made, the costumes looked cheap, and it was very gimicky. It seemed to me like everything was made well enough for a child to enjoy, but there was no care or craft put into it. Many of the costumes fit into to stereotype of the western cowboy. There were also Asian dragons, Chinese acrobats, Mongolian strong men, and the whole thing was run by a midget named Nano.
As the show went on, I kept looking at the children around me. Most of them seemed as disinterested as I was, but they had their neon spinning disco ball, nachos and an icee to keep them entertained. Every time I heard a child whine or cry there was a parent saying, "What can we get for you? Cotton candy? Nachos?"
The act that was most exciting was when 6,7,8 motorcycle riders got into a steel ball and all rode at the same time around inside of it. This was truly thrilling and dangerous. Unfortunately, many of the acts were hokey and unconvincing. In one of the events, they brought out a strong man to lift a bunch of weight. From the way he was throwing the weight bar around I could tell that the whole act was fake. This was no strong man and he didn't have to lift anything except for the fake rubber weights. This was quite dissapointing for me. At this point I fully acknowledge that I am not the intended audience for this event. When reflecting on my experience, the show was more about being funny and making kids laugh than show people doing risky stunts.
After seeing multiple acts on Broadway, the circus's quality and entertainment was not at the same caliber. The circus was like Broadway for children. They only made everything good enough for a child sitting 150ft. away from the stage. For me, a critical artist, the craft of the whole event was not up to par.
On the up-side, my ticket was only $30 and the cheapest tickets are $15, which is substantially cheaper than a Broadway show. The circus is an affordable event for the whole family, whereas a lower middle class family may not be able to afford a Broadway play. However I would like to know on average, how much does each family spend on snacks and memorabilia?
Now for the circus itself. Seeing that Barnum and Bailey's paired up with Ringlin Bros. must mean that they are financially struggling. The two biggest circus acts only have enough funds to make one act, or thats what I assume. With tv, movies, and all the other popular forms of entertainment it seems that the circus is a dying form. It only makes since with budget cuts and being in a recession that the circus would cheapen their acts and target younger children who are still thrilled by bright colors and fast movement. I understand what they have done but the circus has lost its magical charm and I can't say I'll be going back any time soon.
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