From Anonymous

The "Greatest Show on Earth" is a far cry from what the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus performers brought to Cricket Arena this weekend. Viewers could maybe forgive the reduced scale of the Gold Unit circus knowing that the larger Blue and Red Units that have been here in the past supposedly couldn't schedule space in the Bobcats Arena. But smaller shouldn't mean less energy and slow pacing, which were the main downfalls of this show. Some of the performers deserve credit. The tightrope walkers, trapeze artists and contortionists showed off talent, no matter that there were only a few of them instead of dozens spread across three rings. The opening act -- a team of white horses led by a woman who also ascended in the air on a metal ring -- was beautiful, even though it went on for too long. And a handful of Frisbee-catching dogs were perhaps the most fun to watch simply because they were clearly so excited to be doing their job (i.e. playing catch). The same couldn't be said for some of the other performers. The Bulgarian Ikar acrobats, who looked like glorified cheerleaders in their first jump-roping stint, half-heartedly ran from one trick to the next and ended each with a weak pose. A skit performed by a couple suspended upside down was interesting, but also lacked the pizzazz to be anything more than cute. The show's lone massive elephant produced the most oohs and ahhs from the crowd, entering with his trainer draped elegantly on his tusks. After a few minutes of tricks, he exited with a charming wave of his trunk. Too bad this act was so short. For the number of veteran circus performers this show boasted, it didn't feel as professional as it should have. Given that the cheapest tickets are $15 (the same as the most elaborate Blue Unit show), there should at least be a tiger, or another elephant, or ... something.