the circus is coming

Ken Hoffman welcomes Ringling Bros. animal-free return to Houston

Ringling Bros. returns to Houston in July.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey/Facebook

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).

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a beautiful mind

Houston Health Museum's new exhibit shines a light on dyslexia

Sarah Sudhoff created "The Reading Brain" in honor of her son.

Photo by Rose Tylinski

"The Reading Brain" replicates neuron activity in a dyslexic brian while reading

No, "The Reading Brain" isn't the title of a B-horror film from the 1960s. It's a brand new installation at the Houston Health Museum that explores dyslexia.

The piece was created by Houston-based artist Sarah Sudhoff, in partnership with Dr. Guinevere Eden, Director of the Center for the Study of Learning at Georgetown University. Hanging from the ceiling of the Health Museum, it uses light-up colored circles to represent the frontal lobe activity of a dyslexic person while reading. MRI scans of dyslexic brains formed the foundation of the light activity. Sudhoff's own son has dyslexia, and she had to adapt her homeschooling of him to account for his neurodivergence. As much as 20 percent of the American population is dyslexic.

"The Reading Brain" grew out of a similar exhibit at the DoSeum in San Antonio. "Beautiful Minds: Dyslexia and the Creative Advantage" challenged visitors to see dyslexia not as a learning disability but as simply a different way some human brains work. The exhibit featured videos, stories, and art work by dyslexic individuals that show how they succeed and create, as well as a selection of brain puzzles used to teach dyslexic people.

“Even though your brain works differently, it still lights up and is beautiful to watch, a wonderful machine you have. It just means you have to navigate and pivot a little differently,” Sudhoff said.

Sudhoff's innovative bridge between science and art is a permanent part of the Health Museum's MindWorks exhibit. Like "The Reading Brain," MindWorks maps out thinking processes through light and hands-on activities. The exhibit will close on January 5, meaning visitors have a very short time to see Sudhoff's piece.

The Health Museum is a hidden gem in Museum District located a block away from the Children's Museum. It houses a variety of exhibits about the human body, such as a giant plastic colon that kids love to run through. Since opening in 1969, the museum has helped Houstonians and visitors from around the world learn about the way the body works as well well as public health protocols. As the only Smithsonian Affiliate Museum in the Houston Museum District, it has a high educational pedigree despite it's colorful and often whimsical offerings.

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