It had been at least 20 years since we had been to ‘The Greatest Show on Earth,’ so we were excited to take in the circus at the DCU Center in Worcester last week. The show is currently performing in Boston at the TD Bank Garden through Sunday. Tickets in Boston range from $15.00 up to $130.00 (for Circus Celebrity tickets), so there are plenty of options to fit your budget.

‘Over the Top’ starts off with Chuck Wagner, the ring master, welcoming us to the circus and proclaiming that it is his show because he wears the hat. Head clown, Tom Dougherty, has other things in mind as he repeatedly steals the ring master’s hat, giving him and his clown troupe control of the happenings. This theme worked well throughout the performance as it made for clean segues between the clown acts and the main attractions.

Ringling Bros. has moved away from the three-ring format and replaced it with half a ring and a wide-open floor plan. While some of the clown interludes were a bit long-winded for us, most of the show was fast-paced and kept kids, young and old, on the edge of their seat throughout. You will see classic circus acts, including the Globe of Steel and the Bengal tiger demonstration. Ringling Bros. spices it up with some new acts this year, like the Henan Troupe Swinging Poles. It was interesting to see that the contortionists and two balancing acts came out at the same time – it was a lot going on at the same time.

Intermission was even interesting as they set up for the tiger demonstration. In addition to the circus acts, Ringling Bros. has several large production numbers where the arena fills with the performers and animals, and everyone is singing, dancing, or executing a stunt. Your jaw will drop when you see how many things are going on at the same time! Circus Celebrity ticket-holders become part of the show during one of the group numbers. Performers drive into the arena in a tram-like vehicle, and the Circus Celebrities climb on. After a lap or two around the arena, the song continues until the floor is covered with entertainers, and the “celebrities” have an unbelievable view of the whole thing!

Animal Open House

We missed this in Worcester, but look for this open house 90 minutes before the show where you will get a behind-the-scenes look at all the circus animals. This is free for all ticket holders and lets your kids take pictures of the animals and ask any questions of the animal-care staff.

All Access Pre-Show

If you arrive early you can make your way to the arena floor for the All Access Pre-Show, where your kids can mingle with the clowns and even try on some of their outfits. Watch as an elephant performs by painting a masterpiece, which you can enter to win, or join the Bombastic Bouncers for some jump-roping lessons. This pre-show is a great way to get a close-up view of the circus for your kids.

Mom Says: Just like any other large event, there are plenty of toys and food items for sale. Watch out as some of the food items are paired with a souvenir, so the price skyrockets. I LOVED the show and cannot recommend it enough!!!

Dad Says: The big stunts were amazing from the motorcycle globe to the elephant parade. I could have done with a few less clown acts, but I know they needed time to setup and the kids enjoy that stuff.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 12:57 am and is filed under Events. If you use RSS, you can subscribe to the RSS feed , or if you would rather receive an e-mail, please subscribe to the e-mail in the lower right hand corner of this page. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.