For Ashley Vargas, 30, who worked with the animals and skated in the show, the loss of the elephants, some of which she had tended to from birth, was the beginning of the end. The elephants were retired to the circus’s sanctuary in Florida.

“To this day, the final performance with the elephants is the hardest performance I have ever had to go through,” she said. “I had to say goodbye to elephants I’d been with since they were born. They were part of my family.”

Beside her, Daniel Eguino clutched the handlebars of the blue motorcycle he rode inside a metal cage called the Globe of Death. Mr. Eguino, 29, the son of a contortionist mother and a father who was a trapeze artist, said he was heartbroken. “Not because they close the show that I work in — it’s that they close history,” he said.

The final show was shot through with moments in which performers broke the fourth wall to reflect on the end. As two tigers sat watching, their master, Alexander Lacey, turned to the crowd. “People are not really concerned with lots of wildlife until they can feel it and see it, enjoy it and love it as much as I do,” he said, urging the audience to support well-run circuses and zoos. “Sorry, boys, I don’t usually do that,” he said turning back to the patient tigers, awaiting their next cues. “I’ve confused you.”</s>NEW YORK — The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus took entertained audience Sunday night for its final show ever.

The show — performed in Uniondale, New York — comes after months after the circus owners announced it would be bring the curtain down on its performers. According to CNN, high costs and declining ticket sales led to shut down.

The show had a tough time bouncing back after the show was forced to phase out its famous elephant performance due to harsh criticism from animal rights group.

More than 146 years of dazzling audiences, the Ringling Brothers circus will still go down as "The Greatest Show on Earth."</s>An elephant souvenir is on sale on the final day of the Ringling Bros Barnum and Bailey Circus on May 21, 2017 in Uniondale, New York. Known as "The Greatest Show on Earth", the circus performed its final act after a 146 year run. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)</s>After 146 years and having entertained generations of Americans, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus gave its final performance Sunday night.</s>UNIONDALE, N.Y. — The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus that has wowed crowds for 146 years with its “Greatest Show on Earth” is taking its final bow.

The circus’ last show at the Nassau County Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, is sold out, and former circus performers will be in the audience. It’s something of a reunion — or a funeral — for a production that’s centered on bringing joy to the public.

Ringling’s parent company, Feld Entertainment, announced in January it would close the show, citing declining attendance and high operating costs.

Animal rights activists had targeted the circus, saying that forcing animals to perform and transporting them around the country amounted to abuse. In May 2016, the company removed elephants from its shows, but ticket sales continued to decline.

Once a mainstay of entertainment in small towns and big cities across the country, Ringling had two touring circuses this season, one of which ended its run earlier this month in Providence, Rhode Island. That show was the more traditional, three-ring circus, while the one in Uniondale, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of New York City, this weekend has a narrative storyline. Called “Out of This World,” it’s set in futuristic outer space, with Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson narrating in his signature baritone.

It’s an arena show, with an extravaganza of big cats, motorcycle stunts, clowns performing death-defying tricks, ice skaters and Mongolian contortionists — and that’s just the first half. The second half includes more aerialists, hoop divers, basketball players in unicycles and an act that the circus staff calls “The Fuzzies,” featuring dogs, pigs, llamas and goats.

There are mild explosions and flashing lights. A sensory overload, but one that captivates the little ones — as does the giant, branded boxes of popcorn and the snow cones in big cat mugs.

In the end, though, Feld executives said they knew the circus couldn’t compete with iPhones, the internet, video games and massively branded and carefully marketed characters. Their other productions — Frozen on Ice, Marvel Live, Supercross, Monster Trucks, Disney on Ice — resonate better with younger generations.

And so tonight, sometime after 9 p.m., the Greatest Show on Earth will be no more.</s>(AP Photo/Tamara Lush). Gene Goldstein, center right, and his family stop for a photo outside the Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., which is hosting the final performances of the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Sa...

(AP Photo/Tamara Lush). Clarissa Williams, of West Hempstead, N.Y., poses with her daughter Nylah, 8, after seeing one of the final shows of Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus at the Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., ...

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) - Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus began its final show Sunday evening after 146 years of wowing audiences with its "Greatest Show on Earth."

Earlier in the day, as the circus performed its second-to-last show at the Nassau County Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of New York City, a group of retired and former circus performers sat across the street at a hotel bar, laughing and hugging and sharing memories of tours past.

"There's a lot of mixed emotions, said Rev. George "Jerry" Hogan, Ringling's circus chaplain. "It's a reunion, but it's bittersweet. I'm seeing people I haven't seen in years."

Known as Father Jerry, the Catholic chaplain waved at a group of clowns at the bar. Nearly all of the folks at the bar said they were headed to the final 7 p.m. performance, but first, they needed a trip down memory lane with people who were, and always will be, part of a unique family.

