For the 125 years since the Bailey Circus first merged with Barnum, it’s been known worldwide as “The Greatest Show On Earth.” Today, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is a national treasure, as American as apple pie, hot dogs, and hamburgers.

The 136th Edition of Ringling Bros. will be at Madison Square Garden March 23rd through April 17th. But this won’t be the same Ringling Bros. we remember. Impresario Kenneth Feld wants us to forget the circus we’ve known in preparation for a bold new staging that eliminates the traditional three rings and brings audiences closer to the action with a highly interactive production.

“We’re instituting the biggest changes in 50 years,” says Mr. Feld. “Our single goal in rethinking ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ was to give families a more intimate, up-close experience. The new format looks and sounds like nothing audiences have experienced before. Our goal is to put the ‘awe’ back in awesome. And our new production team has been working for over a year to reinvent the show and bring audiences super-sized spectacle.” Thanks to a jumbo video screen, no matter where you’re sitting you’re going to be close to the action.

The all-new creative team includes Academy- and Emmy Award-winners, and Feld’s 27-year-old daughter Nicole, who is following in her father and grandfather’s footsteps to become a RBBB producer. Says Nicole Feld, “We’ve redefined the show with cutting-edge technology, new set design, a hip-hop score, and a family-friendly storyline.” The future of the circus lies in bringing it into the 21st century and making it more relevant to modern families — and Nicole Feld has been actively on board in pursuit of re-imagining the show.

Director Shanda Sawyer’s goal “is to take families on a magical circus journey. Our production will push the boundaries of audience imagination like never before, and have everyone participating in the action from start to finish.”

Ringmaster Chuck Wagner and vocalist Jennifer Fuentes will introduce a lineup of exciting acts and animals to root and roar for: Brazil’s circus sensation Wellington Silva, who not only performs on the trapeze but also walks upside-down high, high, high above the arena floor; two incredible troupes from China — the Yunnan Acrobatic flyers and the amazingly dexterous Shenzhen Acrobats, who specialize in hat- and foot-juggling; and Argentinean beauty Gisela Riquelme, who glides through the air with the greatest of ease on her trapeze and, with the RBBB showgirls and boys, on trail upon trail of red silk.

You’ve heard of Hercules, but now meet Herkules: Hungary’s Joszef Pakucza, a former “Strongest Man in the World” titleholder who’ll astound by catching a cannonball and bouncing right back from under a two-ton jeep. Talk about industrial strength! Thrills, chills, and spills will come courtesy of motorcycle daredevils the Torres Family, in the intimate confounds of the Globe of Death; and daredevil equestrians the Kassaev Cossacks, 11 men and one very brave woman who can — for the first time in an indoor venue — fully demonstrate the traditions of trick riding and extreme horsemanship.

Oh, and did we mention RBBB’s magnificent herd of performing elephants under trainers Troy Metzler and Mike Hayward?

One family treat is not changing. The RBBB all-access pre-show will still take place an hour before show time, allowing customers a visit and photo-ops with the artists, elephants, horses, and other attractions, and even try on costumes and have their faces painted by the hilarious denizens of Ringling’s Clown Alley and join with the show’s athletic performers in getting “CircusFit.”