The Big Top will come down for the last time, metaphorically speaking, on May 21. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, an entertainment spectacle that has been part of the fabric of American life for 146 years, will tumble its last acrobat in Uniondale, NY, this weekend.
To mark the end of the era of the traveling circus, a phenomenon with roots reaching back deep into the 19th century, I will be dusting off and refurbishing one of my most popular shows this Thursday morning on WPRB.
Join me as we listen to such works as Douglas Moore’s “The Pageant of P.T. Barnum,” Walter Piston’s “The Incredible Flutist,” Nino Rota’s “La Strada Ballet,” Erik Satie’s “Parade,” and Rodion Shchedrin’s “Old Russian Circus Music.” I’ll also have snappy circus favorites like Julius Fucik’s “Entry of the Gladiators,” Juventino Rosas’ “Over the Waves” (a.k.a. the trapeze music), and Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance.” Perhaps there will even be a circus-oriented film score or two.
I can’t claim that it will be the Greatest Show on Earth. All I know is that it was a big hit when the circus train first rolled into town, back in August of 2015. I’ll be sprucing up the spandex and spangles, this Thursday morning from 6 to 11 EDT, on WPRB 103.3 FM and at wprb.com. We’ll enjoy peanuts and cotton candy for breakfast, on Classic Ross Amico.