"It's 146 years of tradition, older than American baseball," said David Gregg, a clown from Hollywood, Florida. "This was one of the last nomadic tribes running around the country."

Ringling's parent company, Feld Entertainment, announced in January it would close the show, citing declining attendance and high operating costs.

Feld said Sunday that while he is melancholy about closing the production, he feels the performers are energized to "go out on top."

"We all have to embrace change," he said. "But there is a love for the circus that will never die. Our family has given a half century of life to something that would have ended 50 years ago."

Feld's father and uncle bought the circus in 1967. It was sold to Mattel in 1971, but the Feld family continued to manage the shows. The Felds bought the circus back in 1982.

Over the years, animal rights activists had targeted the circus, saying that forcing animals to perform and transporting them around the country amounted to abuse. And in May 2016, the company removed elephants from its shows, but ticket sales continued to decline.

Bello Nock, who is often called "The World's Greatest Daredevil," says it's emotional to see the final shows.

Nock, who has a signature shock of two-foot-tall blond hair, performed with the Ringling circus from 2000-2008. His parents met at the Ringling circus in 1954 and said the show inspired generations of performers.

"Every single circus in America used Ringling Brothers as their compass," he said.

Once a mainstay of entertainment in small towns and big cities across the country, Ringling had two touring circuses this season, one of which ended its run earlier this month in Providence, Rhode Island . That show was the more traditional, three-ring circus, while the one performing this weekend has a narrative storyline. Called "Out of This World," it's set in futuristic outer space, with Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson narrating in his signature baritone.

It's an arena show, with an extravaganza of big cats, motorcycle stunts, clowns performing death-defying tricks, ice skaters and Mongolian contortionists - and that's just the first half. The second half includes more aerialists, hoop divers, basketball players in unicycles and an act that the circus staff calls "The Fuzzies," featuring dogs, pigs, llamas and goats.

There are mild explosions and flashing lights. It's a sensory overload, but one that captivates the little ones, as does the giant, branded boxes of popcorn and the snow cones in big cat mugs.

In the end, though, Feld executives said they knew the circus couldn't compete with iPhones, the internet, video games and massively branded and carefully marketed characters. Their other productions - Frozen on Ice, Marvel Live, Supercross, Monster Trucks, Disney on Ice - resonate better with younger generations.

And so tonight, sometime after 9 p.m., the Greatest Show on Earth will be no more.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus that has wowed crowds for nearly 150 years with its “Greatest Show on Earth,” before facing increasingly intense controversy over its use of live large animals, is taking its final bow Sunday night.

The last of three scheduled shows Sunday at the Nassau County Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, is sold out. The circus’s final show will be broadcast live on Facebook and streamed on YouTube.

Ringling’s parent company, Feld Entertainment, announced in January it would close the production, citing declining attendance and high operating costs.

Although it retired its elephants in May 2016, Ringling Bros continued to include tigers, lions, horses, dogs and camels in its shows until the end, despite criticism from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and others.

Fewer than 40,000 Asian elephants remain in the wild. About 250 are in captivity in the United States, 26 of which were born in the past 20 years at Ringling facilities, Reuters reported.

Feld Entertainment’s Kenneth Feld said Sunday that while he is sad about closing the production, he feels the performers are energized to “go out on top,” the Associated Press said.

This circus had a legacy that stretched back to the legendary 19th century showman P.T. Barnum. Feld’s father and uncle bought the circus in 1967. It was sold to Mattel MAT, +0.32% in 1971, but the Feld family continued to manage the shows. The Felds bought the circus back in 1982.</s>Ringling Bros. folded up the Big Top for the final time on Sunday night. Ringling Bros. started in1884 and later merged with Barnum and Bailey in 1919 to form "The Greatest Show on Earth." The traveling circus roamed the United States for over 100 years, entertaining millions, and in later years drummed up plenty of controversy from animal rights activists. The final two shows were held at the Nassau County Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, which is about 30 miles east of New York City where former circus workers gathered with current workers from all over the country to celebrate the end of an era.

The 146-year old tradition is actually older than American baseball and the final, sold out performances drew fans of all ages from all over the United States to see "The Greatest Show on Earth" one last time. The final performance was also streamed live on Facebook, where it has been viewed by over 1.2 million people as of this writing. The majority of the viewers left emotional comments bidding the circus goodbye and thanking Ringling Bros. for the years of entertainment. The emotional send off was extremely hard on the current entertainers, many who can visibly be seen crying and choking up while addressing the audience. "Let's go home and show everyone we are forever more the Greatest Show on Earth!" Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson said to close out the show, leading to a standing ovation from the crowd.

