Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

It was an amazing and fulfilling experience to be chosen as the Production Designer for Legends, the 144th edition of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. It was my fourth time collaborating with the world-renowned Feld Entertainment and my second time designing the Circus. I sincerely enjoyed my process of creating show-stopping, over-the-top Family Entertainment with my Producers, Kenneth, Nicole, Alana, and Julia Feld.

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Circus concePts

I worked closely with my director, Rye Mullis, to brainstorm ideas for the show. We developed concepts featuring different themes and classic patterns for the Circus Portal. The Circus Portal is the leading design element in the Circus. The Ring Curbs, Floats, Props, Costumes, and Projection Design are all designed to support the big idea for the Circus Portal.

After meeting with Rye, I created several color concept sketches, which we would present to our Producers and the rest of our creative team in our first meeting.

I also included a concept that had not been chosen that I created for my first Circus design featuring a Harlequin theme. I thought it was classic and grand. included the Cirus Portal sliding open at the show's start, doubling its size and wowing the audience with its internal color-changing lighting and other effects! Unfortunately, the Harlequin Portal was not chosen. I found it amusing when my Producers said to me in the presentation that they don’t like classic Circus patterns and costumes that are green!

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searching for the gateway to the legends

After presenting the initial concepts, Rye and I pursued a design path featuring a different Circus icon: Elephants. The Portal would feature a stylized “gate" evocative of an elephant facing forward in front of a large dome towering over the gates and entrance. As "The Greatest Show on Earth" commenced, the “elephant gate” would split apart in the center and slide open, creating the illusion of two elephants facing each other.

The Producers felt that the initial design was somewhat too reminiscent of Hindu elements. Nicole Feld gently pointed out that the elephants in the Circus were Indian Elephants, known for their smaller ears, as opposed to African Elephants, which have much larger ears. The team appreciated the idea of the elephants functioning as gates and discussed how the portal could represent the quest for the Universe of Legends.

Ultimately, through another series of concept sketches, I envisioned the "The Greatest Show on Earth" logo prominently displayed over a large gold star at the center of the Legends universe, its shining points extending into the surrounding heavens. The Portal top would be adorned with celestial shooting stars, resembling a sparkling crown. Compasses would surround the portal opening, guiding the audience on their journey as they discover the majestic elephant gates opening up and welcoming everyone to the Legends of the Circus.

The jeweled compasses on the Circus Portal were also reflected in the cover of the live Circus Band. The Celestial Star Pattern adorned the Ringmaster's Float, the Ring Curb, and various other props in the show. I incorporated a Chinoiserie Flourish into the Celestial Star Pattern, which wrapped around the bases of the floats. The Cinoiseerie pattern also became the lower body of the Elephants in the Elephant Gates

One of the main challenges I faced while designing the Circus Portal was ensuring enough space on the left side of the portal to accommodate storage for the “Globe of Steel.” This 16-foot-diameter metal cage would be pulled out from behind the masking on the left side of the Circus Portal and rolled out to the center of the arena floor. Inside the dome, eight motorcycle riders from the Torres Family circle each other, reaching speeds of up to 65 mph. It might be loud and unbelievably dangerous, but it is a thrilling act to watch. Not sure how they rehearse this.

The importance of internal lighting

Once the creative team has finished developing their designs, we hold an important meeting called the "White Model Presentation." During this presentation, every element of our Circus is represented in a model with a scale of 1" = 1'-0". This includes the Circus Portal, Elephant Gates, floats, every costume and performer, and even the rigging for acts such as trampolines and the globe of steel. Our director, Rye, arranges the pieces to showcase the various spectacular moments in the show.

The comprehensive white model provides the entire team with a clear understanding of the scale, flow, and overall aesthetic of Legends Circus. Alongside this, a spreadsheet details the cost of every item in the show. Ultimately, it is up to the Feld family to decide which items will remain and which must be cut to stay within budget.

I designed the Jewelled Compasses on the portal to feature internal LED lighting, which gives them life, energy, and color. However, during the presentation, the LED lights were removed from the budget. Although the cost was significant at the time, I was devastated because I understood how crucial they were to the look of the Circus Portal. External lighting on the compasses would not suffice.

