Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey – the “Greatest Show on Earth” – will return to NRG Stadium for seven performances the weekend of July 19-21.

Wait – didn’t the world’s biggest, most successful, most steeped in tradition circus call it quits in 2017, supposedly forever, under pressure (and lawsuits and dwindling ticket sales) from animal rights groups who protested the circus’ use and alleged mistreatment of animals?

That’s why this 2024 version of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will look vastly different from the circus that entertained audiences for 146 years before pulling up stakes seven years ago.

The new circus features music acts, acrobats, tightrope walkers, dancers, and BMX bike riders in a mix of performers like an old vaudeville show. Instead of a ringmaster, there are three “show guides” who introduce the acts and mingle with the crowd.

Most important, there are no animals in this forcibly enlightened version of the circus. You won’t see vulgar acts like lion tamers cracking whips as the majestic kings of the jungle shrink in fear, no elephants climbing on each other’s backs, no chimpanzees dressed in bellhop uniforms, no horses made-over to look like unicorns or bears who do not “think they can dance” and shouldn’t be in show business.

And clowns aren’t funny – with the exception of Fizbo on the sitcom Modern Family.

Les Alexander stood up for animal rights

Why Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey plays the NFL stadium in Houston, curtained off in the end zone, instead of better suited Toyota Center, is an interesting story that may make you appreciate former Rockets owner Les Alexander for more than bringing two NBA titles to Houston.

In 2003, Houston opened its gleaming Toyota Center and essentially handed the keys to Alexander and the Rockets. One of the first decisions Alexander made was saying no to hosting the circus. Alexander and then-wife Nanci were full-on animal rights advocates who donated millions of their personal wealth to animal protection organizations and rescue groups.

Remember when the Rockets Power Dancers wore T-shirts reading “Animals Have Rights, Too” at games?

Alexander wasn’t about to allow the circus to chain elephants together and keep them in the Toyota Center garage like Ringling Bros. did at its former Houston home at Compaq Center.

The Alexanders were honored as the biggest individual donors to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) in 1998. He was a supporter of Citizens for Animal Protection in Houston, where I found the dogs for my Pethouse Pet of the Week column for many years.

When Alexander said no to the circus, he also lost other shows owned by Feld Entertainment, including Disney on Ice, Monster Jam, Super Moto Cross, and other events that accounted for 50 nights and tens of millions of dollars for Compaq Center.

While Alexander no longer owns the Rockets, the circus will continue to play NRG Stadium.

Will the new style Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, with a very different feel without animals, capture audiences like before? I think it’s got a good chance. It was the only Hail Mary left for the circus. Humans are far more flexible and entertaining performers than bears and other beasts. You just have to look at the success of Cirque du Soleil, which has seven different shows drawing crowds in Las Vegas (and a new show coming to Houston in August).