Ticket sales for Ringling Bros. Circus have been on a steep decline over the past decade for a variety of factors, but one in particular has been the rise of animal activists protesting the alleged abuse of the circus animals, particularly the elephants. Some have even deemed the circus as "The Cruelest Show on Earth." But as the circus life comes to end, Ringling Bros. has stated that their animals will all be going to safe sanctuaries and reputable, safe places all over the country while some will remain under the care of Ringling Bros. on their 200-acre property in Florida. Another reason for the decline is the rise of technology. Children are more or less plugged in and can't be bothered to be engaged with real-life entertainment. And on a personal note, Clowns are scary, no matter what.

Before the circus started, the Ringling Bros. performed skits and juggling routines in town halls around the state of Wisconsin. They expanded their acts in 1884, adding a horse and a trick bear to the show while traveling around the country by train. It's when they started traveling that they ran into the competitors Barnum and Bailey where before joining forces, they divided up the country into regions. They later merged and "The Greatest Show on Earth" was born.

The final performance began with Lee Iverson thanking the 300-person crew of workers and performers for their time with the company. It's a sad day when real live entertainment is having a hard time competing with iPhones, Xboxes, and the internet. Maybe the circus could continue without the animals, but in the end it would not have mattered all that much when kids can just watch it on Reddit or YouTube in the privacy of their bedrooms. This Christmas, Hugh Jackman will star in the musical The Greatest Showman, which chronicles the story of P.T. Barnum before Ringling Bros. and Branum & Bailey merged.</s>With laughter, hugs and tears — and the requisite death-defying stunts — the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus received its final standing ovation Sunday night as it performed its last show.

“We are, forevermore, the Greatest Show on Earth,” boomed Johnathan Lee Iverson, who has been the ringmaster since 1999. His son, who also performed, stood by his side. The show was held at the Nassau County Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of New York City.

It was an emotional 2 1/2 hours for those who worked on the circus. Many of Ringling’s employees are second, third and even fourth-generation circus performers, while others met their spouses while touring. All spent months on the road, traveling from city to city in Ringling’s train cars and describing themselves as a giant family, albeit one with many clowns.

But it also was the fans who felt like family.

Elaine Bario, a 57-year-old usher at the Nassau County Coliseum, said she’s seen the circus every time it’s been on Long Island — some years as a child with her father, who also was an usher at the same venue.

“The animals, this is where we fell in love with them,” she said. “We got to see animals here and the Bronx Zoo. We don’t go on safaris.”

Bario cried as she watched the final big cat act with its leopards, tigers and Alexander Lacey, the handsome animal trainer.

“I’ve always had a crush on the lion tamers,” she said, laughing through tears.

But it was those animal shows that led to the circus’ eventual demise.

Over the years, animal rights activists had targeted Ringling, saying that forcing animals to perform and transporting them around the country amounted to abuse. In May 2016, the company removed elephants from its shows, but ticket sales continued to decline. People, it seemed, didn’t want to see a circus without elephants. Ringling’s parent company, Feld Entertainment, announced in January it would close the show, citing declining attendance and high operating costs.

A handful of protesters stood outside the venue on Sunday, with signs that said “compassion always wins,” and “the future is animal free.”

Feld Entertainment CEO Kenneth Feld said that “we all have to embrace change.”

Feld’s father and uncle bought the circus in 1967. It was sold to Mattel in 1971, but the Feld family continued to manage the shows. The Felds bought the circus back in 1982.

Earlier Sunday, a group of retired and former circus performers sat across the street at a hotel bar, laughing and hugging and sharing memories of tours past.

“There’s a lot of mixed emotions, said Rev. George “Jerry” Hogan, Ringling’s circus chaplain. “It’s a reunion, but it’s bittersweet. I’m seeing people I haven’t seen in years.”

Once a mainstay of entertainment in small towns and big cities across the country, Ringling had two touring circuses this season, one of which ended its run earlier this month in Providence, Rhode Island . That show was the more traditional, three-ring circus, while the one performing this weekend had a narrative storyline. Called “Out of This World,” it was set in futuristic outer space.

In the end, though, Feld executives said they knew the circus couldn’t compete with iPhones, the internet, video games and massively branded and carefully marketed characters. Their other productions — Frozen on Ice, Marvel Live, Supercross, Monster Trucks, Disney on Ice — resonate better with younger generations.

But that didn’t stop the circus from giving the performance of their life, one last time, to one last crowd. (AP)

See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr.</s>Jon Weiss has a solid handshake and a personality as outgoing as the green sequin-covered tuxedo jacket he was wearing.

