The Greatest Show on Earth

Show Description

Written to coincide with the election of 2016 (I know, right?), The Greatest Show on Earth takes a jab at the political landscape in America. Fučík’s Entry of the Gladiators makes it clear from the get-go - we are living in a circus. Prokofiev’s playful Symphony no. 5 features a clarinet soloist, and Sondheim’s Send in the Clowns provides a welcome pensive moment, interspersed with quotes from America the Beautiful. Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Jesters is sure to impress - flurries of woodwind licks and non-stop motion ramp up the hijinks to 11. The last portion is less ironic and cynical, with a fully-realized America the Beautiful displaying unity and hope. This show can absolutely be re-tooled to be a circus show, or to lampoon another topic; political or patriotic references can be adjusted with other material. Love your neighbor, we are all in this together.