It's not often that a woman my age finds herself surrounded by an entourage of handsome males -- but last night I had the privilege of taking my two sons and their friend (let's call him Stormtrooper) for a night at the circus. We watched Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's production of Fully Charged at San Jose's HP Pavilion, and boy were those boys fully charged from the excitement of the show!
About the show
Ringling Bros.® powers up audiences with acts from all over the globe featuring breathtaking dare-devilry, superhuman stunts and never-seen-before performances that spark the imaginations of Children of All Ages! Clowns from the world-famous clown alley charge the audiences¿ funny bones, while megawatts of thrills explode out of the ring including The Human Fuse who rockets across the circus skies igniting the power of the people. And of course, amazing animals that spark the audience¿s awe and wonder. Experience the current of excitement at Ringling Bros. FULLY CHARGED!
Fully Charged is a red-hot production (literally -- from the special effects with flames and the warm orange/yellow/red color theme of the costumes) with lots of giggles and gasps guaranteed for the little ones. The theme song of this show is "Fire It Up", and my kids really got fired up when they saw the amazing acts! Some of our favorites included:
Seeing The Human Fuse get lit up in flames and shot across the circus area from a crossbow;
Gasping as the Fernandez Brothers ran and jumped and spun on giant hamster wheels (okay, they're called "Twin Turbines of Steel", but they look like giant hamster wheels to me!) that rotated through space.
Marveling at how the Danguir Troupe was able to walk, run and bike across the high wire! They even lay down and jumped rope as though they were just inches from the ground, not high up in the air.
Animal Open House
If you're watching Fully Charged in Fresno, San Diego, Sacramento, Denver or Salt Lake City, there's even more fun awaiting your family. Arrive 90 minutes before show time for the Ringling Bros. Animal Open House, where families can see the circus elephants up close, speak to animal care team members and learn about Ringling Bros. commitment to animal conservation.
I'm not too enthusiastic about the animal acts myself, but I have to say I enjoyed the animal acts on Fully Charged more than I have in other Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey circuses I've watched, mainly due to the animal tranier, Tabayara. He's a true entertainer who performs with style and flair, and keeps a running commentary of what he's doing -- he's miked up, so the whole audience can hear him making jokes and talking to the animals.
The Blah
Probably the only thing I'd really change about this production is the start time -- at 7:30, it's a bit late for the little ones, especially on weekdays. It was almost 10:00PM by the time we were all settled in the van for the drive home!
The Bottom Line
If bedtime isn't an issue for you, then by all means treat your family to a night at the circus, and get ready to have some fully charged fun!
Cities and Dates
The San Jose performances of Fully Charged are over, but Fully Charged is playing in the San Francisco Bay Area in San Francisco's Cow Palace and Oakland's Oracle Arena on the dates below. If you don't leave in the Bay Area, you can view the full performance schedule on the RIngling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey website to see if there's a show near you.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® presents Fully Charged
HP Pavilion at San Jose – August 17-21
Cow Palace in Daly City – September 1-5
Oracle Arena in Oakland – September 8-11
HP Pavilion at San Jose – August 17-21
Cow Palace in Daly City – September 1-5
Oracle Arena in Oakland – September 8-11
SAVE $10 per ticket to Fully Charged
In celebration of Labor Day, Feld Entertainment is offering a $10 discount on all seats, on both regular $25 seats and $40 VIP seats! Hurry and buy your tickets online at ticketmaster.com and by phone at 800-745-3000, because this offer ends on September 6. To redeem this offer, use customer code LABOR.
*SPECIAL NOTES: SAVE $10 Labor Day Offer is only valid on regularly priced $40 VIP and $25 seats. Seats are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Popular performances sell out quickly, so act now! This special eBuzz ticket offer is available by phone and online only. This offer is not valid at ticket outlets. This offer may not be combined with any other offer and does not apply to group sales orders. This offer valid only for show dates and times listed above. Use your American Express, Discover, Mastercard, or Visa(service charges and handling fees may apply).
Get opening night tickets for $15
Get $15 tickets for opening night at San Francisco (Thursday September 1, 7:30PM performance) and Oakland (Thursday September 8 at the 7:30PM performance).
(NO CODE REQUIRED. Excludes Circus Celebrity, Front Row and VIP seats. No double discounts. Cannot be used for prior purchases or group sales orders. Service charges, handling and facility fees may apply.)
Disclosure: I received 4 tickets to the show, courtesy of Feld Entertainment. Product information is provided by the featured company/product and is indicated in italics. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.