Categories

badge-small

Ringling Bros “Fully Charged” Satisfies!

There is nothing like the circus to remind you of the fun of being a kid!  The clowns, the acrobats, the high-wire, the animals, the human canon!  It’s all so fun!!

fully_charged_logo

We were lucky enough to attend Ringling Bros Zing Zang Zoom about 2 years ago – and both my boys still remember it!  We were all very excited to go see the new Ringling Bros Fully Charged, which opened in Phoenix last night at US Airways Center.  Once again, we were reminded why this is called “The Greatest Show on Earth”!  The beautiful visuals, great music, and amazing death-defying feats were enough to mesmerize all of us for the full 2 1/2 hours!

The great thing about the circus is that everyone, of all ages, can enjoy it.  We sat behind 3 older couples (probably in their 60’s), who were as giddy as teenagers as they watched the show unfold.   A few rows behind us was a family with baby and another child who was about 4.  Both children squealed in delight watching the clowns falling down and being silly.  I have two boys – 5 and 10 – and neither could take their eyes off the stage!

Danguir Troupe high-wire act

Danguir Troupe

Our entire family was enthralled watching the Danguir Troupe’s dangerous high-wire stunts.  I gasped quite a few times during their act as they played leap-frog on the high-wire and performed a shoulder to shoulder leap.  They were so fun to watch!

Stas and Vas - Comedic Duo

Stas and Vas - Comedic Duo

My 5-yr old son couldn’t stop laughing whenever Stas and Vas were in the ring.  All the children (as well as the adults) thought they were just hysterical!  Both my boys got red clown noses and have been acting so silly since we got home last night!  It’s been fun to watch them!

We all loved Tabayara, a dynamic animal trainer who is as much fun to watch as the animals he trains!  He was in a cage with 12 ferocious tigers – directing them to do various tricks as if they were cute little kittens.  Amazing — and heart-stopping!

Tabayara - Dynamic Animal Trainer

Tabayara - Dynamic Animal Trainer

The Brothers of Brawn were this awe-inspiring mix of brawn and grace.  The first time they come out to the ring, all you can see is how big and strong they are.   THEN, they come out a second time and do graceful moves and stunts that many ballerinas would be proud of.  It’s hard to get your head around the fact these boys are BIG AND GRACEFUL – and, oh so fun to watch!

The Brothers of Brawn

Don’t miss this family fun show that everyone can enjoy!!  Get your tickets at Ticketmaster now!!

Did you like this? Share it:

Funundrum – A Return to the Classic Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus!

I had the extreme pleasure of attending last night’s opening performance of Funundrum here at the U.S. Airways Arena here in Phoenix, Arizona.  WOW!  How do they do it?  I didn’t think it possible to have another show as wonderfully entertaining as last year’s Zing Zang Zoom, but they found a way.funundrum_small

My son still talks about Zing Zang Zoom so when we heard about Funundrum he was beside himself.  The sheer beauty that is in everything this circus does is breath taking.  Add to that incredible death defying feats the performers show the audience and it is non-stop fun and excitement for the whole family.  I watched as many families with grandparents down to newborns were in attendance and everyone was entranced by the color, the music and the amazing acts.

It starts with the pre-show with an all access pass to the floor of the show where you can walk around and choose what you would like to participate in.  The costume area is fun because you can choose which outfit you might like to try on and be sure to bring your camera so you can get a picture in the outfit!  You’ll also want to get your picture made with a real life clown as they walk around greeting everyone!  Be sure Funundrum - castto get your very own clown nose and get a tattoo!  You can enter to win a drawing from one of the elephants and watch stilt walkers move around the crowd.  It is an awesome experience that you don’t want to miss!

Pictures do not do justice to the costumes and the colors and this year, Funundrum has incorporated screens which have pictures and even mini movies.  It is hard to describe as I am not sure of the technology but it adds to the whole performance.  It lends to there never being a dull moment.  To say there is something for everyone is an understatement.  If you haven’t  been to the circus in ages, you really don’t want to miss Funundrum.  Celebrating what would be P.T. Barnum’s 200th birthday, Funundrum goes old school for a bit with the sideshow acts that we think of with circuses of the past only updated for the here and now as only Feld Entertainment can.

I could go and on about each act or performance but I will try to hit what my family thought was the highlights:  TheFunundrum-Announcer music gets it all started and the shimmering outfits with what looks like diamonds on them catching the light and shining all around the stadium.  The colors are brilliant and bright and add so much to the beauty of it all.  The animals are always fun to see and if you haven’t read my last year’s post on how the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus take great pride in how well they treat the animals, please click HERE to read all about the programs they have in place.

There was the glow in the dark Globe of Steel which featured the Torres family with SEVEN Funundrum-SteelGlobemotorcycles all going around the Globe of Steel.  Something you really don’t get to see anywhere else and my son particularly enjoyed it.  A fantastic motorcycle on a tightrope that goes right over your head!  Then, we all got to see the newest addition to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Baby Barrack, a new baby elephant born January 19, 2009.

There was so much more and I could write all day about it but honestly, you have to see it and experience it to believe it!  This is great family entertainment and believe me, you will make memories with your children that will last a lifetime!
There is a great offer right now for tickets to The Greatest Show On Earth!  Buy 4 tickets for only $44 when you use code MOM online or over the phone.  Leave a comment below to let us know what you thought of the show!

Did you like this? Share it:

Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic

Family Fun Event for all ages.
We all really enjoyed the Disney On Ice show. We took the whole family ages 2 ½ to 65 years old. This is a wonderful show, even for grandparents! I would definitely recommend bringing a jacket to the show since the ice tends to cool the arena down a few degrees. There are all kinds of toys/snacks to buy for souvenirs ranging from crowns and claws, to light up toys, so be prepared to fork out some extra money or lay down the rules ahead of time. Another option would be to head over to the dollar store and get some glow in the dark sticks for a buck! We got there a little early hoping for some pictures with characters early, but this show didn’t have any pre-show events. The sign says only sealed bottle water is allowed, but I also brought in some apples and grapes and they didn’t say anything about them. Also if you have little ones who are afraid of the dark you might want to pack a flashlight for them to hold onto. It didn’t seem too scary, but there are times when it got a little dark.

The show itself was wonderful. All seats seemed to be good for viewing (except for the upper, upper deck…. that seemed a little too high). The “Disney” aspect was there with wonderful costumes (not sure how those skaters can do all those tricks with the big costumes, but they did!). There are lots of different characters with Mickey and Minnie Mouse being the main stage setters. I personally thought the Disney Princess act was a little small, but that might have been because my daughter only wanted to see the princesses. It was nice having the multi-gender movies represented. Finding Nemo, Toy Story, Pinocchio , Lion King, Incredibles and Mulan were just some of the story lines that I can remember. My favorite part of the whole production was “It’s A Small World”!! I would give the Disney Show On Ice a thumbs up and recommend this for the whole family.

Did you like this? Share it: