Hey I know this is super late but I've been tangled up with school work, friends, and family. But here it is this is my paper that I did for english class about the Ringing Brothers.
Under
the Big Top
The
circus has been around for ages; it is like a city within its self, it has
greatly impacted the entertainment world. From the start the circus has always
been bringing cheer to people all over the world. The circus keeps its show up
to date keeps up with the times. The circus started out traveling on wagons
then when the times changed and so did it and it started using trains. The
circus has acts from all over the world, so because of this the speeches are
translated. The circus also performs all over the world. ! The Circus has an
impact from around the world, but to understand this one should learn about its
history. Ringling brothers, Barnum and Bailey circus was originally two
different circuses the Ringling brothers and also Barnum and Bailey. Each
circus has it own unique history. In 1907 The Ringling Brothers bought the
Barnum and Bailey circus, they combined shows a decade later. When The Ringling
Brothers combined shows the group renamed the show to “Ringling Brothers Barnum
& Bailey, the Greatest show on earth” (Ringling brothers).
The
Ringling Brothers consisted of seven brothers born to August Rüngeling. The seven brothers that opened the circus were
Albert Ringling, Augustus Gustav Ringling, Otto Ringling, Alfred Theodore
Ringling, Charles Edward Ringling, John Nicholas Ringling, and Henry Ringling.
In 1889 the Ringling Brothers started using the railroad (Ringling Brothers).
The circus used the train to haul the big top from destination to destination. The performers for the circus would spend
eleven months out of the year on the tracks (Coates 26). The circus has to be
close together because the performers spend so much time together.
The Barnum and Bailey was started by P. T. Barnum who was born
on July fifth, 1810 to a poor family (McGill 1-2). Growing up Mr. Barnum worked
at a number of things such as: editing a newspaper, being a performer,
promoting shows, and later on in his life running a circus (April). Mr. Barnum
ran his own newspaper in 1831. He used this paper to covey his views on
everyday issues and the often got him put in jail (McGill 1-2). Mr. Barnum got
in to show business when he moved to New York City and opened a museum in 1842.
Mr. Barnum’s museum held all forms of oddities such as: a house of mirrors and
stuffed wildlife (McGill 1-2). While the museum was getting famous the civil
war was at its end. Soon after the war ended Mr. Barnum’s museum burnt to the
ground, people quickly rebuilt it and it re-opened a year later (McGill 1-2).
In 1871 Mr. Barnum was introduced to his competitor in the
entertainment world, James A. Bailey, they combined shows in 1881 and created the
Barnum and Bailey circus. When the circus first opened they bought a big
attraction that made this circus the leading circus in America at the time
(McGill 1-2). Mr. Barnum’s shows invited and changed the lives of many people.
The circus was going strong until 1891 when P.T. Barnum died (McGill 1-2). The
shows combined in 1907 to become the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey circus
and this circus was run by John Ringling north until 1967 when the circus was
sold to a businesses group (“Ringling Brothers”).
The circus is still going strong today. The Ringling Brothers
Barnum & Bailey circus still travels by train, in the off-season the train
goes to the shop in Florida (Coates 26). The
performers are living on the train for 11 months out of the year. The main use
if the train is not only for transportation of the performers but also it moves
all the equipment for the show, such as the famous three rings and big top.
During the performance year the circus has to keep the trains up to a standard
safe to use them, they check the trains three times a year and makes sure
everything is up to date (Coates 26). The train holds all the sound equipment
and all the animals it is what the performers call home for most the year.
Although the circus uses the train for most everything now before trains came
along they had to travel from place to place by wagons.
Even though the animals in the circus are trained they still
have the animal skills, so the circus has to keep the feuding animals away from
each other. The Ringling circus is still going on today and they have hyped up
the show with lights and new music. The current ringmaster is Johnathan Lee
Iverson he is Ringling Brothers youngest and first African American ringmaster
(Feiler 114). During the off season when all the performers are learning the
act the ringmaster goes into special training where he learns how to calm the
crowd and control the animals in the ring if something goes wrong. It is the ringmaster’s
job to be inviting and make the crowd happy and enjoy the time the people spent
at the circus (Feiler 114). When the circus is in the training season each
opening speech is translated into different languages because the performers
are from all around the world. The performers spent a lot of time training for
the show and they can get in fights with other performers so the circus has
just one rule leave all the problems of the outside world at the edge of the
big top (Feiler 114).
The Ringling brothers opened up schools for people who want to
join the circus or for people who love to clown around; the school is a clown
college. The corporation that runs the circus holds auditions each year for a
limited number of spots. Going through this course does give one the chance to
go and perform with the Ringling brothers circus but it does not give the
guaranty that one will get a job at this or any other circuses. The Ringling
brothers also has many summer camps for kids where they can learn what goes on
behind the curtain, how much practice and work goes into performing a show this
big every year.
The circus has been mentioned in books and stories ever since
the first circus appeared. P.T. Barnum was showcased in a few short stories my
Herman Melville in 1847 (April). Many books about the circus talk about what
goes on behind the scenes of the circus. From the stagehands putting up the big
top to the performers when the circus is open. Some talk about how hard it is
to raise a family on the road (April). Some will talk about how People Joined
the circus and about the times and everything that led up to then joining the
circus. Many books about the entertainment world at the time that the circus
got big will showcase the circus or parts of it.
In
conclusion through the years the circus has grown and has started to impact the
entertainment world more than it ever has. From the way it started to the way
it is now. From beginning to the end the circus will have you on the edge of
your seat and in no time one will have memories that will last a lifetime. One
can never know just how much affect one thing can have on another. The circus
has affected many people from all over the world many of whom have never even
been to the circus. How does one think the circus has impacted the world and
everyday life?
Works
Cited
April Gentry. “P.T. Barnum in the works
of Herman Melville.” Blooms
New York: Facts On
File:
Database.
13 Feb. 2013
Coates, Rhett. “Circus train A-Coming.”
MAS-Ultra
Trains 71.2 (2011):
26.
Database.14
Feb. 2013.
McGill, Sara Ann. :P.T. Barnum.” MAS-Ultra.
Biography. 2005 1-2.
Database.
13 Feb. 2013.
“Ringling Brothers.” MAS-Ultra.
Columbia Electronic
Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, 11/1/2011
Database.
12 Feb. 2013
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