Historic Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Says Goodbye After 146 Years | NBC News

[Music] [Applause] my family and I would always come to the circus when I was growing up [Music] watching it when I was young was mesmerizing you know things I never thought were even possible you see people flying through the air and all these just incredible feats and I remember having that opportunity to come into giving it early and see some performers as they're getting ready for the show hockey with my family in the car in the ride home and who would do what in the circus like my dad would be the ringmaster and we started making jokes about when I was obviously a clown I really had a passion for it [Music] it's kind of instilled into everyone's head and they're growing up that if you can really work at your craft and practice really hard eventually you can go to the greatest show on earth growing up the way that I did with normal life I don't think anyone really thought I would run away with the circus [Music] you're in charge of me no not you grub here and give me back my change go get you all some breakfast oh and you know what give me breakfast surface art it's a very different they are our original x-men now there are original superheroes you know these people fly and talk to animals and do all sorts of daring things and when you do that it's more of a compulsion as opposed to you know something I just studied on the side and but I've become you know you are because 19 or 20 was my first time performing sighs came here riding horses which I worked with the elephants and I've flown through the air on trapeze on silk and it's because they saw something in me they wanted to see if I could do stuff and I was able to do it every single time what I learned about myself being on the road is that if I put effort into what I'm doing I can achieve it [Music] eleven months out of the year we're together we work together we play together we travel together the performers and the crew the staff I love them I really do I still have friendships that I'm going to have until the day I die [Music] people that have so much passion for what they're doing they have this love for life and love for what they're doing it I mean we're family the bottom line is that the circus is one big family [Music] when you have announcer like that look ok where am i meeting rumors start flying ok Disney is buying us or we're going to close one unit we're going to merge the units to have the best greatest show on earth the room was silent and when they announced the closure of the show I think everyone was just stunned [Music] the initial feeling was like an overwhelming sadness like what are we gonna do next like what are we gonna do [Music] come on Shelton Marasco shufflin shufflin good boys good boys when I got Rosco and Shelton they were 30 pounds they actually wrote home with me from the farm on my lap in the park so we've seen them get this size just a part of life I guess it's show business it's the business side of it and I'm sad that the tradition is coming to an end of course it's 146 years and they'll never be another show like Ringling Brothers there's opportunities elsewhere you [Music] like get on like this [Music] it's not lucrative anymore if people aren't coming you can't keep it in business in my head everything's going to be okay and I think that they all know that too it's just these next few weeks where they have to just get themselves there it's life after wriggling you know if Ringling wouldn't have shut down I would have stayed here until they kicked me out I would have been completely gray with wrinkles they still kept me it's gonna be difficult it's gonna be really really hard final countdown [Music] mere days before it's all done 146 years of history going like that like a breath it's amazing [Music] oh lord have mercy Jesus here trying to close the house pack start my life over who woulda thunk who would have thought we'd be in this position never in a million years I get that hour before the show to talk to the audience I get to get everyone revved up for the circus and get them excited for it seen so many people flying from Colorado from Texas it means that Circus has a big place in people's hearts and happy they get to make that memory with their family one last time but the closer we get to the end it's like we're saying goodbye to the circus we're going to be fine and the reason we're gonna be fine is because to come to reelin you have to be really good at what you do you have to be the best of the best the circus isn't dying it's just this particular show is coming to an end [Music] hey NBC News fans thanks for checking out our YouTube channel subscribe by clicking on that button down here and click on any of the videos over here to watch the latest interviews show highlights and digital exclusives thanks for watching

Channel: NBC News

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Keywords: NBC News Originals, NBC Originals, NBC, NBC News, Breaking News, US News, World News, Politics News, Current Events, Top Stories, Ringling Bros, Ringling Bros Circus, Ringling Circus, Ringling Circus final show, big top, big top circus, Barnum & Bailey Circus, Barnum & Bailey Circus closing, Barnum & Bailey, circus, circus animals, greatest show on earth, circus performers, ringling history, barnum & baileys history, animal performers, ringling, acrobats, animal rights

Id: XxKitmbTFs4

Length: 9min 37sec (577 seconds)

Published: Thu May 18 2017