FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Greatest Show On Earth® Is Coming To Austin!
Tickets go on sale this Saturday at 10AM!

Has ever a live show presented such a wealth of comedic styles and traditions as The All New 134th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®? There's Prince of Laughter David Larible attempting comedy magic for the first time in Ringling Bros. history; the Kai LeClerc Family featuring Ari and Mari, presenting a surreal vision of domestic life on the arena ceiling; and the flat-out hilarity of classic Clown Alley chaos.

The 134th Edition of The Greatest Show On Earth® promises smiles across faces of Children Of All Ages -- that is, when audiences aren't gasping over feats of spectacular daredevilry or singing along with Ringmaster Kevin Venardos and Circus Songstress Danette Sheppard!

The world's most celebrated clown, David Larible, adds Magical Master of Mirth, Swami of Silliness and Professor of Prestidigitation to his resume as the Prince of Laughter dons the magician's cape!

" I've always been fascinated by magic. I've always wanted to do it," says the internationally acclaimed Larible of his historic introduction of magical mayhem to the 134th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. "Traditionally, when comedy has been combined with magic, the performer misses or reveals the trick and makes it transparent, and that's where the joke is," the seventh-generation performer explains. "My idea is to do real magic and find the comedy in it, before and after. But I still want the audience to say, 'How did he do that? How did he make that disappear? How did he escape?'" More daringly, Larible performs these phenomenal feats of prestidigitation in live, multisensory, 360-degree, 20,000-seat arena environments. There's nowhere to hide a crafty bit of sleight of hand: "You're visible to all sides of the arena; you always have somebody looking at your back."

Family entertainment turns upside-down as the Kai LeClerc Family Upside Down World presents a scene in which everyday objects and tasks are turned on their head!

" The moment audiences see them up there, they begin laughing. They have no reference point for this," says LeClerc of the remarkable presentation he dubs "a visual comedy act in the air." Two talented Brazilian aerialists, Ari Parrieros and Maria Hartung, perform upside-down without the benefit of safety nets-and put a topsy-turvy twist on such commonplace domestic rituals as setting the table and pouring a glass of water. At once dreamlike and hilarious, the Dali-esque upside-down act is unlike any ever seen.

A testament to the act's brilliance and originality: After witnessing the act, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey director Sylvia Hase felt it served as the ideal metaphor for a family entertainment experience that turns audience expectations on its head. As a result, there are dazzling overturned elements throughout the 134th Edition of The Greatest Show On Earth® including a classic clown car routine that ends in surprising ways and a wildly imaginative Act I production number, "It's an Upside-Down World," that draws visual inspiration from the act.

" You need to have a storyline," says Clown Alley boss clown Fudi, explaining the narrative rigor behind such hilarious gags as this year's clown construction and international car routines. "The clowns come in the earliest and are the last to leave," says Fudi of the work ethic he shares with his fellow twelve members of Clown Alley. "It's long hours, and lots of hard work, but we love what we're doing."

In a comedic highlight of the 134th Edition of The Greatest Show On Earth®, a crack crew of construction-working clowns attempt to build a brick-lined barbecue pit. With an intricate set of scaffolding, lumber, and planks, the scene is ripe for pratfalls aplenty! And audiences will flip over this year's international clown car routine, given a surprising turn with a dose of magic from David Larible.

The All New 134th Edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Circus at the Frank Erwin Center Wednesday, August 17 thru Sunday, August 21 are $15, $20, $35 VIP, $50 Front Row and $75 Circus Celebrity and GO ON SALE Saturday, July 16 at 10AM at all Texas Box Office Outlets (includes
H-E-B stores in Austin, Bastrop, Bee Caves, Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Round Rock, San Marcos and Taylor; Ft. Hood Bldg. #136 and Renaissance Records in Killeen), charge-by-phone at 512/477-6060 or
1-800-982-2386 or order on-line at TexasBoxOffice.com. Show times and dates: Wednesday, August 17 at 7:30PM (Opening Night tickets Half-Price, excluding VIP, Front Row, and Circus Celebrity seats); Thursday, August 18 at 7:30PM; Friday, August 19 at 7:30PM; Saturday, August 20 at 11:30AM, 3:30PM and 7:30PM; Sunday, August 21 at 1:30PM. THE FOLLOWING DISCOUNTS ARE AVAILABLE ON ALL TICKET PRICES EXCEPT VIP, FRONT ROW AND CIRCUS CELEBRITY: $3 off for kids under 12 for the Thursday and Saturday 11:30AM performances; $10 ticket for Military with valid ID for all performances EXCEPT Opening Night; $4 off for college & university students, faculty & staff with valid ID for the Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11:30AM performances; $4 off groups of 20 or more for Thursday, Friday & Saturday 11:30AM performances. Groups should call the Group Sales Department at 512/471-7744. Convenience charges may apply. All information subject to change. The Frank Erwin Center is a smoke-free facility. Convenient parking is available within walking distance in nearby state and university lots. For more information, call
512/471-7744. uterwincenter.com

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Media Contact: Leslie Lyon @ 512/471-3678

Back to 2004 Press Releases

Frank Erwin Center
1701 Red River
Austin, TX 78701

(512) 471-7744
FAX (512) 471-9652

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