SponsoredFirst, let me start off with a huge thank you from our entire family to the Feld Entertainment Sacramento PR team for one amazing night of space-themed circus fun! Inspired Imperfection and the kiddos were literally ooohing and aaahhing and omging all night long as performers flew through the air and performed amazing feats of strength, flexibility, and precision.
Brian and I were also pretty impressed that the music was performed by a live band and not just played through the stereo system by a DJ.
It had been several years since we made it in the doors of the actual circus — even tough we had tickets — so this was exciting for all of us on so many levels!
Circus Animal Open House
Ninety minutes before showtime, all ticket holders are welcomed to visit the Ringling Bros. Animal Open House! We got there with plenty of time to meet many of the circus animals up close and personal and talk with some of the animal caretakers who shared some fun facts about the animals with us. We were able to see goats, donkeys, alpacas, tigers, lions, kangaroos, lamas, and horses. The kids loved seeing the lions and tigers, but my favorite by far was the baby joey.
Because we were back in the animal area, there were several Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey box trucks making up parts of the enclosed animal area — the perfect backdrop for some fun photos!
Starseeker’s Early Access Circus Preshow
Sixty minutes before showtime, Sleep Train Arena opened it’s doors for access to the Starseeker’s circus pre-show led by Ashley Vargas, one of the ice skaters in the show. We grabbed a big box of popcorn and sno cones in awesome elephant mugs for the kids, grabbed a photo with some circus performers wandering the concourse, and played with the Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Mobile App, taking silly circus-themed selfies. When we heard music starting, we found our seats and watched the silly clowns, jump roping unicyclers, and some tiger tricks!
We also saw the dedication from Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson honoring the Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey circus as the first and last performance of it’s kind at Sleep Train Arena. Thankfully, he mentioned continuing the circus tradition at the new Golden 1 Center, because after last night, we all want to go again!
Out Of This World Circus Experience
Soon the arena went dark and the space ship countdown began. Ten, nine, eight… the whole audience was counting down… seven, six, five… the kids were getting excited… four, three, two… we couldn’t wait to see what came next… one!
The entire arena went dark and ice skaters flooded onto the ice stage performing with light ropes, astronauts was flying in the air, and the planets were floating up and down in space. Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Presents Out Of This World was blasting off to a great start!
Simet Wheel
We all were staring at a giant metal, rotating, oddly-shaped contraption in the middle of the ring, wondering what would come next. It was the gravity defying Simet Wheel, the only one of its kind in the world. Two astronauts climbed onto it, walking the thin metal rails as a high wire artist would, but this was moving! If that wasn’t cool enough, then a third person climbed onto the Simet Wheel and all three walked the rails, one with a chair! While the wheel was moving, one sat down, while another climbed onto his shoulders. Next two of the performers hopped on a small bike and rode the bike on the wheel, high off the ground. We were watching intently and at times were holding our breaths — it was insane!
The Circus Story
Of all the events we have attended over the years with the kids, this is the first of its kind that had a full plot and story. We were told about two friends, young boys who dreamed of being circus ringmasters. One was selected to be ringmaster, and the other was left alone, recruited by the evil space queen Tatiana who wanted to kidnap all of the greatest circus performers so she would have the best circus in the universe.
Our circus adventure followed the Ringmaster, Circus Starseeker, and Circus Space Fleet (ice skaters) into battle against the evil Circus Queen to save the circus performers and return the Greatest Show On Earth to Earth!
Then suddenly the floating planets shed their fabric covering to reveal giant clear balls with acrobats inside! They were bending in all sorts of ways as the balls spun in the air and then the balls split open at the bottom and the performers were hanging out of them, stretching across the opening into the splits, and performing amazing feats of flexibility!
Soon the Ringmaster, the Circus Starseeker, and his Circus Space Fleet took over the whole arena floor. There were ice skaters, horseback riders, motorcyclists, incyclists, and clowns all dancing, performing, and getting the crowd pumped. But then Queen Tatiana kidnapped all of the performers and it was up to the Ringmaster and the Starseeker to find them. The journey took us to a sand planet, an ice plant, and a fire planet with performing acts to match!
During the set changes between acts, Tatianna, her bumbling henchman Davis, and circus clowns performed silly and goofy tricks and shenannigans, including Davis jumping, flipping, and falling on a bouncy high wire! At one point Davis and Circus Star Seeker Paulo were even battling upside down as they walked on the ceiling, and later, Davis performed on tall pole that then started spin vertically, swinging him toward the ground!
Lions And Tigers and Animals, Oh My!
High-flying acrobats, aerialists on fabric ribbons, and ice skaters then entered the arena to get the crowd worked up for the next act — the lions and tigers!
