Photograph by Alex Martinez
The smell of buttery popcorn takes native Atlantan Lauren Irving back to her childhood, when she’d visit the circus with her family and stare, captivated, at the trapeze artists as they swung to and fro. She recalls her father waxing nostalgic about seeing the mile-long circus train pull into town and the excitement it would elicit. But never, in her wildest dreams, did Irving—an actress, singer, and dancer—consider joining the circus.
But join the circus she did. Today, Irving, who graduated from Peachtree Ridge High School and Shorter College (now Shorter University) in Rome, is one of three “show guides” in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s reimagined show, touring in the United States through April 2025. Her character, Aria, serves as the voice of the show, guiding unicyclist Wesley through his first day at the circus. Along the way, she sings five songs—including the opening and closing numbers—and directs guests’ attention to acts around the 360-degree stage. She’s like a ringmaster, sans the black hat.
That’s just one of the ways Feld Entertainment has reimagined the 154-year-old experience. After shuttering the circus in 2017, the company started brainstorming what “The Greatest Show on Earth” would look like in the modern era, says Jonathan Vaught, Feld’s senior vice president of production and touring show operations, who cited a “challenging regulatory environment” and a business model that “no longer fit” as reasons the circus closed. Ticket sales had declined in recent years, and advocacy groups had waged lengthy and expensive battles against the circus’s use of animals, especially elephants. Feld Entertainment decided any new production would feature no live animals, and began to envision a new version of the classic circus.
“We did a lot of research and found there was tremendous love for Ringling because it evokes so many memories,” says Vaught. “But we wanted to make it something today’s audience would relate to and keep the pace moving.”
Photograph courtesy of Feld Entertainment
Without animals, the focus would need to be 100 percent on the performers. Feld held auditions all over the world and put together acts reminiscent of the past, but with new, daring twists worked in. There’s a triangular highwire and crisscrossing flying trapezes. BMX riders flip from ramps to trampolines, and four stuntmen somersault 30 feet above the ground on the spinning Double Wheel of Destiny. “One Wheel Wonder” Wesley even breaks his world record during every performance, riding a unicycle that is 34.6 feet tall. During intermission, behind-the-scenes videos play, helping the audience get to know the performers on a more personal level. “Other shows might focus on the production,” Irving says. “This is really just showcasing what a human being is capable of.”
Gone are the bumbling, red-nosed clowns; instead, Equivokee, a Ukrainian comedic trio, engages the audience. With show guides and an immersive theater, there’s no need for blackouts or audience-viewed set changes. Close-up video also offers a detailed view of performers during their feats. There’s even a dance-off between a robot puppy named Bailey and human performer Alejandro Licea Pellon, who plays the character Nick Nack.
Photograph courtesy of Feld Entertainment
“The soul of what Ringling has always been is still there,” Irving says. “It’s just presented in a different way.”
When the show stops at State Farm Arena and Gas South Arena this month, it will be the first opportunity for many of Irving’s friends and family members to see her perform. She started her career with a college program at Walt Disney World, entertaining at shows and parades and, later, charming guests at the American Idol Experience at Hollywood Studios. She played Catherine of Aragon in the Norwegian Cruise Line performance of Six the Musical and “singing sorceress” Celestina Warbeck at Universal Studios’ Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
When a colleague of her former Disney manager recruited her for the circus, Irving had no idea the show was returning to the stage. “I remember when the circus announced that they were taking their final bow, so I asked a lot of questions about the revival,” she says. “When I got the role, there were so many emotions. There’s so much history with Ringling. It’s chilling to think I get to be a part of its comeback.”
Photograph courtesy of Feld Entertainment
As a newcomer, she was initially concerned that she wouldn’t fit in with the other cast members. Some, like human cannonball Skyler Miser, are legacy performers literally born into the circus. But Irving’s fears quickly abated once she got to know everyone. “It turned out so wonderfully. We’re such a big family and genuinely have fun on and off the stage,” she says. The show’s cast and crew travel by plane and charter bus and stay in hotels, rather than the classic train-car circuses of old, but they still spend a great deal of time together.
Eventually, Irving wants to work on artist development, “molding performers into being the best they can be,” she says. But for now, she believes she’s right where she belongs. “In high school, my teacher asked, ‘If you could do anything in the world without getting paid, what would it be?’” she continues. “My answer was singing and performing.”
Irving’s favorite part of the show? When people clap their hands, tap their toes, and sing along to new songs. “I want them to take that energy and fun home with them,” she says—just as she brings the smell of popcorn home with her each night.
This article appears in our February 2025 issue.
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