I expressed my concerns to Rick Papineau, the head of the shop, explaining that cutting the LED component would be a grave mistake for the show. I intended to convey this importance to our Producers, Nicole and Alana. After collaborating on three shows, Rick and I are good friends. He cautioned me that it would be a waste of time since the Producers' decisions were final. Undeterred, I approached Alana and Nicole and explained how vital the LED lighting was for enhancing the Circus Portal appearance during the show. They listened to my explanation, and after some discussion, they agreed that retaining the LED would be invaluable for the overall look.

Rick was stunned, and we laughed about it. The LED compasses in our Circus Portal looked fantastic! The interior LED lighting dramatically transformed their colors, emphasizing, accentuating, and visually supporting every moment of the show. The addition of internal LED lighting in the compasses was a stunning enhancement, and I cannot imagine the show without this detail.

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a modern Hagenbeck-Wallace

The show was engineered and constructed at Feld Entertainment's "Hagenbeck-Wallace" shop, named after a historic Circus troupe from the early 20th century. I had the privilege of collaborating with Rick Papineau for the fourth time, alongside his associate Angie Wahl and the rest of his talented team, including welders, sculptors, riggers, and scenic artists. We have successfully partnered on all of my Feld Entertainment designs. Our firm, collaborative, and respectful working relationship fostered a positive environment for creativity and innovation. Rick is a fantastic artist, and I am so happy to call him my friend.

Based on my design drawings for “Legends”, the shop takes on the critical responsibility of engineering and constructing all the rigging, acrobatic equipment, scenic elements and props for the show. A key challenge was ensuring that everything could fit into containers that traveled on the Circus train, including the performers and their families, the animals, caretakers, and all the essential elements that bring the Circus to life in every town across our beautiful nation. Notably, the train follows the same historic route from city to city that it has maintained for over a century. The elephants are positioned at the front of the train, right behind the engines, which provides the smoothest ride. Meanwhile, the clowns enjoy their bumpy fun at the back of the train.

a leopard for a leopard

I was asked to create a float design featuring a Leopard and its handler, Alex Lacey. The "Leopard Float" would be featured in the spectacular opening number of the Legends Circus, known as "Spek" to my Circus friends. It would make two additional appearances later during the show. The design needed to incorporate space for the driver, an electric motor, batteries, and an area on top of the float with specific parameters for Alex and his Leopard.

During the research phase, I explored various images of leopards. I was particularly inspired by exquisite jewelry designs featuring evocative, cubist leopard heads adorned with sparkling diamonds. This aesthetic greatly influenced my design for the Leopard Float. Who doesn’t like a $75,000 ring?

The Circus shop, Heggenbeck-Wallace, provided dimensions for an existing float chassis to ensure that my finished Float would fit into the containers that ride on the Circus train. My design was realized with the help of the talented sculptors at Hagenbeck-Wallace, who scaled my drawing to full size and attached it to foam blocks on the framework to guide their stunningly beautiful sculpting that would follow. My design for the Leopard Float evokes the Celestial Crown from the top of the Circus Portal and I also added more swirls in the faceted flat areas of the Leopard. In the Circus, swirls are traditionally known as “Gaunche”. After the sculpture, the foam was sealed, painted purple, and covered with a solid layer of purple glitter with glitter highlights. Gold accents and rhinestones were meticulously applied to enhance the design further, creating a striking visual effect that beautifully showcased the Leopard… and Alex, as seen in the images below.

MY epic elephants

The Elephant Gates were the highlight of my design for the show! The exceptional craftsmanship of the scene shop, along with their careful attention to detail, was truly inspiring. The stunning, colorful glitter coating, delicate fades, and jeweled accents transformed the gates into a splendid masterpiece reminiscent of a fine piece of jewelry, as seen in the photos below. The Elephant Gates and the Circus Portal created an extraordinary visual spectacle that will undoubtedly remain and linger in the memories of everyone fortunate enough to witness this spectacular version of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey's Circus, Legends!

Nothing is more exhilarating than creating remarkable and memorable shows on a grand scale. Every detail is vital to creating an unforgettable experience that leaves a lasting impression!