Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus to visit Murray State

The Greatest Show on Earth will be revisiting Murray April 4-7 at the CFSB Center.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will be presenting their 2013 tour, “Fully Charged: Gold Edition.”

The family-favorite event will feature unique circus acts like high-wires, exotic animals, a motorcycle globe and knife throwing.

The Lopez Family plays a big role in the show. They entertain the audience with heart-pounding acts of the high-wire, the motorcycle globe and knife throwing. Their skills have been passed down through generations of family circus entertainers.

Brothers Johan and Jonathan Lopez, from Monterrey, Mexico, started training on the high-wire with their father, Alfonso, when they were young boys.

They learned to ride motorcycles specifically for the globe act with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. In total, they have been working together for 17 years.

For the high-wire act, Johan, Jonathan and Jonathan’s wife, Maria Lopez, bring the audience members to the edge of their seats as they perform hand-stands, shoulder-stands and ride bicycles on a thin wire high above the ground. Some of their stunts are even performed while wearing a blindfold.

“My biggest challenge is performing a handstand on top of a pole balanced on (Johan and Jonathan’s) shoulders as they peddle across the high wire on bicycles,” Maria said.

At 12 feet in diameter, the motorcycle globe is the narrowest in the U.S. Three motorcyclists ride in the globe, with Erika Lopez, Johan’s wife, standing in the center. The motorcyclists ride at high speeds with closer passes and precise timing. They must avoid colliding or hitting Erika in the center.

In the knife throwing act, Alfonso Lopez hurls knives more than 12 inches long at his targets. Standing before the targets are his daughters-in-law, who are at risk of being hit with the knives.

Brett and Catherine Carden are the exotic animal presenters for the show. In total, the married couple performs three animal acts.

Among those acts is a performance of Asian elephants, a performance with a mixture of camels, Arabian horses, Shetland ponies and a miniature horse and a dog performance that features terriers, poodles and mixed breeds.

“I was born into the circus, into performing,” Brett said. “I grew up with elephants at my side. It’s my life, and my animals are part of my family. I knew my calling would involve the circus.”

The show is led by David Shipman, a rookie ring master who managed to get the ringling job after missing the audition. Shipman called the producers and asked if he could still audition after missing the deadline, and the odds were in his favor.

Doing anything from voicing a script to freestyle dancing in his improvised audition, he got the job and he said he could not be happier to introduce the acts in the show and entertain the crowd.

“I now have this incredible opportunity to tour the United States and see places that I’d never have had the opportunity to see,” Shipman said. “It’s been a whirlwind. It almost doesn’t feel real, like it’s happening to someone else. I’m proof that it’s never too late to chase after your dreams.”

Shipman said his favorite part of his job was getting to see the genuine reactions from the children in the audience.

Tickets for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey “Fully Charged: Gold Edition” are available through the CFSB Center. Prices for the show range from $10-25.

Ringling is also offering a flat $10 ticket price for students on their opening night.

The shows are at 7 p.m. April 4 and 5, 1 p.m. April 6 and 7 and 5 p.m. April 6.

Story by Anna Taylor, Features Editor.