Weiss has been a performer all his life and spent 25 years with the traveling Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Faced with declining ticket sales after it pulled elephants out of the show, Feld Entertainment, the company that owns Ringling, decided the last show after 146 years will be Sunday night in New York.

For Weiss, a Las Vegan who is a member at Trapeze Las Vegas Studio, it is tough to imagine life without the Ringling circus. Weiss was passionate and, if it’s possible, cheerfully indignant about the loss of the institution he loves. After all, Weiss said, Ringling has existed, in various forms since the middle of the 19th century, roughly as long as baseball.

“Imagine Major League Baseball going away,” he said. “Something that’s been here hundreds of years. Well, Ringling has been around 140 years.

“To take away an American tradition that multiple generations have brought their kids to see? It’s unheard of,” he continued. “How many people are going to be unemployed? How many are you uprooting? The circus trains have all been sold already. There will never be a circus train again. It’s crazy.”

Weiss got his start at Ringling when he was accepted into the circus’ clown college after a 1981 audition, one of 60 chosen from a field of 5,000 applicants.

His first major promotion, becoming the human cannonball, was hard one because of his status in the circus. “I was just a clown,” he said. “Not an act person.”

Unlike clowns, performers in acts like the human cannonball and high wire routines were mostly European, Weiss said, and from families with a circus tradition stretching back six or seven generations. Being a clown, a first generation circus performer and an American counted against him.

“I had all the clowns behind me, with their thumbs up,” he said. “But all the act people were saying ‘He’s never going to do it. He’s only a clown. FIrst generation.’”

And though he was given almost no training and probably faced sabotage ­— the aim of the cannon gave him almost no time to position himself for a solid landing — Weiss nailed it on his first try.

Eventually, Weiss’ career grew and he managed operations and produced special projects for Ringling. He was also the ringmaster for many years.

Beyond being a professional home, the circus was the focus of Weiss’ family life. He married his wife Laura, also a performer, in Ringling center ring surrounded by other performers and animals in 1986. Their two children grew up largely on the road with the circus.

“When my kid was colicky I would bring him out to see the animals at like 6 in the morning,” he said. “The elephants knew my son and they tooted their trunks and looked forward to seeing him. I just treasure that time to this day. I think if I brought my son to the elephants today, they would still remember him by smell or something.”

But those very same elephants were the reason behind Ringlings’ closure.

In the early 2000s, a legal fight erupted between Feld and animal rights groups that accused Ringling of abusing the elephants. Although Feld won the legal battle in 2014, they ultimately lost the war.

After several major cities banned animal performances, Feld decided to remove elephants from the show. The decision caused a decline in ticket sales “greater than could have been anticipated,” Feld was quoted as saying when he annouced the closure.

In his experience, Weiss said the legal judgement in favor of Feld was correct. Nobody, he said, was treated better than the animals, At each stop of the train and after each performance, they were taken care of before any of the human performers.

“I look at it two ways,” he said. “Yes, it’s better to have more space. It would be great if there was more space for them. But that’s not the reality of what they did and it was all that the animals knew.

“It’s just like my kids. They grew up with the circus and that’s all they knew. Did my kids have sports activities like football and did they socialize with other kids their own age? They did not. And did that bother me? Yes. But they had other things, like being with their parents 24-7. So it’s a trade off.”

“And the animals that were performing loved it. When they heard the music and knew they were going out to perform, they loved it. If an animal was sick and couldn’t go out and perform, they flipped out. They trumpeted and got upset. So I got to observe this in a different way than most people do.”

In all, Weiss said he loved performing in Ringling and is proud of the time he was there.

“The people that I met and the people that I worked with I am so so thankful for," he said. "It made me the person I am today. I came from a broken home. So I’m proud and passionate. I want to scream from the top of my lungs how important this art is to America.”

In 2007, Weiss and his wife left Ringling to work at other, smaller circuses and to create a reality TV show that never got off the ground. To pay the bills, Weiss works for a bathroom remodeling company, dealing largely with the customers, something he says comes naturally to his outgoing performance based personality.

Still, he finds himself wishing he was still in the circus. Performing, he says is therapeutic for both the audience and the entertainer.

It’s why he find himself balancing ladders on his chin when he is shopping for bathroom fixtures for his job. And it’s why, outside of work, his life still centers around performing and circus-like acts.

Weiss has a few projects in the works, including a charity effort involving service members. He also spends a lot of time at Trapeze Las Vegas where his kids continue practicing the skills they learned while growing up in the circus.

Leaving the circus, he said was “like a divorce.”

“Emotionally, coming off the road and not having this avenue to perform is hard. It’s like medicine for me. When I’m doing it, my whole demeanor changes. Just being in front of an audience every day, there’s really something to be said about it.”
After 146 years, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus comes to a close.