Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey's Over the Top has come to the Palace of Auburn Hills. We went to the opening performance last night and had the best time at the greatest show on earth!There's still time to get tickets and take your family to the show!
Thursday November 19: 7:30pm
Friday November 20: 11:00am, 7:30pm
Saturday November 21: 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
Sunday November 22: 1:00pm, 5:00pm
Thursday November 19: 7:30pm
Friday November 20: 11:00am, 7:30pm
Saturday November 21: 11:30am, 3:30pm, 7:30pm
Sunday November 22: 1:00pm, 5:00pm
Don't forget the special ticket pricing available to my local readers! You can purchase a 4‐pack of tickets for only $44 by logging onto http://www.ticketmaster.com/and entering the coupon code: MOM {minimum of 4 tickets must be purchased for this offer, not valid on Circus Celebrity, Front Row, or VIP seating, and cannot be combined with other offers. Service Charges, facility & handling fees will apply.}
One of the best parts of the show is the ALL ACCESS PRESHOW that all ticket holders are invited to attend, ours began one hour before show time. It was so cool! We got to head down to the circus floor to get up close to special mini acts and ER even got to meet one of the clowns!
There were three main areas you could visit. We spent most of our time watching the acts that performed inside the red ring on the end. ER really enjoyed the clown jugglers, and because we got there early she got to sit right on the other side of the red ring. She was captivated.
She also really like the Chinese jugglers, who were quite impressive. While all this is going on there are also lots of other performers walking around, some on stilts, one of whom even jump roped! Now THAT takes balance! You could also see an elephant on the stage, so there was lots to do and it made the circus a really fun and memorable event.
I was really shocked when ER insisted on getting her picture taken with the lady clown, as she called her. Previously, she's always been a little hesitant around clowns but this one she got up the nerve to march right up to. We got to see her and all the other clowns throughout the show, when they popped up dancing and singing or during their funny penguin act.
It's time for the big show! It's billed as "Over the Top" and did not disappoint! There were lots of big cast numbers, fancy costumes, energetic dancers and acrobats, talented animals, and well timed explosions woven into the storyline that the ring master and head clown were battling over who's circus it is. Throughout the performance, the ring master's hat was being chased by both.
I really liked the aerialists; they were incredible! Just in case you were wondering...yes they were very high up in the air! When the men would twist and turn their fabric and come flying down I was always a little bit afraid someone was going to get hurt! I think I held my breath through most of their performance.One of the big numbers had several acrobats bouncing on these enormous inner tube looking things and bouncing off and on them.
It also had the motorcycle madness act, with up to seven motorcycles spinning around in a Globe of Steel.And of course it wouldn't be a circus without trapeeze artists and at Over the Top they even have a rare double decker trapeeze to show off their gravity defying acts.
Before the group act, the lead trapeeze artists climbed up really high, to the ceiling with no safety rope attached and it was a long way down to the mat below. Brad told me on the way home, that was the point in the show that he was most nervous for the performer's safety; said his hands were sweaty after the guy finally came down.
We also saw dogs flip, twist, and run through an obstacle course and after frisbees. There were also ponies that ran around in circles and horses that ran around the ring with men and one woman doing impressive tricks on them. Plus a pack of Bengal tigers and their trainer who lead them several tricks like standing on their hind legs and jumping over one another.
But I think the Asian elephants were our favorite animal performers, partially because of ER's love for the movie Dumbo. After the elephant performance we got to see the Chinese jugglers from the preshow do their acrobatics and I don't even know how to begin to describe the swinging thing they were on. Let's just say it was amazing!
It was really an excellent show and fairly long at about two and half hours including an intermission. Add the All Acess Preshow and it's a full night of fun and a great entertainment value. I wasn't even able to cover or describe all the acts in this post, there was just so much to see! Don't miss your chance to see the circus when it comes to your town!
Wow! You guys get to do a lot of fun stuff! I haven't been to the circus since I was little. :-) Looks like everyone had FUN!
ReplyDeleteI am glad that ER got to see the elephants and that she wasn't afraid of the clowns. Maybe a visit to Santa will be ok this year.
ReplyDeleteThat first picture you took of ER and Brad is cool!
ReplyDeleteSome of the stuff they do is amazing! Adela loved the picture of the elephants! All she can say is Wow, very softly:)
That looks like so much fun. I used to love the circus when younger, and I was all excited to take my 2 year-old recently, but we decided against it, because of his food allergies and the fact that the circus would have bags of peanuts for sale that people would be opening everywhere. :/ Maybe next year! Thanks for sharing your photos. I can live the fun through you guys. ;)
ReplyDeleteI did not see any peanuts being hawked by vendors. They had popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy a plenty.
ReplyDeleteOther events did have roasted almonds.
So fun! We went in Sept. when it was in Grand Rapids and had a blast. Molly loved it, especially the horses and tigers. But she feel asleep before the elephant part, haha, she can sleep through anything. It was very fun!
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Looks like such a fun show, and I'm sure ER had a blast! I love the photos and video. I feel like I was right there with you guys!
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