The Big Top remains the Greatest show on earth: the 136th edition from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey features the most profound changes in more than half a century as the circus has taken on a whole new look.

• Author: Barrett, Wayne M.
• Position: Entertainment - Circus review

AT OUR LOCAL elementary school, the first-graders receive a weekly visit from a "mystery reader," an unnamed parent--vague clues are given throughout the day as the kids try to guess whose mother or father is about to make an appearance--who selects a book to read to the class. Being an old hand at this event--after all, this year marked my third visit--I know there are two keys to mystery-reader success: Provide unusual clues as to your identity (favorite color: gray; favorite day of the year: Dec. 21, when winter begins) and, as the judges on "American Idol" implore: pick the right song (er, book).

Since the circus was in town (and what kid doesn't love the circus?), the perfect book seemed to be "Randy's Dandy Lions," a 1964 classic concerning a soft-hearted lion tamer who loses his job to a whip-snapping, pistol-wielding, chair-jabbing mustachioed meanie because his lions suffer from stage fright. The Kings of Beasts rebel against their new taskmaster, and kindly Randy wins his position back as the emboldened lions wow the crowd with their comical theatrics. The kids absolutely loved the story, and especially were enthralled to hear the teacher and I discuss the old-time circus of our youth, when courageous performers actually did put their heads inside a lion's mouth.

There are no lions nowadays, however, as the 136th edition of The Greatest Show on Earth--touring the country until December 2007--has been "re-imagined" by the creative team at Feld Entertainment, the same folks who each year re-create the innovative Disney on Ice extravaganza. Among the Feld team that have reshaped the Big Top's look are Emmy Award-winning director Shanda Sawyer, two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood, and Tony Award-nominated set designer Robert Brill. Ringling Bros. has discarded the iconic three-ring setup in order to maximize the arena area while creating a more intimate experience. This effort is enhanced by a 24-foot LED video screen with super-sharp images so crystal clear that one has to wonder why the Nassau Coliseum--home to the NHL's New York Islanders and the venue in which we enjoyed the new-look circus--doesn't have such a high-quality screen for replays during hockey games.

For the first time ever, the Ringling Bros. production introduces a storyline, taking "one lucky family"--and, of course, the audience--on a "Circus of Dreams." And while the silver-throated Jennifer Fuentes failed to fulfill her dream of...