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The 'Greatest Show on Earth' with roots in Bridgeport is back

WSHU | By J.D. Allen
Published May 20, 2022 at 3:34 PM EDT
The Barnum Museum, BRC Imagination Arts

A famous three-ring circus with roots in Bridgeport is back after a five-year hiatus.

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus packed up in 2017 after 146 years of producing the “Greatest Show on Earth.” The circus was also criticized for the treatment of its show animals.

Beginning in fall 2023, the circus will go on a national tour — with live animal shows — to more than 50 cities, and supervised by a former Cirque du Soleil choreographer.

The traveling circus show was founded in 1871 by P.T. Barnum, a former mayor of Bridgeport.

“We are looking forward to Bridgeport becoming the entertainment destination for Connecticut,” Mayor Joe Ganim said in a statement.

“It's wonderful to see Barnum's legacy resurrected in the form of live events,” he added. “We can only hope that the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus will make Bridgeport one of their first stops on their tour at one of our prime locations.”

The city plans to bring back its Barnum Festival events this summer after cancellations during the pandemic.

Copyright 2022 WSHU. To see more, visit WSHU.

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National News Bridgeport
J.D. Allen
A native Long Islander, J.D. is WSHU's afternoon news editor. Formally WAMC’s Berkshire bureau chief, he has reported for public radio stations, including bylines with WSHU, WNYC, WBUR, WNPR and NPR. J.D. has reported on healthcare and small businesses for "Long Island Business News" and real estate and land-use for The Press News Group newspapers. He also hosted, produced and engineered award-winning programs at WUSB Stony Brook. An avid fencer in his free time, J.D. holds a B.A. in journalism and sociology from Stony Brook University and an M.S. in communications from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University.
See stories by J.D. Allen

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