“The Greatest Show on Earth” is coming to Gainesville on Friday for the first time in its 144-year history.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presents “Super Circus Heroes,” which features performers and animals from around the world. Shows will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
Melinda Hartline, a spokesperson for Ringling Bros., said this tour is unique because it was designed for smaller venues so everyone could have a chance to see it.
“We’d seen trends from past shows in Tampa, Jacksonville and Orlando and realized that people were traveling long distances to get there,” she said. “We wanted to save some time and come to you.”
Acts will include aerialists, acrobats, extreme motorcyclists and animals such as elephants, camels and horses, Hartline said.
One act in particular, called “Cardin Canines,” features dogs that have been rescued from shelters or given up by their owners.
“Super Circus Heroes” is currently one of three units touring the U.S. Other tours include “Built to Amaze” and “Legends.”
Some students were surprised to hear the circus was coming such as David Wasserman, a 22-year-old UF urban regional planning graduate student.
“I hadn’t heard anything about it at all, but I’d want to go,” he said. “It sounds fun.”
The circus may be an opportunity for students to go back to the day when they first went inside that red-and-white-striped tent.
“I went when I was a little kid. People probably want to go for the nostalgia factor,” said Josh Cruz, a 20-year-old UF finance junior. “It’s like reliving your childhood.”
Ticket sales are expected to be strong at the O’Connell Center because the circus has already broken sales attendance records in Tampa, Jacksonville and Orlando, Hartline said.
Ticket prices range from $15 to about $60 and will be sold at the gates. Showtimes are Friday at 7 p.m.; Saturday at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 p.m.
Hartline, who has been working with Ringling. Bros. for 18 years, said she gets the most satisfaction from seeing multiple generations coming together to see the show.
“It’s a time-held tradition for the family,” she said. “I get to see not only the smiles on children’s faces but also on the adults who feel like champions watching it.”
A version of this story ran on page 1 on 1/9/2014 under the headline "‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ will come to UF this weekend"
