Focus on the humans: Las Vegas welcomes back legendary circus
Steve Weiss is asked, “What are you doing in the Ringling Brothers show?”
He pauses and says, “That’s a good question. What am I doing here?” Then he laughs and says, “Oh, you mean, what am I actually performing! Got it.”
Weiss is a well-known musician and stage performer over the past decade in Vegas. He plays the role of Stix, a nod to his skills as a drummer, in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey The Greatest Show On Earth, playing Thomas & Mack Center for a half-dozen shows Friday through Sunday.
Go to unlvtickets.com/eventinfo for times and prices. Tickets vary upon demand, meaning Ringling Bros. is adopting the “dynamic” pricing, which adjust according to market conditions.
Over the past seven years in Las Vegas, the conditions for The Greatest Show On Earth have been totally silent. The circus paused in 2017, as the classic form of live entertainment suffered elevated operating costs and sagging attendance largely due to a growing intolerance of animal acts.
Ringling’s final show with animals was in May 2017 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island, New York. In May 2022, production company Feld Entertainment announced the Greatest Show on Earth would return in fall of 2023, with no animals.
That is the template for the show returning to Las Vegas. Weiss’s Stix character is one of four main characters who fill the traditional role of ringmaster (there is no single emcee in today’s circus). The female singer Aria, comic acrobat Nick Nack, Wesley the One Wheel Wonder (who breaks his own world record by riding a 34-foot-high unicycle in every show) round out the show’s front four.
“Stix keeps the rhythm of the show, plays drums inspire to dance, and play music to the rhythm of life,” says Weiss, a popular drummer around town who has backed the band at Mondays Dark at The Space, among many projects. “This is a non-traditional career path for a drummer. Usually we’re usually at the back, or underneath the stage, not face-to-face. But in this show, it’s good to be in front, as a drummer, with a character that can pull the focus of the show.”
Weiss’s time in Las Vegas dates to the Recycled Percussion’s run at then-Quad Hotel (today’s Linq Hotel) in 2013. He has popped up in “Zumanity,” “America’s Got Talent Presents Superstars Live” and “OPM.”
Weiss has experienced a few closings, which isn’t rare among veteran Las Vegas performers. He was especially stung to the closing of “Zumanity” at New York-New York in November 2020 during the pandemic. “Mad Apple” has taken over that theater and run successfully for about 2½ years.
“‘Zumanity’ was a real gut-punch,” says Weiss, a musician in the show. “For me that was the greatest mix of artistry and bad-assery. It was difficult to see it close.”
Weiss is joined in the production by fellow Las Vegan Julie Marshall, an aerialist who is also trained in clowning, acrobatics and other circus skills.
Having premiered in 1919 under the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey brand, the circus has emphasized human talent in its return to the stage.
“There is something for everyone. Kids still have sense of awe and inspiration with all all kinds of bright, loud, crazy antics, Weiss says. “Adults will love all the forms of nostalgia, individual talent and death-defying acts.”
Weiss pauses and adds, “You can’t replace human feats of a fantastic nature. I just made that up (laughs), but it’s true in the circus.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.
What: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey The Greatest Show On Earth
Where: Thomas & Mack Center
When: 7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday; noon and 4 p.m. Sunday
Tickets: Prices vary depending on demand. Go to unlvtickets.com/eventinfo
Never-Before-Seen Stunts
The Triangular Highwire, led by The Lopez Family, introduces a modern twist to a classic with three very thin wires connected in a triangular formation, creating the ultimate chandelier in the air 25 feet above the ground. Four performers take on incredible feats including jumping over their partner's shoulders and riding a bike on the thin wire – all while another performer does a handstand on top of the moving bike! The Double Wheel of Destiny is even more extreme with four daredevil performers leap and somersault on top and across two spinning wheels that hang 30 feet in the air and move at incredibly high speeds.
Comedic Performances
Delivering humor in a new, laugh-out-loud, unexpected way are Nick Nack and the Equivokee Trio. Together they introduce a modern take on clowning that leaves the makeup behind and focuses on delivering moments of laughter for Children of All Ages® through a comedic blend of juggling, acrobatics, dancing, and balancing skills.
The Ultimate Playground
The 360-degree stage is the ultimate playground with bright colors and designs that resemble a toy box that has come to life with something new to discover around each corner. The stage transforms into the ultimate skatepark as a combination of BMX bikes, a trial bike, and extreme unicycle soar through the air during a high-adrenaline extreme sports act with double-sided ramps and a one-of-a-kind trampoline that is a launching pad for tricks and flips.
Criss-Cross Trapeze
Nine trapeze artists take on the ultimate swing set as The Flying Caceres soar in every direction in an action-packed act nearly missing each other in the air by just seconds and inches. It is an incredible act of timing with several amazing performers going in every possible direction in sequence with each other. They also attempt a never-before-seen trick with performers completing two complete flips while flying from one bar to the next.
Record-Breaking Heights
Wheeling at incredible heights will be Wesley Williams, the One Wheel Wonder, a Guinness World Record-setting performer who takes on a daring new challenge as he attempts to set a new world record. He will ride ten different unicycles around the show floor – with the tallest at a shocking height of over 34 feet.
Aerial & Acrobatic Spectacle
Every seat at The Greatest Show On Earth has an impressive view when fans witness a combination of solo and group aerialists showcasing skills from straps and hoops all at the same time and some, in unison. Jumping, diving, and tumbling across the show floor, skilled acrobats performing hoop diving, Chinese poles, and jaw-dropping hand-to-hand skills will leave audiences in awe as they perform their inspiring acts. Closing the show with a bang is the Ringling Rocket, which will launch Skyler Miser across the entire arena at 65 miles per hour!
Musical Performances
Audiences will dance along to big, exciting musical numbers incorporating original music, pop cover tunes, and live rock-inspired drumming to help shape the audience's emotional journey throughout the show. Argendance, an energetic dance troupe from Argentina, presents a fiery fusion of Argentinian-style dance that creates rhythm and tempo alongside show guide Stix.
