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Can You Say "Circus"?

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I have never understood people who think the circus is scary. Truth be told, I've been entranced by the circus since I was a little girl. When I was growing up in Germany, my parents regularly took me to see the circuses that came through Bonn, and my father used to dress up as a clown for my birthday parties and school events. I always saw the circus as a magical and amazing experience. I even entertained serious thoughts about attending Ringling Bros. Clown College in Florida, where the circus used to train up-and-coming clowns. The school has since closed.

But it's been years since I actually attended the circus. This year, thanks to a good friend with a ticket connection, I made it to the Greatest Show on Earth. And while I like to think of myself as a grounded adult, I think I had as much fun as the two-year-old behind me who was attending his first circus did.

The show that is playing in D.C. right now is the Blue Unit, one of two touring units that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey have on the road at any given time. This is the 130th edition of the circus, and the Red Unit, which is playing different cities, is the 131st edition.

One of the most interesting parts of the circus is the relatively new Three Ring Adventure opportunity. Beginning an hour before the show, the audience is invited down to the three rings to meet and learn about animals, clowns, costumes and other performers.

On the night I went to the show, I got to meet Karen, the elephant, and several hilarious clowns. During the Three Ring Adventure, the set of jewels Marilyn Monroe wore as part of the opening parade at Madison Square Garden in 1955 are on display. They figure in a hilarious clown skit later—to see the joke, you'll have to see the show.

The circus performance itself begins when Ringmaster Kevin Venardos asks the crowd to yell, "Circus!" again and again until the parade begins. Venardos keeps the show moving with intense energy and a voice that would be the envy of Don Pardo. It's hard to believe he began his performing career as a green crayon in a second-grade play. Venardos is also technically a hometown boy. Although he grew up in New Jersey, he was born in Silver Spring, one of the Maryland suburbs of D.C.