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Circus comes to town for one last run of shows

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<p>WILKES-BARRE TWP. &#8212; With high-flying acrobats, dazzling costumes and large animals, Mohegan Sun Arena went &#8220;XTREME&#8221; on Thursday when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum &amp; Bailey Circus came to town for the first of seven shows during a farewell tour.</p><p>Feld Entertainment, which produces &#8220;The Greatest Show on Earth,&#8221; <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/wire/national-wire/625495/apnewsbreak-ringling-bros-circus-to-close-after-146-years" target="_blank">announced in January that it is closing up shop after 146 years. </a>The &#8220;Circus XTREME&#8221; cast, which performed at the arena, will conclude touring on May 7 in Providence, R.I.; a second cast, &#8220;Out Of This World,&#8221; ends May 21 in Uniondale, N.Y.</p><p>Tyler, 5, and Dante Boyle, 2, of Moscow, had never been to a circus before Thursday, and their father, Ed, said he didn&#8217;t remember the last time he&#8217;d seen the circus. But he &#8220;wanted to make sure they have the opportunity&#8221; to see the show.</p><p>Holding a toy laser gun, Tyler said was excited to the see animals.</p><p>&#8220;I like tigers,&#8221; he said.</p><p>As soon as the first female circus ringmaster, Kristen Wilson, took the floor and asked &#8220;What&#8217;s up, Wilkes-Barre?&#8221; Shannon Kelleher, 7, of Harrisburg, turned and said to her mother, Lillian, &#8220;This is awesome!&#8221;</p><p>The younger Kelleher sat at the edge of her seat as the song-and-dance set up the XTREME storyline &#8212; going to the ends of the earth (to exotic locales such as an arid desert and Mount Everest) for the newest circus sensation.</p><p>&#8220;As long as she has fun,&#8221; Lillian said of her daughter, discounting the drive from Harrisburg before the show began. &#8220;We&#8217;ve taken her every year, but this one is bittersweet.&#8221;</p><p>Sarah Halcott concurred.</p><p>The Springbrook Township mother brought her 6-year-old son, Andrew.</p><p>&#8220;I wish they didn&#8217;t give in to peer pressure and shut down,&#8221; Sarah said watching Andrew, who was enjoying a snow cone, his face painted as a lion. &#8220;I enjoyed it as a kid and I wish he was able to have the same experience.&#8221;</p><p>Programs, snow cones, cotton candy and other novelties were being sold throughout the arena. Some vendors were pushing items as a &#8220;piece of history.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;It is,&#8221; Halcott agreed. &#8220;I hope he remembers it.&#8221;</p><p>But the circus isn&#8217;t just for little ones. Crowds of all ages were wowed throughout the night as animals ranging from camels to poodles took to the stage to do highly choreographed skits.</p><p>Monica Abbott, 64, came with a group of friends, including John Bogart, 66, and Geraldine Sorokey, 86. It was Bogart&#8217;s idea.</p><p>&#8220;Every time they had the circus, I went,&#8221; Bogart said, adding it was a &#8220;shame&#8221; it was closing down. &#8220;I never missed the circus.&#8221;</p><p>Abbott said she was ready for the flying trapezes and lions.</p><p>&#8220;I feel good at the circus,&#8221; she said.</p><p>&#8220;It makes our day,&#8221; Sorokey added.</p><p><ins>For other local news stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/category/local" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">JoAnn Rohland, of Nanticoke, slaps a clown&#8217;s hand during a preshow before the circus began. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL040717circus1-6.jpg</photo0><caption0>JoAnn Rohland, of Nanticoke, slaps a clown&#8217;s hand during a preshow before the circus began. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL040717circus3-6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Members of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum &amp; Bailey circus perform. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL040717circus3-6.jpg</photo1><caption1>Members of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum &amp; Bailey circus perform. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL040717circus4-6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Caden Rodriguez, 1, of Plains Township, sits on the shoulders of his grandfather, Daniel Barrow, as he is greeted by a clown during the pre-show. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL040717circus4-6.jpg</photo2><caption2>Caden Rodriguez, 1, of Plains Township, sits on the shoulders of his grandfather, Daniel Barrow, as he is greeted by a clown during the pre-show. </caption2><photoCredit2>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL040717circus2-6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">The Ringling Brothers and Barnum &amp; Bailey Circus began its final run of shows in the region Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township. The circus runs through Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_TTL040717circus2-6.jpg</photo3><caption3>The Ringling Brothers and Barnum &amp; Bailey Circus began its final run of shows in the region Thursday night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre Township. The circus runs through Sunday. </caption3><photoCredit3>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Circus in town for final set of shows</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko.</p></shirttailMeta></div>