Ringling Bros. circus coming to UBS Arena in March

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has gone through some changes since it closed in 2017 and reopened in 2023. The animals are gone and the focus is more on human achievements. "The Greatest Show on Earth" is now aiming to become "The Greatest Party on Earth" with its dayglow colors, live DJ spinning pop music and increased crowd interaction. This will all be revealed when the 148th edition comes to UBS Arena at Belmont Park in Elmont March 6-8.

"We have completely reimagined the circus," says performance director Ashley Budinick. "You are going to have some of your iconic acts that every generation is used to seeing, but we have incorporated some new things for the younger generation."

The two-hour program has incorporated several moments where the crowd becomes part of the show. "We actually bring people down on the floor for a dance battle alongside our performers. We play a game on our giant LED screen using 32 performers in the audience," Budinick says. "Our DJ lets people press buttons on his party pad that can change the lights or the music."

Ringling Bros. has a cast of characters performing a variety of stunts. Here’s who will be in the spotlight.

THE AERIALIST

Ashley Zimmerman, of Philadelphia, is a dancer who has blossomed into an aerialist. "Basically, I’m dancing in the air," says Zimmerman, 33. "We make shapes, do splits as well as several transitions. There’s lots of rapid swings and orbits."

At about 25 feet up, Zimmerman does some really fast spins as U2’s "Vertigo" and Sia’s "Titanium" play to get the crowd going. "You must always remain focused and present," Zimmerman says. "There’s nothing quite like it. An exhilarating rush of adrenaline comes over me."

THE CLOWN

Clowns are no longer in fright wigs and oversized shoes. Nicholas Strubbe, of California, brings to life Ringling Bros.’ lead funnyman, Nick Nack, a clumsy, overexuberant inventor and fix-it man who gets involved in a lot of hijinks with his buddies Paddy Whack and Jeff.

"Circus is moving toward character-driven comedy, which is highly physical but less reliant on stock gags we have seen for 100 years," says Strubbe, 40. "Audiences can relate to characters in a more personal way."

Wrapped in his yellow mechanic suit with a spiffy bow tie, Nick Nack is always ready for action.

"The three of us climb into the rafters to fix things and classic slapstick silliness ensues," says Strubbe. "We get the crowd cheering and empathizing with us clowns."

THE CONTORTIONIST

Jordan McKnight can do something very few humans can accomplish — an extreme backbend.

 The 27 year-old Las Vegas native serves as a contortionist in Ringling Bros.’ girls gymnastics group, Trio Nova, where they perform to No Doubt’s "Just a Girl."

"It’s a very fluid and flexible part of the show with lots of girl power," McKnight says. "I can twist into a full 180 degrees, sit down and grab my ankles. That move gets a lot of oohs and aahs from the crowd. Plus, it’s not painful at all."

THE UNICYCLISTS

Wesley Williams got his first unicycle when he was 6 years old and learned how to ride it outside his childhood home in South Florida. Today, he is known as The One Wheel Wonder and is a three-time record holder for riding the tallest unicycle in the world. In the role of Cam, Williams, 28, rides a 34-foot, 6-inch unicycle during nail-biting moments of the show.

"It’s almost like time stops for a moment and I’m just sort of floating out there," Williams says. "The audience goes wild and everyone pulls out their phones."

Two-time world champion street unicycler Mimo Seedler, of Leipzig, Germany, shows off his extreme unicycling skills alongside Williams. "I jump up stairs, riding down them as well as flipping on the trampoline," says Seedler, 25. "Wesley and I feed off each other. He’s a more traditional circus performer while I’m a more modern one."

THE HUMAN ROCKET

Skyler Miser, of Peru, Indiana, grew up surrounded by circus life as her parents, Brian and Tina Miser, were the circus' human cannonballs from 2003-11. Now, at age 22, Miser is in her fourth year as a circus performer and she’s following in her parents’ footsteps when she gets shot out of a cannon to the sound of "A Sky Full of Stars" by Coldplay to close out the show.

"I go from zero to 65 mph in less than half a second, which is seven times the force of gravity," she says. "We end the show with a bang."