Alexander Lacy, King Of The Big Cats wowed the audience with his command of and obvious friendship with the lions and tigers. We LOVED seeing these big cats perform, kiss Alexander, and even snuggle with him. The best part was watching the tigers jump over each other and jump over the lions and then seeing all of them line up and stand up on their hind legs, showing their true size!
The Torres Family And The Motorcycle Globe Of Steel
Suddenly fabric curtains dropped to reveal a round steel cage in the middle of the ring and inside were daredevil motorcyclists riding around in circles inside the ball. It began with four motorcycles, but then they added a fifth, and then a sixth! And, if that wasn’t enough daredevil excitement for you, they then shut off the lights and they rode motorcycles inside the steel cage ball in the dark, lit up only by neon lights! This was amazing! The kids were in awe.
Double Wide Flying Trapeze, Celestial Wonders
The next space circus act, the aerial performers and trapeze artists, had us on the edge of our seats through their entire performance! The side-by-side trapeze is the only one of its kind in the world and was designed especially for Ringling Bros. Women and men were swinging on the trapeze bars so high that we swore someone was going to smack their heads on the area ceiling! They were flying, flipping, twisting, and turning as they flew through the air and were caught by a high-flyer hanging upside down from another swinging trapeze bar!
The King Charles Troupe, Basketball Royalty
Next up was The King Charles Troupe — a favorite of my son’s — These unicycling basketball teams battled for dunks and points, stealing the ball from each other and dribbling across the ring all while on unicycles! Carter was cracking up as they played tricks on each other, and loved it when two of them came out on the really tall unicycles so they could score more points.
What I really loved about this act is its history and legacy. When reading up on the act in the Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Mobile App, we learning that a father concerned with what was happening in his South Bronx community taught his son and every kid in the neighborhood how to ride a unicycle and started a unicycle club. Ten years later, the troupe auditioned for Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey and they made their debut performance in 1969, becoming the first all African-American circus act in history. Today the troupe is led by his son.
Mixed Animal Hijinks
The Mixed Animal Hijinks circus act, led by Hans Klose and Mariya Sumana, was probably the sweetest, silliest, cutest act of the show. It featured tons of little dogs running around the stage doing tricks and two giant pigs following them around doing the same. We were laughing so hard when one of the huge pigs went up a ramp and down a slide and when Mariya did the splits while in a handstand and several dogs jumped right over her legs! Also in the ring were goats, lamas, alpacas, and donkeys who jumped over the sitting alpacas.
Heilongjiang Provincial Acrobatic Troupe, Precision Skating, Voltige, And Contortion
This acrobatic troupe was featured throughout the entire intergalactic circus, showing off their amazing acrobatic talent, flexibility, and strength, but one of the most impressive performances they gave was on the fire planet, where fire actually ran down the ice rink. Some performers came out skating on stilts and others came out to jump on trampolines and flip through spinning rings — all while on ice skates! It really was incredible to watch.
There are 300 different touring acrobatic troupes in China and competition is fierce. To stand out and differentiate themselves, the Heilongjiang Provincial Acrobatic Troupe became China’s first and only ice acrobatic performing group — now if that isn’t a lesson in brand positioning, I don’t know what is?!
Cossacks Valiant Horsemen
The last act of the night were the Cossack Riders that navigate a 46-foot diameter, specially designed ring at speeds that top 25 miles an hour all while flipping, standing, handstanding, and performing other acrobatic tricks! We were all amazed at just how fast the expert riders could jump off the horses and bounce right back up onto them while doing flips and twists… it really was a sight to see.
Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Mobile App
During the circus Animal Open House, the Starseeker’s Early Access Show, intermission, and even on the ride home, we enjoyed playing with the Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Mobile App.
- We took circus selfies with their circus filters
- We played circus-themed games and even did some family circus trivia in the car on the way to the event — and we were in first place all night
- On the way home, I read the bios for all of the acts out loud to the family, so we could learn more about their history
Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Presents Out Of This World
We all left Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento awestruck by the talent of the performers we saw in the Out Of This World circus show by Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey. The kids had a tough time choosing their favorite acts, saying the entire show was the best!
We again, extend huge thank yous to the Feld Entertainment Sacramento PR team for gifting Inspired Imperfection tickets for us to see the opening night.
If you get a chance to take your children to Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Presents Out Of This World in a city near you, do it! This brand new, space-themed circus experience is entertaining for the entire family, and you’ll walk away already looking forward to going again.
Feld Entertainment
Feld Entertainment® is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that lift the human spirit and create indelible memories, with 30 million people in attendance at its shows each year.
Feld Entertainment’s productions have appeared in more than 75 countries on six continents and include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL Arenacross, Marvel Universe LIVE!, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!
