Circuses are made from the stuff of dreams. Human cannonballs and the death-defying stunts of high-wire acrobats reveal that we can fly. Trained animal acts are proof that humankind and even the wildest, most frightening beasts can live together in harmony. The crazy gags and reckless abandon of the clowns are manifestations of the absurdity that populates our subconscious. All are expressions of the desire to transcend the quotidian, the ordinary and the day to day.
News then that the Ringling Brothers Barnum Baily Circus, long proclaimed "The Greatest Show on Earth," has closed, holding its last performance in Uniondale, N.Y. on Sunday, demands a moment of reflection, not just for the loss of a venerable business — Ringling Brothers is a 146-year-old concern — but for the loss to our collective imagination, the part of every person that dares to dream. After all, who has not, for even the briefest of moments, considered running away to join the circus?
Circuses trace their origin to the Romans — some would go further back in history and credit the Greeks — as exhibitions of horse and chariot races, staged combat (sometimes featuring gladiators), and trained animals. Even then the programs were popular: The final version of the Circus Maximus, the first circus in the city of Rome, seated 250,000 people. When that empire fell, the programs became itinerant, with performers traveling across Europe to delight local audiences.