Big Top’s Next Stop

Overlooking the "Zing Zang Zoom" acronym -- narcoleptic patrons shouldn't think of it as zzz -- this year's circus theme must mean a thing 'cause it does have that zing.

Bringing along the usual big-top bling, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (Edition 139) returns to the Orleans Arena today for a weekendlong run, the standard spectacle rolled out in service of a magic-filled blowout, complete with a "zingmaster." Show director/co-writer Shanda Sawyer -- whose credits as a director and choreographer include "Dancing with the Stars," "The Academy Awards" telecast and "The Miss America Pageant" -- explains:

Question: What fun for the entire family will we see this year?

Answer: We worked for about a year to create a show that would still be a circus, but integrate magic in a very immersive way. We came up with a story line -- people are not coming to the circus to see Shakespeare, let's face it -- but it serves the demands of the circus. We created the story of a young magician (the "zingmaster") and the magic words "Zing Zang Zoom" he uses, and the audience learns how to use them during the course of the show to create all sorts of wonderful, magical occurrences and create the different circus acts.

Q: Any acts that are especially noteworthy?

A: There's a Bollywood-inspired fantasy. It's at the level that people see on "Dancing with the Stars," and on "So You Think You can Dance" that celebrates the centuries-old bond between humans and animals, in this case the Asian elephant. The girls bow to the elephants, the elephants bow to the girls, they perform together, it's this beautiful fantasy.

Q: Why choose magic as the theme?

A: The way things are going on in the world, and with the way our economy is, it's important to give a sense of possibilities in their own lives and to give children in particular a sense that there is this magical, amazing world of fantasy and imagination that is available to them.

Q: How challenging is it to keep the circus relevant in a fast-paced culture that changes so quickly these days?

A: The circus is one of the oldest entertainments, if not the oldest, entertainment known to civilization. It's always the goal of a brand like Ringling Bros. to keep it true to its roots, and yet current with the world zeitgeist. Because it is family fun, we would never go that kind of cheap or sleazy route that television might have gone in the last few years, but we do kick it up to a new level. The dancers are phenomenal.

Creating this magical world is really fun because in our pop culture today, kids are exposed to so many different kinds of magic. It gave me this huge palette to play with. Families will see everything from Celtic fairies to Chinese pirates, really exploring all these worlds that kids are really keyed into.

Q: With children sometimes overstimulated by games and gadgets and the computer and television, does that make it more difficult to keep their attention?

A: The old days of fill up the floor and look where you will don't play anymore. We worked on magic we could do in a 360 (degree) environment and be immersive in terms of the circus experience. There's times to focus their attention and there's times to visually overwhelm them. You have to hit a lot of colors to keep the audience entertained.

Q: With all your experience in other mediums, what is it like to work with circus people?

A: You fall in love with these people and their way of life, working with them. They live together, they work together on the train, their schedule is so grueling. They're not just out there kicking a leg in the air -- these people are risking their lives. They bond together as a family in a way that's really impressive. Animals, humans, everybody pulling together. They're such a noble breed.

Contact reporter Steve Bornfeld at sbornfeld@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0256.