Circus glam and glitz

LADIES and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages ... yes, that means you, the one with the iPod. Could you unplug for a minute? And put down the Sidekick? Please?

Clearly, you have a lot of distractions, so I’ll keep it brief. The circus is coming to town, and it’s been re-imagined. No, it’s not Cirque du Soleil. You know, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. Lions and tigers and bears? But, um, maybe without any of those particular animals. Hey, put down that remote, buddy!

It’s not easy selling the big-top experience in the 21st century. Kids are as cynical as they are sedentary; families stay connected via texting, and thrifty parents may find it hard to rationalize $14 tickets to the “Greatest Show on Earth” when that “Finding Nemo” DVD is sitting on the coffee table. So now Ringling Bros. is hoping that an injection of Hollywood glitz and high-tech razzle-dazzle will separate generations of couch potatoes from their sofas.

The first step in any remodel, of course, is out with the old. Three rings? Try none. “Our audience told us their lives are a three-ring circus already,” says Nicole Feld, the show’s 28-year-old co-producer and daughter of circus owner Kenneth Feld. “They’re looking for a more focused entertainment experience.”

Now the action will unfold in a 130-by-80-foot performance space. For anyone worried about missing a moment, there will be a video screen 24 feet in diameter to fill in the gaps. The screen won’t simply churn out a jumbo-size version of what’s afoot (or ahoof) on the floor, however. Pre-taped segments featuring animation and graphics will make television-addicted kids feel right at home. “We wanted to make it multilayered and more intimate through the use of video. Plus, we’re also able to keep the action going with pre-taped segments,” explains director-writer Shanda Sawyer.

One of those layers involves a storyline that ties together the array of acrobatic acts, elephant dances and clown antics. A multiracial “family” (made up of performers) is brought onto the stage to discover their circus dream jobs while audience members clap and cheer to facilitate the process.

And if the audience participation isn’t enough to seduce television-numbed young ones, old standards are given modern twists. Elephants engage in a hip-hop dance party, the clown car is now a smash-up derby and one young performer engages in a live-action video game.

“Living in Los Angeles as I do, you have to be aware of the things that kids love,” Sawyer says. “Kids and families expect a level of sophistication from their entertainment.”

Sawyer should know. An Emmy Award winner whose directing credits include “The Man Show” and segments of “The Miss America Pageant,” she’s a circus newcomer but a pop-culture pro. “I came in as a complete beginner, but they wanted that fresh perspective,” she says.

A quick scan of the creative minds behind the production reveals a Tony winner (production designer Robert Brill), a two-time Oscar winner (costume designer Colleen Atwood) and a former Pussycat Doll and Fly Girl (choreographer Carla Kama).

WITH such a glamorous creative team, comparisons to Cirque du Soleil, Canada’s upscale, animal-free entertainment empire, are almost irresistible. But Feld points out that, unlike Cirque -- for which tickets can cost more than $100 -- Ringling is far more accessible.

Cirque “is very interesting entertainment for a niche audience, but we’re about entertaining kids and their parents at a lot of income levels,” she says.

A familiar face helps too. Last year, “American Idol” finalist Jennifer Fuentes (she rubbed shoulders with Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard during the second season) joined the cast as a singer and now does double duty as a master of ceremonies.

“For over a year with the circus I’ve been singing in front of thousands of people,” says Fuentes, who is considering sending tickets to “Idol” grouch Simon Cowell when the circus comes to town. “Even more than ‘Idol,’ it’s my first really huge production, and it’s amazing.”

Not everyone has been as impressed. A New York Daily News critic deemed the new production “the lamest show on earth,” while the New York Times gave it the backhanded compliment of “peculiarly satisfying and entertaining.” Devoted circus fans have mourned the perceived loss of old-fashioned entertainment. “It’s like an ice show without ice, and it looks like a circus that’s run out of money,” says Richard Deptula, former president of the Circus Fans Assn. of America, who acknowledges he hasn’t been motivated to see the show in person after watching it on video. “It’s so thin now. No flying trapeze act, no wild animal act. It just isn’t the circus to me.”

It’s difficult to look at the current production’s scaled-back use of exotic animals (in lieu of the big cats’ roar, domesticated housecats perform tricks along with dogs and birds in one act) without wondering if the constant chastising from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has played a role.

Feld says of the changes: “It was just a creative decision. And the elephants are still a huge part of our show. That’s what people come to the circus for -- to see the animals.”

As far as treatment issues, Ringling has created the Center for Elephant Conservation, a 250-acre facility in Florida dedicated to the breeding, scientific study and retirement of Asian elephants, in addition to donating sizable funds to support elephant research at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

PETA remains unsatisfied. “This is definitely a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough,” says PETA spokeswoman Lisa Wathne. “People don’t want to support the use of animals in the circus, and because of it attendance is dropping drastically all over the country.” Though privately held Ringling Bros. does not disclose financial records, Wathne says PETA tracks ticket sales at many of the circus’ venues across the country.

The theme for this show -- “dream big” -- seems to speak directly to the survival of an American institution. But for the time being, send in the clowns. “It’s like what they say in ‘The Greatest Show on Earth,’ ” Deptula says. “You can shake the sawdust off of your shoes, but you can’t shake it out of your heart.”

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Liane Bonin may be reached at [email protected].

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Circus

What: The 136th edition of the “Greatest Show on Earth” from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and next Thursday; noon and 7:30 p.m. July 21; 11:30 a.m., 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. July 22 and 23

Where: Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa St., L.A.

Price: $12 opening night; $14 to $85

Info: (213) 480-3232; www.ringling.com

Also

When: July 26 through Aug. 6; check website for show times

Where: Arrowhead Pond, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim

Price: $12 opening night; $14 to $85

Info: (714) 704-2500; www.ringling.com