Today, once again, Ringling is now in limbo, if not dead and buried.
Nothing on the website bears any evidence of yet another makever-rethink under way.
Given the general public outcry (Yelp) rejecting New Ringling, it seems inevitable that Kenneth Feld has little will to rearrange the deck chairs yet again on in his SS Barnum.
Left facing wide-spread rebuke (bored children wanting out) , does he have any interest in pushing a botched up concept into yet another anti-circus revolution? How can a circus burdened with such a world famous name and history not take a few giant leaps backwards and accept that a famous show name conjures up a vision. Apple and iPhones? And a vision here is in dire need of its most legendary assets.
Such as once again granting the word “circus” a key role in its identity and promise?
Such as knocking down an overproduced set that will forever symbolize perhaps the strangest moment in Ringling history. A sad sad time.
Such as bringing back a live band?
Such as spotlighting a man in red blowing a whistle to signal the entrance of pomp and circumstance, beauty and blare — and bombast? Who doesn’t love another parade? Round a ring or three, grateful crowds filing in the blanks with compensating excitement? We want at least the remnants.
Such as letting plumed horses prance, thundering steeds circling rings while around them orbit pulse raising riders. Dogs cavorting and pigs going swish down slides? What in the world is the Feld of Felds afraid of here? Or is it Disney fearing an impure connection to that bawdier wold of old?
Such as letting loose oddball eccentrics in rowdy mischief, Otto Griebling the lead punk.
AI will have none of this, arguing that the show shuts down at intervals to book a new set of towns. BUT when it shuts down it never stops trumpeting its next incarnations. Here, there are empty spaces and no call for auditions.
The long and winding road from boom to bust
Kenneth Feld came up in his father Irvin’s shadow, being made the producer of the “mice on Ice” shows, and the young Feld gave Disney ‘s parade long-term longevity.
When Kenneth’s father passed away, he easily filled his shoes, and then some, with some mighty memorable editions. He spent many days in and out the courts, defending the wild animals, counter suing PETA nuts bent on shaming the show into oblivion. Have they, long term succeeded?
Boss man Kenneth Feld in better years
He spent years scouting us some of he best acts in the world. And yet, strategic blunders left me wary of the man’s ability to complete a transition from one kind of circus clearly to another. He removed the elephants, but left the big cage standing when big cage animals ought to have been removed as well. Count it a a slap in PETA'S face, bound to keep them stalking the arenas with plenty of gas left in the tank? What was Kenneth Feld thinking?
I could not for the life of me understand his actions. Maybe he was so beaten down, that he simply could not bring himself to making a clean cut from all wild ones.
Here he is, again, this time with only one question facing him — Does he shut down, keep it on hold pending a revelation restoring the "circus" in his soul, or sell? Has he the will to resume where he left off in 2017? I would much prefer a Feld-controlled circus. But might that mean, instead of 20,000 seats, a tent that can fit 4,000–6,000?
I thought the New might click with the Disney crowds. Turns out they may have been among its harshest critics.
When you are wearing the Ringling name, you are stuck this time with getting back to the staples of ballyhoo with no room on the aisles getting the audience to rise and dance and be a part of something that only works at true rock concerts. DUH?
With his three daughters, Nicole to his right
Nicole Feld? Might she come to the rescue? In fact, might she have left the show with little patience for what was in the works?
They rode an abstract parade of acrobats. They were left with poor crowds and cancelled shows.
And by posting this, I could end up with mud on my face. That’s okay. The thought of a Ringling renaissance stirs my imagination. That alone is worth it.
And yours?
No comments:
Post a Comment