Want to be a Ringling ringmaster? Here’s your chance

The elephants aren’t the only ones to bidding farewell to The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, aka the greatest show on earth. David Shipman, who has been mastering the three rings for four years, will be moving on to other adventures.

This leaves the top spot under the Big Top open to those who think they have what it takes. The ideal candidate must be a strong singer, have precise diction, and be able to project all the way to the cheap seats.

While most ringmasters are men, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus -- which is at the Fort Worth Convention Center Aug. 18-21 -- has had several ladies take the leading role. The nationwide search began Aug. 12 with auditions in Dallas at the American Airlines Center. Fewer than a dozen showed, varying in ages 10 to 65. Applicants performed a solo with a song of their choice, read several typical circus performance lines, including the famed opening, “Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls...”

One applicant, Sterling Horning who currently interns at the Fort Worth Opera when he isn’t singing in the opera himself, said, “After seeing a performance when I was 12 years old, I thought to myself, I could do that.” Sterling believes his experience as an opera singer and his background in voice performance from TCU will help him win the top spot.

Dave Eagleston of Frisco, who recently retired from aviation, thought it would be fun just to give it a try. “I’ve done work on television and radio and do some impressions,” he said. “This has already been a blast and I’d be ready if they called me up.”

Longtime circus director and past ringmaster Rye Mullis was a judge and offered encouraging direction to ringmaster hopefuls.

“Say it again, but with swag,” he told one. “Speak in a way that makes the guy walking with popcorn just stop,” he told another.

Mullis says the position requires charisma and personality and so much more. “The costume itself weighs 90 pounds, and you’re wearing it while you ride in on a float,” he said. “It’s like being a stuntman while singing. You’re part newscaster, part stuntman, part Broadway star.”

If you’re thinking of joining the circus, there’s still time. Circus officials hope to narrow the search in October to the final few, and make the announcement shorty afterward.

There are four more audition stops around the nation including the next one in Austin. Can’t make it? No problem! You can even audition online.

Meanwhile, while the new ringmaster learns the ropes, the elephants -- which Feld Entertainment, owners of the Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus, are sending to a Florida conservation center -- will be enjoying their retirement. The company had been criticized over the years by animal-rights activists over its treatment of the animals.

Fun Facts

How many miles does the Circus XTREME train travel in a year?

About 18,285 miles.

How old is the circus?

Ringling Bros is the longest running show in show business historyat 145 years. The current tour’s Circus XTREME is the 145th edition

What is the average span of a tiger’s swipe?

5 feet, that is the same height as a Monster Jam truck tire!

How many hours does it take to set up a RBBB show?

16

How many hours does it take to tear down a RBBB show?

6-8

How fast does Nitro Nicole fly out of her cannon?

About 66 mph over 100 feet. She experiences a G-Force of 7, about half the G-force an astronaut uses when launching into space.

How high can the performers in the Art on Trampoline act jump?

30 feet

On average, how many performers does it take to put on a Circus XTREME performance?

There are 107 in Circus XTREME, this includes the nine-person band

How many costumes appear in the pre-show and show for Circus XTREME?

1,000 costume pieces; more than a million rhinestones

How heavy is the barbell used by the Mongolian strongmen?

150 pounds. One of the Mongolian strongmen, Otgonjargal, will lift 551 pounds with only his teeth!

Source: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

This story was originally published August 17, 2016 at 4:13 PM.