This very special show is back again!!!  Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^® and the NIH/NOAA R&W invites Children of All Ages to join the Ringling Bros. team in the ALL-NEW, ALL-LIVE 139^th Edition of The Greatest Show on Earth!  This year, through the mystery of magic and mastery of skill, audiences will be spellbound by Zing Zang Zoom a thrill-filled, mind-blowing circus spectacular where family fun is no illusion.  Zingmaster Alex and his assistant, the alluring Levitytia, lead audiences through a kaleidoscope of color and imagery revealing worlds of fantasy, flight and phenomena that celebrates the uplifting spirit of the circus while warding off a cynical Mr. Gravity and his team of “heavies’ who try to bring everyone down.  Be mesmerized when a four-ton elephant disappears before your eyes, and a gravity-inducing nemesis transforms into a ferocious tiger.  Stand in awe as two formidable, female human cannonballs are blasted through the air in a daring display of bravery.   Become electrified as the dangerous double wheel of steel, the gasp-inducing high wire and soaring gigantic swings, defy both gravity and logic.  Fun-filled magic merges with traditional circus arts to create a world of infinite possibilities where apprentice illusionists levitate their parents with a wave of a wand, and audience spirits keep rising as this high flying circus is (literally) turned upside down.  Watch in amazement as a herd of Asian elephants, Bengal tigers and Arabian and Friesian horses join forces with human performers to create an experience that will surprise and delight Children of All Ages, render us speechless and remind us that the magic of The Greatest Show on Earth lives forever in our hearts and imaginations. 

Your escape from the everyday begins one hour before show time when you make your way to the arena floor.  The FREE All-Access Pre-Show allows families to interact with the stars, mingle with an amazing group of acrobats, aerialists, animals, clowns, jugglers and more.  You can even step into a circus closet and slip on a costume.  There’s so much the Pre-Show has to offer and the show hasn’t even started!  So grab your cotton candy and be prepared to be whisked away into a whirlwind of action and adventure.  Join us for the 13^th Annual Children’s Premiere Night hosted by the NIH R&W, benefiting the NIH Charities on Wednesday, March 17^th at 7pm with the FREE (pre-show at 6pm).  You won’t hear about this on the radio or television because this night is only for special invitees from the NIH R&W…and you and your friends and family are invited!!   This event is a fundraiser for the NIH Charities and is a wonderful opportunity for the R&W to provide a magical evening to many special needs children in the local metro area.  Over the years, with your help, we have treated over 25,000 deserving children to the circus.  The NIH R&W has a goal to fill the entire Verizon Center with friends and family, so we need your help.  Pass the word along to all your friends and family and have them join you for this special evening.  Tickets are on sale at the R&W Activities Desk in Bldg. 31 Rm. B1W30 or call 301-496-4600.  Orders can be placed for tickets at any R&W store.  Tickets available include Circus Celebrity - front row/interactive seating where you become part of the show $80 (reg. $115), Front Row $52.50 (reg. $75), VIP $38 (reg. $52), Section 111 & 112 (best seats) $24 (reg. $35).   Can’t attend but still want to make a difference?  You can help sponsor a child or family with a $20 donation.  Don’t delay…we have the best seats in the house for this special R&W hosted evening, but they won’t last long!  We’ll see you at the circus!