Not many kids plan to run a circus when they grow up – and it’s not exactly what Johnathan Lee Iverson had in mind either as a kid growing up in New York City.
But 15 years ago, the husband and father of two found himself doing just that and for not just any circus, but for the renowned Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Growing up, Iverson’s voice was always in the forefront of his life. As the lead tenor in the Boys Choir of Harlem, he knew music was his calling. At just 11 years old, Iverson traveled the world meeting dignitaries and performing for well-known musicians such as Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Lena Horne.
But it was on a whim one day that he found himself called to the circus.
“I was auditioning for a dinner theater show and it happened that the director of the show was also directing Ringling Bros.,” Iverson said. “They were actually looking at the time for a singing ringmaster.”
He is now in his 15th year as the circus ringmaster of the greatest show on earth, though you would never be able to tell because, as Iverson said, “In the circus you age backwards.” Similarly, Iverson views his job as bringing people back to their innocence.
“That’s why the most important phrase in all of show business is ‘ladies and gentleman, children of all ages,'” said Iverson. “We aren’t talking to your kids. They can make this stuff up. We are inviting all of you cynical adults back to a time of unviolated, unadulterated innocence, where you can just be free, where your imagination isn’t violated, where no one is trying to push social or political themes on you. It’s just pure fun, pure entertainment of the highest quality.”
Iverson said the circus is an invitation back to when adults believed in imagination, magic and miracles.
“You are going to see miraculous things when you come to Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey,” he said. “There is a magic about the greatest show on earth.”
Although Iverson wears a top hat, presides over a fantastical competition of tigers and lives on a circus train with his family, like most fathers, he wants the best for his kids.
“It’s sad. Everything in entertainment is so vial, so tainted now. It violates the imagination,” he said. “I think the main reason why Ringling Bros. is where it is, is because we don’t do that. The only times you are going to be covering your eyes or your ears is when the thrills becomes a bit too much or maybe when the music is a bit too loud.”
Iverson said the reason people continue to come to the circus is simple it makes them happy, and who doesn’t want that?
“It’s just pure and it’s safe,” he said.
Iverson will welcome children of all ages to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus at the Times Union Center this week. The latest edition honors the Year of the Dragon, and circus performers will showcase breathtaking feats of bravery, the fearless Cossack riders will perform dangerous stunts at more than 25 miles per hour, acrobats will vault more than 20 feet into the air on a one-of-a-kind double-decker trapeze and The Torres Family will pull off death-defying motorcycle tricks, including a daring ride within a 16-foot-diameter globe.
Doors will open one hour before show time for an All Access Pre-show, free with your ticket. Families can participate in interactive experiences such as juggling and balancing skills, get performer autographs, see Asian elephants and meet the circus clowns.
See Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s DRAGONS at the Times Union Center May 2 through May 5. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com or by phone at 800-745-3000. For more information about the show, visit www.ringling.com.
