Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus brings Greatest Show on Earth to Cleveland (photos, video)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Greatest Show on Earth arrived in Cleveland Thursday at The Q. It lived up to its name.

The first-post elephant Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is a new beginning for the circus, says Alana Feld, executive vice president of Feld Entertainment and producer of the show.

The changes go far beyond what is missing this year, says Feld. "The elephants were iconic. But we have a lot of new traditions we are creating."

That includes featuring a circus storyline for the first time ever. Instead of just having the ringmaster introduce the acts for a 10 minute show, a unifying story will tie the acts together - as well as the ringmaster who is a character in the show, not the narrator.

The plot concerns ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson and "Circus Star Seeker" Paulo battling Intergalactic Circus Queen Tatiana. Their mission is to return the most talented circus performers in the universe back to Earth. Along the way, they pick up performers such as the amazing Cossack Riders equestrian stunts act, the Globe of Steel motorcycle daredevils and China's Heilongjiang Provincial Acrobatic Troupe Co. , who perform a variety of feats on ice, including stilt-skating, human pyramid formations and hoop-diving.

Yes, on ice. For the first time ever, more than half of the circus is performed on ice, with skating acts on the ground, the large ring in the middle for the lions and tigers and other performing animals, and, of course, the acrobats in the air.

And yes, the elephants have retired to Florida, but that doesn't mean the circus is animal-free. The show includes performing horses, lions and tigers, dogs of all sizes, llamas, goats and even two pigs. Yes, pigs.

"We're staying true to tradition while creating new ones," says Feld. "The reaction has been great. Fans are more into it than we expected. There's really no other entertainment experience like the circus."

The 146th annual Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus runs through Sunday. Tickets, $20 to $75, are available through www.theQarena.com, the Quicken Loans Arena box office, by calling 1-888-894-9424 and at Ohio Discount Drug Mart Locations.

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