By Staff
ANIMALS Tanya, the educated African elephant, is one of the stars of the Hendricks Family Three-Ring Circus coming Sunday and Monday to the Lauderdale County Agri-Center. Submitted photo
By Sheila Blackmon/The Meridian Star
April 20, 2001
Llamas and horses and dogs, oh my! The crowd may not see lions, tigers and bears, but the Hendricks Family Circus promises a "traditional three-ring wild animal circus under the big top" at the Lauderdale County Agri-Center Sunday and Monday.
A spokesman for the circus said a circus attracts like no other event because "deep in the unconscious of every man and woman is the clown or the daring performer."
The Hendricks Family Three-Ring Circus features acrobats, aerialists, clowns and jugglers. Trained live animals featuring Tanya, the educated African elephant, llamas, horses and dogs complete the show.
Circus veterans say in this day and time, many traveling shows are forced to leave the road because of increasing expenses and a lack of suitable show grounds but not this 200-year-old American tradition.
Seal said the last circus featured at the agri-center was the Royal Hanneford Circus in November.
The Hendricks Family Circus could be one of them.
Lila Schleentz with the Hendricks Family Circus said the late Charlie Moyer a "really good show guy" who once had a circus band says it best.
The Hendricks Family Circus is an old-fashioned one that will "hearken back to earlier days when such events came bustling into town for a day then mysteriously disappeared overnight."
Boys and girls will watch the "wild confusion gradually dissolve into a semblance of order, while some of the props and miscellaneous equipment remain mysterious until the performance itself reveals their purpose."
Shows begin at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, and at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday. Free tickets for children have been distributed to local merchants. Children without free tickets pay $7 at the door. Tickets for adults are $10. Cameras are welcome but please don't bring video cameras.
Sheila Blackmon is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail her at sblackmon@themeridianstar.com.