Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has brought the Greatest Show on Earth to New York, starting in Brooklyn this weekend.
The Ringling Bros tour kicked off its run of New York shows on Feb. 19 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, giving Brooklynites and New Yorkers from the surrounding boroughs a chance to be wowed by high-flying stunts and to dance the night away.
The show will make its way to the UBS Arena and the Prudential Center in March.
“This show is so high energy and it’s such a new vibe for Ringling. We have a live DJ this time, which I think brings such an awesome energy. DJs are so prevalent now, and especially with kids, there’s such recognizable music,” said Ashley Budinick, Performance Director for Ringling Bros. “So now we’re bringing these incredible classic circus acts, like Teeterboard, Flying Trapeze, Wheel of Destiny, all of those very signature things that we know and love about circus, and we’re putting a really new spin and vibe on it with some really current music. And even we have a whole 90s mix that brings the whole family and we really have something to celebrate the entire family and to celebrate human talent.”
As the Performance Director, Budinick is on top of maintaining the highest possible quality for the show’s production while also making sure Ringling Bros’ cast of 65 performers know exactly what they need to do, which blends incredible stunts with a huge dance party.
“Every day that I watch the show, I’m in awe of the performers that I get to be involved with because they really are so talented. It truly is a party, and that is exactly what we were going for, right? We’re putting on the greatest party on earth. We’re bringing all of those classic elements, and we want you to be dancing in the seat,” said Budinick.
Queens-native performer Ashley Zimmerman joined the cast of Ringling Bros this year as an aerialist. Zimmerman told amNewYork that she had always been a dancer, but started to try out aerial arts after a stint working on a cruise.
“I grew up dancing. I went to college for dance. I was working in New York City as a dancer, and then at some point, in 2018 or 2019, I was feeling kind of uninspired or burnt out from dance. I did a cruise ship contract for the first time and was exposed to circus and aerial for the first time, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s so cool. That looks like a fun challenge,’” said Zimmerman. “I can see how my dance skills could transfer over to aerial, and it could be a way to still perform, but have a new challenge, and be a little more fulfilling than whatever dance is giving me right now.”
For Zimmerman, bringing the show to New York is giving her a little slice of home while she gets to perform.
“I can’t wait to spend as much time as possible in my New York City apartment, first of all. That’s really nice. Also just to kind of like break up the tour life. I love being on tour, but it’s also nice to get a taste of home every now and then, and to be at Barclays is a dream,” said Zimmerman. “I didn’t think I’d ever get to perform here, so that’s pretty darn sick.”
Budinick agrees: as a New Jersey native who would often be in the city nearly every weekend, bringing the show to New York is bringing it home.
“Every time I come back here with a show, it’s super nostalgic for me because I feel like I’m home and I get to share it with people that I know,” said Budinick.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will continue its run at Barclays Center in Brooklyn through Feb. 22, and will be at UBS Arena in Belmont Park March 6-8 and at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ March 19-22.
“It’s a really fun show. I just want people to have a good time. We’ve got people doing incredible acrobatic feats on stage. We’ve got more modern and fun music this time around, so hopefully everybody has an opportunity to connect with what’s happening on stage or kind of like do a little dance party in your seat,” said Zimmerman. “It’s a family-friendly show for children of all ages. We’re just trying to have fun here.”
“Our goal is for you to see these incredible human talents, but to see them in a fun way. We want you to have fun the whole time and we want you and our next generation of circus performers to be leaving there like, I wanna do this, that was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had,’” said Budinick.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ringling.com.
